Advocacy Update

Forrest WallWritten by Forrest Wall, CAE, Staff Vice President and Industry Relations

Help AAM-PAC Make A Difference in Election 2012!

When you say “Election 2012” most people’s thoughts turn to the Presidential campaign. Arguably, of greater importance for apartment owners, are the races in this election for state legislative seats. The policies pursued by our state elected leaders can have a swift and significant impact on your operations and profitability. While Michigan’s Senators do not run in 2012, all 110 seats in the Michigan House of Representatives are up for election.

One great way to have your voice heard in this election is to support AAM-PAC. AAM-PAC is the Apartment Association’s political action committee, which utilizes contributions from members and aggregates them into one fund. This fund is used to financially support those elected officials who understand the important role of rental housing in Michigan’s economy. In short, we do the legwork for you to find the candidates who will best represent your business, and then support their campaign.

AAM has been very successful in this legislative session, with the following recent victories:

• Interest Rate on Tax Tribunal Appeals – Public Act 220 of 2012, requested by AAM, increased the statutory interest rate on Tribunal appeals effective 7/1/12.

• Nonrecourse Mortgage Loan Provisions – Public Act 67 of 2012 helps to rectify the problems with certain loan covenants in nonrecourse commercial loan transactions.

There is much work left to do, however, starting with our proposal for Apartment Inspection Law Reform.

This legislation seeks to put limits on registration fees and inspection fees, and extends inspection cycle timeframes.

Remember, AAM-PAC contributions must be made via personal, partnership, or LLP check or credit cards. Please contact me at 248-862-1004 to make your contribution today!

New Smoke-Free Toolkit Available from HUD

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have issued a Smoke-Free Housing Toolkit to provide multifamily rental property owners guidance on adoption of smoke-free housing policies. In addition to the policy guidance, the toolkit includes a sample resident survey, frequently asked questions, and other resources. To view the toolkit, visit www.hud.gov.

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