NAA Participates in HUD Panel on Nation’s Housing Needs

On July 25, Greg Brown, senior vice president of government affairs, represented the National Apartment Association at a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) stakeholder gathering, termed a “HUDdle” by the Department.

HUDdles are held several times a year and regularly bring together well over 100 stakeholders from across the spectrum of housing providers and groups in both the public and private sectors to discuss the needs and conditions that affect the U.S. housing market.

The panel was titled “Examining Our Country’s Housing Needs,” with the focus on solutions to our nation’s housing shortage and how to create partnerships and break down barriers to increase our nation’s housing supply and, in turn, meet burgeoning demand across the country.

HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson opened the event, and Seth Appleton, Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, then moderated the panel. In addition to Brown, participants included Dan McCue, senior research associate at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, which produces the NAA-sponsored annual State of the Nation’s Housing Report; and Daria Daniel, associate legislative director for community, economic and workforce development at the National Association of Counties.

Brown’s presentation, which focused on NAA’s newly-expanded Barriers to Apartment Construction Index, synthesized research findings in 29 U.S. cities about factors that stand between demand and the housing supply necessary to satisfy it: factors such as the impact of community involvement, construction costs, approval process complexity and more.
   
“It was an honor to be able to brief such a broad cross-section of American housing stakeholders on research as important as our Barriers to Apartment Construction Index. The implications of this research, to illustrate broadly applicable lessons that can be employed anywhere and simultaneously provide a granular view of local circumstances, is invaluable in our efforts to expand housing supply and take pressure off of housing affordability,” Brown said. “NAA is very grateful for the opportunity to interface with our federal policymakers and other industry stakeholders directly, and we look forward to working together with a broad coalition to help bring the supply of apartment homes back where it needs to be.”

NAA plans to make a comprehensive video of the proceedings available as soon as possible.