CARH Broadcast Email—Legislative Update

As CARH members know from our July 9^th Broadcast Email, Congress has begun to debate how the federal government should further respond to the coronavirus pandemic in the country. There remains a great deal of uncertainty as to the direction that Congress will take, particularly regarding the affordable housing industry and residents who live in rental properties. Due to this uncertainty and to draw attention to the need for Congress to adequately deal with the fall-out of the COVID-19 pandemic on residents and industry, on Wednesday, August 5, an ad from CARH and other housing stakeholders* will run in POLITICO urging Congress to protect the housing stability of millions of Americans by:  providing direct rental and housing assistance to those who need it; extending federal unemployment benefits; and stopping a protracted eviction moratorium, which fails to address a renter’s underlying financial distress and risks fundamental damage to the rental housing industry.

In addition, a letter was sent to Congressional leaders on July 31 by the same group of stakeholders*, outlining ways Congress can take meaningful action now, to keep families in their homes, save small businesses and pull the country back from an emerging housing crisis.

*List of stakeholders:

CCIM Institute
Council for Affordable and Rural Housing
Institute of Real Estate Management
Manufactured Housing Institute
Mortgage Bankers Association
National Affordable Housing Management Association
National Apartment Association
National Association of Home Builders
National Association of Housing Cooperatives
National Association of REALTORS
National Leased Housing Association
National Multifamily Housing Council