NMHC, NAA Support the Introduction of Choice in Affordable Housing Act

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and the National Apartment Association (NAA) applaud the introduction of the Choice in Affordable Housing Act, bipartisan legislation that aims to increase private sector participation in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program.

The Act was introduced by Reps. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-05), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, and Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-05), member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

NMHC and NAA have long advocated for robust improvements and reforms to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) HCV Program – a crucial part of the solution to our nation’s housing affordability crisis. This critical and timely legislation will bolster the HCV program by stabilizing funding, encouraging greater voluntary participation by housing providers and ultimately improving outcomes for low- and moderate-income households.

“NMHC and our members have long supported the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program and believe it to be one of the most effective means of addressing our nation’s affordable housing needs, supporting mixed-income communities and improving housing opportunity and availability throughout the country,” said Sharon Wilson Géno, NMHC President. “The reasonable reforms included in the Choice in Affordable Housing Act will improve the program for both residents and housing providers and increase private housing provider participation, which are a good first step toward increasing opportunity for millions of American families and help them find homes.”

“NAA is a strong supporter of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program; however, we recognize that operational hurdles and programmatic inefficiencies too often make participation an unviable option for many housing providers,” said Bob Pinnegar, NAA President and CEO. “As the single most important tool in addressing immediate affordability challenges, the HCV program and countless families it serves all deserve improvements and increased access. We thank Reps. Cleaver and Chavez-DeRemer for their leadership on this issue and look forward to celebrating the progress the Choice in Affordable Housing Act will make in addressing affordability challenges.”

NMHC and NAA are proud to represent housing providers as we advance solutions to address our nation’s housing affordability crisis. Working together with policymakers from both parties, we can bolster affordability and ensure stronger and more available rental housing.

For more than 26 years, the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and the National Apartment Association (NAA) have partnered on behalf of America's apartment industry. Drawing on the knowledge and policy expertise of staff in Washington, D.C., as well as the advocacy power of 141 NAA state and local affiliated associations, NAA and NMHC provide a single voice for developers, owners and operators of multifamily rental housing. One-third of all Americans rent their housing, and 38.9 million of them live in an apartment home.