Apartment Trends Magazine April 2017 | Page 8

FROM THE PRESIDENT DEREK AVERY | LEGACY PARTNERS Apartment Association Members Meet with Congressional Delegates in Washington, D.C. AAMD/NAA members attend committee meetings in Washington A ssociation members attended the National Apartment Association’s 2017 Capitol Conference in Washington, D.C. to discuss pertinent industry issues with our Colorado Congressional delegates and their staff. The annual Capitol Conference provides an opportunity to learn about current and active legislative issues on the federal level and then present them to our policymakers. Members lobbied on Capitol Hill to discuss recent marketplace dynam- ics in multifamily rental housing. This year they highlighted concerns which centered on the reauthorization of funding the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) which is due to expire in September 2017. While flooding continues to be the most common natural disaster in the United States, the NFIP is a critical risk man- agement tool for multifam- ily housing to not only protect their properties, but to maintain affordable cov- erage and manage the in- creasing costs of providing Terry Simone, Matt Pacheco, Rocky housing. Sundling and Nancy Burke Accessibility under the ADA and Fair Housing Act was also highlighted. Existing design guidelines and safe harbors fail to fully address the diversity of multifamily building Rocky Sundling, Derek Avery and Brandon Rich with the Washington Nationals presidents types and real-world construction conditions, which results in varying in- terpretations of compliance under the Acts. Litigation driven by financial gain (not improvements to access for the disabled) is a growing trend. Al- though the rental housing industry supports the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Act and is fully commit