Thank you for doing your part for the nation’s apartment industry by meeting with your member(s) of Congress. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to contact the district office to schedule your meetings. Materials about the industry issues to discuss when meeting with your member(s) of Congress are part of this toolkit.
How to Schedule Your Meeting
To find the contact information for your elected official, please go here and enter your address to find the district office address, telephone and fax number.
Contact your elected official’s office in writing via fax as soon as possible. Address the request to the scheduler, be sure to include your name, organization, meeting date requested, the issues you wish to discuss, and your contact information (see sample meeting request letter below). Once the request has been made, follow up with a phone call to the scheduler three days later.
Once you have scheduled your meetings, please report them to Carole Roper at 703/797-0616.
After you have met with your member of Congress, please take five minutes to complete the Congressional Visit Feedback Form, included as part of this toolkit, and fax or mail it to NAA Government Affairs.
And don’t forget to bring a camera and send your photos to NAA Government Affairs!
Sample Meeting Request Letter
Date
Attention Scheduler
The Honorable <Name of Member of Congress>
United States House of Representatives (OR United States Senate)
District Street Address
District City, State and ZIP Code
Dear < Name>,
As a constituent and member of the <Your Local Affiliate>, I am writing to request a meeting with <Senator / Representative> <Insert Congressman’s name> in his district office on <enter dates available> from <enter times available> to discuss issues currently before Congress of importance to the nation’s apartment industry.
<Your Local Affiliate> is a member of the National Apartment Association (NAA), America’s leading advocate for quality rental housing. NAA is comprised of nearly 170 state and local affiliates representing more than 51,000 members responsible for more than 6 million apartment homes throughout the United States and Canada.
I understand that the <Senator’s / Congressman’s> schedule is very busy. Please contact me at <enter your e-mail address> or <enter phone number> to schedule this meeting.
Thank you in advance for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Affiliate
Tips on a Successful Meeting with Your Elected Official
Once your meeting is scheduled with your elected official, here are some tips to remember to make the meeting a success:
- Be on time or early. Time is a precious commodity to your member of Congress.
- Be succinct. Often times, he or she may only have 10 to15 minutes to speak with you.
- Be prepared. Be well informed. Be well organized.
- Respect the Congress member’s position. Understand his or her viewpoint.
- Leave the Issue Fact Sheet(s) as a summary of your main points after the meeting is over.
- Follow up with the appropriate staff and thank him or her for their time. (see sample meeting thank you and follow up letter below)
Often, a member of Congress’ schedule will change throughout the day through no fault of yours. If this happens, more than likely you will meet with a staff member of the district office. Treat the meeting as if you are meeting with the member of Congress.
Sample Thank You Letter and Follow Up
Date
< Name of Staffer>
The Honorable <insert name>
United States House of Representatives (OR United States Senate)
District Office Street Address
District Office City, State and ZIP Code
Dear <Name>,
Thank you for taking the time to meet with <me / your affiliate> on <enter date> in your district office (other other location). I appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss issues affecting the multifamily housing industry.
We would be grateful for your support on these issues.
Thank you again for the opportunity to meet with you. I am happy to keep your office informed on the issues impacting the apartment industry. Please contact me via <enter e-mail address> or <enter telephone number> if you need further information. I look forward to speaking with you again.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Affiliate