All NAA members. If you are in the rental housing industry, you are a stakeholder. We want your elected officials to think about you and your association when they think of the industry.
Lobby Day
2020 Lobby Day Issues
This year's legislative priorities center around housing affordability and making real progress on increasing supply and preventing adverse policies from taking hold. We will be asking advocates to talk to Congress about:
- Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY) Act (S. 1919/H.R. 4351): bipartisan legislation in the House and Senate encourages the elimination of discriminatory land use policies and removal of barriers that prevent needed housing from being built. NOTE: On March 2, The U.S. House passed H.R. 4351! We will ask Advocate participants to ask for support of S. 1919 in the Senate and add an ask on an Infrastructure bill to their House visits.
- Infrastructure-Build More Housing Near Transit Act (H.R. 4307): bipartisan legislation would ensure that housing is a higher priority in federally funded transit projects.
- Section 8 Reform: streamlining the program to enable more owners and operators to provide more homes to individuals who qualify for vouchers.
- Evictions: work to provide meaningful assistance to residents who need it, while avoiding burdensome new requirements.
Scheduling Meetings
Advocate is the one time a year when hundreds of NAA members take to the Hill to share the rental housing industry's key Federal priorities with Congress. To have the greatest impact, we've got all the information you need on how to set up your meeting as well as effectively communicate with your Member of Congress before, during and after your meeting. The following tutorial will tell you everything you need to know about setting up your meeting and making it a success!
Senate Sample Meeting Request Letter
House Sample Meeting Request Letter
Congressional Scheduler List (don't see an office listed? please contact Jim Wilson)
*Please note you will be prompted to log in to NAA in order to access the tutorial. If you are an NAA member and have login issues, please call 1-833-86-MYNAA.
Feedback from your Lobby Day meetings is critical to advocacy and it's never too late to share your feedback! Check back here closer to the conference for a short survey to tell us how your meetings went.
Lobby Day is merely a springboard for year-round advocacy. We encourage you to build upon the relationships you'll create during 2020 Advocate by utilizing exclusive tools in the members-only NAA Advocacy365 Grassroots Resource Center and Knowledge Bank. The Knowledge Bank and Resource Center include the tools you need to have an effective relationship with your elected officials, both at home and in D.C. Stay up-to-date on best practices with how-to guides on scheduling meetings, inviting a legislator to tour your property and speaking confidently about key issues.
Webinar
Watch a recording of the 2020 Advocate webinar to learn about this year's issues and on how to conduct your meeting with your member of Congress!
FAQs
As an Association Executive, how do I get the message out to my members?
A great resource for spreading the word is the Advocate Toolkit. It features a selection of flyers and ads you can use to reach your members and communicate the value of attending the conference. Don't forget that the most effective invitation is an invitation from someone you know. You can also always reach out to NAA staff for assistance. We'll work with you to help create a strategy to best utilize your available resources. Contact Megan Piferi for assistance with marketing efforts or Jim Wilson for general Lobby Day assistance.
How are Lobby Day meetings scheduled?
You or someone at your affiliate will work with the scheduler of the Member(s) of Congress whose district(s) overlaps your affiliate’s territory. The ideal time to start scheduling your meetings is 30 days out. There are plenty of tools available for setting up your meeting, including two meeting request letter templates, one for Senators and one for Members of the House. Edit your name and contact information for each meeting request letter. We have also provided a list of schedulers for you to address and email your personalized meeting request letter(s). Both helpful tools along with several other resources can be found here.
Where can I pick up the folders for Lobby Day?
On Tuesday, you can pick up your folders at the Lobby Day Materials Center at the Grand Hyatt. On Wednesday, folders will be available at the Florida House, NAA's Lobby Day Headquarters. The Florida House is located at One 2nd Street NE, a short walk from both the House and Senate office buildings.
What do I wear to Lobby Day?
Business attire is recommended along with practical shoes as you will be doing a lot of walking. Keep in mind that all visitors to the Capitol complex must pass through security. Be prepared to go through a metal detector and have your bags x-rayed.
