Government & Housing Legalities

Petition Drive Launched To Fund Affordable Housing With Cincinnati Tax Increase

By Pat Crowley, Vice President of Governmental Affairs

A petition drive has been launched to create an affordable housing development program that would be funded with an increase in the City of Cincinnati’s payroll tax.

Cincinnati Action for Housing Now claims it has already collected more than 2,000 of the 10,000 required signatures needed to place the issue on the 2024 ballot in Cincinnati. The group says that if placed on the ballot and passed by the city’s voters, a .03 percent increase in the city’s payroll tax would generate $40 million to $50 million a year to spend on developing affordable housing.

The groups had appealed to city council to place the issue before the voters. But when council refused to act, the petition drive was launched. If the required number of signatures is collected, council will then be required to put the issue on the ballot next year.

Organizations that are part of the grassroots effort include The Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition, OTR Community Housing, Homeless Clearinghouse, Pro Seniors, Community Shares of Greater Cincinnati, Affordable Housing Advocates (AHA), ACLU Ohio and the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers.

WHAT IS NAAPAC?

If you are in housing, you are in politics. From fair housing to flood insurance, energy to the environment, the 535 members of the US Senate and House of Representatives play a huge role in shaping the policy and economic climate for the apartment housing industry.

It takes not only the collective power of the NAA, but also the work of individuals at the grassroots level to make sure we, as an industry, are at the table and not “on the menu” when important policy decisions are made.

NAAPAC is the bi-partisan political action committee that supports Congressional candidates who represent good government and understand the needs and concerns of the apartment housing industry.

NAA is prohibited from using general account funds such as membership dues or other revenue to contribute to federal elections. That means NAAPAC, by pooling the individual contributions of NAA and affiliate members, is the only vehicle through which NAA and its members may participate in the political process. NAAPAC may only accept personal contributions from members of the NAA and its affiliates.

Any funds collected are disbursed directly to the campaign of a candidate or incumbent member of Congress. This “hard money” donation is heavily regulated and monitored by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

NAAPAC Gives YOU:

A Seat at the Table. Would you rather be at the table, or on the menu? NAAPAC is your vehicle to support federal candidates who are open to the apartment industry’s views on issues crucial to your business and the industry at large.

Credibility. NAAPAC gives our profession political credibility. It shows that we are willing to support lawmakers who help enact policies that will allow us to keep creating quality apartment homes across America.

Success. Growing our influence in Washington, DC, does not happen easily. It is an ongoing and long-term process that only succeeds as more and more NAA members participate. Your involvement makes NAAPAC grow in strength.

To donate - or for more information - click here.

NAA APARTMENTALIZE HEADS TO ATLANTA IN JUNE! REGISTER TODAY!

Atlanta will be the hub of the rental housing industry when we all come together to connect, share ideas, and find solutions at the National Apartment Association (NAA) 2023 Apartmentalize. Come ready to be inspired, gain knowledge and build a network of innovative thinkers and strategists. Meet you there!

General Session Speakers

Nationally recognizable speakers from outside the industry motivate you with their inspiration and personal stories of success and real-life experiences. Speakers to be announced soon!

Derreck Kayongo: Entrepreneur, Global Soap Project Founder, CNN Hero, and Former CEO of the Center for Civil and Human Rights

Wednesday, June 7 | 3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

With his trademark panache, Derreck Kayongo tells his courageous story of survival, social entrepreneurship, and humanitarianism, and the life lessons he learned along the way.

From Ugandan refugee to successful entrepreneur, CEO, and renowned human rights activist, Derreck’s journey inspires audiences to dream big. Through personable and articulate storytelling, he shares his visionary ideas for harnessing the power of observation and creative problem solving, applicable to any organization or community. It’s all about taking responsibility while looking for opportunities to improve.

Derreck is the founder of the Global Soap Project: a humanitarian aid organization that collects discarded and unused soap from thousands of hotels worldwide, reprocesses it, then distributes it to in-need populations around the world. The project was born from his simple observation about how much soap is available in hotels, and how much is thrown away when hotel rooms are turned. This observation turned into a simple yet innovative idea that is now battling global health issues in 90 countries. Hygienerelated diseases, and the resulting deaths, have dissipated in many at-risk communities, thanks in part to Derreck’s creative problem solving.

The energy and enthusiasm levels are unmatched as Derreck brings his stories and principles to life. He identifies the key factors of his personal and professional success with the memorable acronym S.E.L.F.: Service, Education, Leadership and Faith. He calls upon his dynamic experiences to empower audiences, inspiring an entrepreneur spirit made possible only through creative problem solving. Derreck’s emotionally-packed presentations linger long after his speech, empowering audiences to invent their own self-made motto of success so they can create tangible change