Joe Puckett serves as the Director of Government Affairs and Chair of the Government Affairs Committee of the Washington Multi-Family Housing Association (WMFHA). Having spent more than 35 years serving the apartment housing industry, Puckett is a trusted voice to WMHA’s 1,200 members and they listen when he speaks.

The same is true when he provides expert testimony at a policy committee hearing or when speaking to legislators and representatives about proposed initiativs and providing his opinion. He speaks based on fact and experience and on the benefits and detriments of any proposed legislation.

Throughout his career, Puckett has cultivated strong grassroots efforts across the State of Washington. His efforts never cease, whether they are directed at landlord-tenant rights or nuanced changes to particular building codes. Puckett is vocal and a strong advocate for our industry. For these reasons, Joe Puckett has been recognized as NAA’s Advocacy365 Member Advocate of the Year.

Each fall NAA Government Affairs recognizes the U.S. apartment industry’s top grassroots advocate. All NAA industry members are eligible to win this major award, which recognizes an individual’s outstanding voluntary contributions to industry advocacy at the local, state and national levels.

An Inspiration

“Joe has been an inspirational contributor to our association,” Jim Wiard, Executive Director, WMFHA, says. “The entire industry owes Joe a big debt of gratitude.”
The political climate of the Pacific Northwest is not particularly friendly to the apartment industry. Puckett has developed wide-ranging relationships with local and state legislators even though politically their views are not aligned with the business needs of our members. Initiatives, locally and on the state level, often seek to regulate and burden the apartment industry and Puckett has successfully navigated these turbulent waters to create successes for the industry by opposing strong initiatives to create longer time limits for property owners to give residents notice to terminate a tenancy and for any rent increase. 

“Owners are not recognized in many communities as ‘nice’ people,” Puckett says. “There is a negative stereotype. To help change that impression in a positive way, it’s important that you can put the face of an owner in front of public officials.”

Puckett says his advocacy outreach today enables him to maintain the strong relationships he built while practicing law.

“As an attorney representing the apartment industry, I made a lot of friends,” Puckett says. “My work today as an advocate is my way of giving back. Our industry benefits from having people who can effectively interact on a personal basis with elected officials.”

In Seattle, where residents’ rights are politically paramount to City Council members, Puckett has successfully worked to create policies that are favorable to tenants, all the while mitigating burdensome regulations that would cause undue harm to the industry. In short, the political climate never ceases to be challenging, but Puckett’s political capital helps the Washington Multi-Family Housing Association succeed time and time again.

This year, Puckett worked with the Seattle City Council on provisions of several pieces of legislation, including the Just Cause Eviction Ordinance, Tenant Relocation and Assistance Ordinance, Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance, Source of Income Protections, Tenant Screening and Criminal Background Checks, in order to protect the housing industry from burdensome regulations.

Puckett’s successful efforts at opposing tenant friendly initiatives have created a fair capital market that allows our members to succeed in business. And even when an effort by tenants’ advocates is destined to pass, Puckett is always successful at chipping away at some of the most burdensome regulations that would inhibit the successes of the apartment housing business. 

Carrying the Load

His efforts to create a broad coalition of support by all sides of an issue are an example of his ability to move efforts forward. Puckett has identified specific groups to create lasting coalitions and built support through his advocacy efforts to bring all sides on board and reach a compromise. Puckett’s ability to circle the wagons and reach a compromise is important to continuing the conversation and make sure that each group’s voice is heard. WMFHA works in partnership with a broad coalition of housing associations in Washington. Puckett’s opinions and experience hold much weight in these coalition efforts.

By doing so, Puckett has maintained a current and effective message that lands on the shoulders of legislators and our members and makes Washington Multi-Family Housing Association a strong grass-roots advocate for the apartment industry in Washington State. 

“As an industry, we cannot assume that others will carry the load when it comes to advocating in-person with elected officials,” Puckett says. “The more industry professionals who can join a cause in a given area, the better. Just because you might not be comfortable with public speaking doesn’t mean you can’t still meet one-on-one with a representative, especially a member of Congress. It’s most effective doing so while they are in their home district.”

Are you the next Advocate of the Year? Learn how you can get involved and become a citizen advocate at www.naahq.org/advocacy.