AMA GROWING INDUSTRY AWARENESS BY GROWING ITS BETTER GOVERNMENT FUND

The rental housing industry continues to face targeted attacks nationally and in Arizona over misguided policies like rent control. They eventually will impact the industry directly as regulatory changes like these also threaten a property’s bottom line.

Almost everywhere one turns lately, political figures, including presidential candidates, step up to take dead aim at property owners with proposals such as draconian national rent control initiatives. Arizona, a traditionally pro-private-property-rights state, is not immune to such proposals in today’s political environment.

Media outlets and state legislators continue to attack the eviction process as unfair, unethical and in need of so-called “reform” meant to diminish the rights of property owners. Rent control proposals are no longer only in New York, California and Oregon. They have recently surfaced in Arizona; thus far such ill-conceived measures have been defeated in the state Legislature.

While the Arizona Multihousing Association has long been an extremely effective voice on behalf of the industry, attacks like these means defending what it does and has never been more crucial – or more difficult.”

With the Arizona Legislature set to convene in 2021, AMA leadership has outlined a proactive campaign meant to tell “our side of the story” to a full range of stakeholders – everyone from elected leaders to the statewide media, the business community to Arizona’s nearly 7 million residents. The comprehensive effort requires two things: Engagement by AMA members, and an increase in the financial resources. AMA is funding this effort by growing its Better Government Fund (BGF). AMA surpassed the $1 million goal late in late 2020. The goal is to continue to grow the BGF and keep it above the $1 million mark.

Because the Arizona rental housing industry requires marketplace freedom and the preservation of private property rights to thrive – and because these foundational elements often are attacked by politicians and special interests alike – our industry has an ongoing need to defend itself.

The BGF, established in 2010, historically has been used to protect the state’s apartment industry from harmful legislation, to support candidates for office who support the rental housing industry and to fund the legal fight against civil actions that would severely curtail private property rights or financially harm Arizona’s rental housing community.

Why does AMA need to maintain a $1 million BGF? Nationally and locally, the political and media landscape is changing for rental housing providers. This fund will be used to:

$1M GOAL

$1.046 MILLION RAISED

ƒ Preserve the statewide prohibition on rent control and inclusionary zoning.

ƒ Oppose efforts to diminish private property rights in Arizona.

ƒ Protect the careful balance of the Arizona Landlord-Tenant Act.

ƒ Oppose efforts to lengthen the eviction process

or add unnecessary and costly regulation.

ƒ Support long-term solutions to increase the production of rental housing

including affordable and workforce housing.

ƒ Independently engage in political campaigns to support candidates who

understand and help solve the issues facing the rental housing industry

and to oppose candidates who are hostile towards rental owners and

private property rights.

BGF

ƒ Preserve key private property protections.

ƒ Prepare for impending litigation related to private property rights.

The BGF provides the organization with the resources necessary to combat legal, regulatory and legislative issues aimed at harming the apartment industry. The BGF funds supporting and advancing policies to strengthen the rental housing industry. This fund also allows AMA to independently support candidates and initiatives that align with its mission.

An undersupply of housing units and increasing aggression by self-styled “tenants’ rights advocates” and reporters have created the possibility of California-style overregulation and rent control in Arizona. Rather than “hoping for the best,” the AMA has made a strategic choice to proactively confront these challenges by growing the BGF.

AMA has created a resource page at azmultihousing.org/bgf-resources.html to learn more about the national and state trends. It features a video from AMA’s leaders.