CAA Voter Guide
2022 ELECTION
Midterm Elections Weigh Heavy on the Apartment Industry
BY DREW HAMRICK
VP OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS , CAA
By far the most impactful politicians to our industry are Colorado House and Senate members . The vast majority of laws that impact owner / resident relationships , property rights and development come from the State . Because the core of our industry is the ownership of real estate , we are particularly vulnerable to change . Real estate can ’ t be moved away from harmful laws and investment decisions are made on a very long-term horizon . Consequently , any change in the status quo can have an enormous negative impact on our primary asset and our businesses .
2022 will be an extremely important election . Colorado has gone through a redistricting process which has significantly changed most House and Senate Districts . Many once “ safe ” districts have become competitive , and many incumbents find themselves in a new electoral district . This is also a “ midterm ” election in the presidential cycle which tends to result in political gains for the party currently in the minority . Consequently , the outcomes in this election are likely to be more volatile than most .
The election also comes at a time that we are expecting very harmful proposals during the next Colorado legislative session including rent control , mandatory lease renewals , landlord funded eviction defense programs , resident first rights of refusal and limitations on security deposits . In short , this is going to be a uniquely volatile election at a time the stakes are very high for our industry .
Our members have widely divergent political outlooks . While there are lots of political issues out there that our individual members may feel passionate about and that may be of great personal interest , none rise to the importance of these rental housing related issues and their impact on our paychecks and the cost of our products .
We urge AAMD members to focus on these potential devastating threats and emphasize these issues over the more partisan issues that dominate the news . It ’ s critical for the health of housing in Colorado to achieve a more balanced State Legislature . www . aamdhq . org SEPTEMBER 2022 TRENDS | 17