Thursday, May 23, 2013

National Apartment Association Provides Long List of Fixes and Concerns to Congress

The National Apartment Association and Multi Housing Council (NMHC) federal policy and regulatory issues for 2013 are topped by financial issues -- including housing finance reform. 
“We need at least 300,000 new apartments each year just to keep pace with the demand, but only 130,000 apartment homes were built in 2011,”  says the NMHC.  "Without access to capital in all markets at all times or certainty in the tax code, we lack the ability to keep pace with the tremendous need for new apartments across the country.”
Other items on the list include:
  • A federal guarantee for multifamily mortgages whether or not the government-sponsored enterprises continue in their present state.
  • Tax reform.  The report urges reforms that won’t damage the development in the rental housing industry. 
  • Immigration reform.  This is a key concern since issues such as border security, employment eligibility verification and documentation for illegal immigrants working and living in the U.S. effects apartment owners as well as the economy’s growth and recovery. 
  • Telecommunications
  • Data Privacy and Breach Notification
  • Fair Housing and the ADA
  • Bed Bugs
  • Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
  • Section 8 Voucher Reform
  • Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Utility Adjustments
  • Violence Against Women Act
  •  Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • Fair Market Rents
  • Terrorism Insurance
  • National Flood Insurance Program
  • Dodd-Frank Regulation and Compliance
  • Multifamily and Health Care Mortgage Insurance Programs
  • Low-Income Housing Tax Credit
  • Tax Incentives for Energy-Efficient Commercial Buildings and Multifamily Retrofits
  • Unionization
  • Criminal Background Checks
  • Lead-Based Paint
  • EPA Regulation of Stormwater Runoff from Existing Properties
  • Clean Water Act Expansion
  • Green Building Labeling
  • National Green Building Standard
  • Energy Efficiency Incentives
  • Appliance Efficiency

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