Rental Housing Industry “Tweet” Sheet

As many of you know, the rental housing industry is very often the focus of criticisms and, unfortunately, the various lines of attack against us are not unfamiliar.  The National Apartment Association (NAA) has created this “Tweet” sheet which those of you who might be on Twitter should use and deploy these messages across your social media, whether as original tweets or retweets, and incorporate them into your talking points as needed.

• #Rents are set by the market, not individual housing providers. Like the broader housing market, rents are based on supply/demand and we simply do not have enough housing.
• Universal housing stability is everyone's goal - it's best for residents and the industry.
• We’ve lost substantial #affordablehousing as mom-and-pops leave the market or stock is lost to age. We must lower barriers to construction – #Congress has a bill to do so, and local law makers must also pursue responsible policies. #NAAadvocates
• #Congress has a bill to expand the #Section8 HCV program – it’s bipartisan and supported by the industry and renters advocates. Tell lawmakers to help America’s renters by passing the Choice in Affordable Housing Act (H.R. 6880). #NAAadvocates
• The rental industry agrees – renters who need support shouldn’t wait years for a #Section8 #Congress can improve the program and ensure more renters and their families have access to #rentalassistance. Pass the bipartisan Choice in Affordable Housing Act. #NAAadvocates
• FACT: only 9 cents of a #rent dollar is considered “profit,” everything else goes to expenses that keep housing operational and industry staff employed.
• Rental housing providers are committed to responsible, sustainable affordability solutions. We need to improve #Section8 and build more housing – the industry actively supports current bills in #Congress that do both. #NAAadvocates
• #Rentcontrol doesn’t help renters most at risk – anybody can apply for a rent control unit regardless of income, increasing competition for limited housing and leaving those who need the most support without a home.
• #Rentcontrol sounds good on paper, but it doesn’t build a single #affordablehousing unit (and prevents them from being built in future). This isn’t sustainable and hurts those that need support.
• FACT: #rentcontrol has halted 1/3 of development projects in St. Paul, according to @RealPage. The policy passed in November 2021 and is already harming #housingaffordability just 7 months later.
• America’s #housing stock is not only insufficient, it’s also aging. Nearly half of the nation’s stock was built before 1980, meaning substantial repairs, renovations and even rehabilitation may be required.
• Large amounts of capital is required for such repairs – though mischaracterized, investors of all sizes can revitalize #housing that would otherwise be lost and bring revenue to neighborhoods through jobs, property taxes, etc.
• Rental housing is an economic engine that brings jobs, property taxes and revenue to local communities. Pre-pandemic, the industry contributed $3.4 trillion to the U.S. economy and supported 17.5 million jobs.

In the coming weeks, NAA will also have new research available to bolster these messages. We look forward to sharing this important data with you soon!