Government Affairs Update – 2/7/14
Government Affairs Update – 1/24/14
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE
Friday, January 24, 2014
Medical marijuana is an issue that is gaining more and more attention around the country. Several states, most recently Colorado, have passed laws making it legal to use marijuana in the treatment of several medical conditions. Marijuana is evidently the best at treating certain severe symptoms and side effects. It has been shown to alleviate discomfort from "debilitating medical conditions" such as chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, and more.
Right here in Pennsylvania there are currently four state bills pertaining to the legalization of medical marijuana, one of which will be discussed by the Senate Law and Justice Committee in Harrisburg this upcoming Tuesday.
This most recently introduced bill, SB 1182, is sponsored by State Senator Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon) and State Senator Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery). The bill would establish the Pennsylvania Medical Cannabis Board and the Bureau of Medical Cannabis Control Enforcement, which would create and regulate Compassionate Care Centers where patients approved by the state would be able to obtain a controlled amount of cannabis in any form. This would include marijuana, cannabis concentrate and cannabis-infused products.
If the bill were to be passed in its current form, it would prohibit patients from smoking cannabis in certain places such as school grounds, public beaches and parks and other public areas and anywhere that cigarette smoking is "prohibited by law or by organizational policy," such as a non-smoking apartment building. However, rental owners across the commonwealth could be asked to make reasonable accommodations for residents with proper documentation of their disability to smoke marijuana in non-smoking units. Additionally, the issue of secondhand smoke in surrounding apartment units would also be raised.
This is an election year and marijuana use is a very controversial topic. It remains to be seen how far any bill can progress in 2014. More so, Governor Tom Corbett is opposed to the legalization of medical marijuana, despite the fact that, as is expected to be seen in Colorado this year, taxes from the sale of marijuana can generate around $70 million a year.
We will follow the progress of the bills in Harrisburg and will continue our advocacy on behalf of rental owners about this issue.
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Education Funding and Taxes
State Representative Dwight Evans wants Pennsylvanians to weigh in on whether our state's sales, income, and/or business taxes should be increased in order to support public education.He has introduced a resolution, House Resolution No. 613, calling for a nonbinding referendum or ballot question, to be placed on the May 2014 primary ballot.
Representative Evans' initiative comes in the midst of continuing efforts on the part of supporters of SB76 which would eliminate property taxes to fund education, in favor of an increased income tax and an expanded sales and use tax. Sponsors admit the novel idea of eliminating property taxes is disconcerting to many and will need time to gain support. A referendum in favor of increasing taxes to fund education could make the work of eliminating property taxes a bit easier. On the other hand, a thumbs down would make their "heavy lift" exponentially heavier.
The Resolution was referred to the House Education Committee on January 15.
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2014 PAA Harrisburg Capitol Conference:
March 31st – April 1st
This is your chance to be heard by legislators. Help us tell Harrisburg what apartment communities mean to Pennsylvania. Join the Pennsylvania Apartment Association in Harrisburg for their Annual Meeting and Dinner on the evening of March 31st. The following day will include meetings on the hill with your legislators, as well as breakfast and lunch, compliments of PAA.
Click here to register or to find out more!
Registration deadline is Monday, March 10th.
Member Generosity Brings Much Joy
The incredible generosity of AAGP Members was on full display at our Annual Holiday Party, on December 10 at the Union League. Members were asked to bring an unwrapped toy that would be distributed to Military Families this holiday season via Operation HomeFront. The response was overwhelming. Our members donated over 170 toys, along with $320.
Operation HomeFront Executive Director, Pete Stinson and service members were on hand to collect the donation for an upcoming Holiday Party in our area. The cash donation helped defray the cost of the party. The children in attendance were treated to a visit from Santa and a toy.
Thank you for your wonderful generosity.
Happy Holidays from AAGP!
Can you feel it??
Autumn winds, the harvest is in and we are all looking forward to the holidays. With the years end fast approaching- there can’t be a better time to take stock of this incredible year at AAGP
Just since April- our membership is up over 14%! Kudos to Rachel for her amazing recruitment skills and ingenuity.
Since May- our education program has soared to unimagined heights- our thanks to Judy whose unsurpassed level of professionalism made it possible.
Our Trade Show hit the stratosphere with a record breaking attendance of over 1300- clearly the hottest show in town!
Our Awards program and banquet- a cast of thousands and still growing!
Our Golf outing -sold out once again and eagerly awaited after Mother Nature forced a postponement but did not dampen spirits! Thank you Erica for bringing awesome excitement and energy to all our events and programs!
Hot off the presses! Our second edition of the Lease and Law Handbook is out! And thanks to our innovative Board of Directors for approving our on line version –free to members and coming soon!
Point of order! Our legislative presence in Harrisburg, Washington and points in between grows by the day. Our thanks to Chris for her diligence and know-how but especially to our awesome members for their proactive, can-do thinking!
Onward and Upward- Multifamily Permits and Rental Households Climb
A recent report from Harvard University confirms several trends in the multifamily industry. More Americans are renting by choice, vacancies are down and multifamily development is up. And the need for more affordable rental housing shows the irreplaceable role rental housing plays in every community.
Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies has released an annual State of the Nation’s Housing report since 1988. Their 2012 report highlights the economic and demographic trends driving the country’s housing demand. The national rental vacancy rate fell to 8.7 percent in 2012, according to the report, the lowest level since 2001. Market conditions for professionally managed apartments were even stronger, with average vacancy rates at 4.9 percent. The brisk pace of growth in renter households is the reason for the rise in construction of new rental units by 258,000 in 2012, the report surmised. Multifamily building permits in many markets have surged past average levels seen in the 2000’s and activity in Austin, Raleigh and Bridgeport “approached all time highs.”
But the gap between the supply of affordable housing and demand for low-income quality rental housing reached 5.3 million in 2012, the report noted. The National Apartment Association welcomed Harvard’s report as an affirmation of the quality and professionalism of the nation’s rental housing owners and operators. Doug Culkin, President of the NAA expressed the NAA’s disappointment over the fact that so many Americans continue to struggle to find safe and affordable housing. “NAA and its affiliates look forward to continuing to work with policymakers at all levels of government on sensible and effective strategies to meet this need,” he said.
Mrs. Gertz goes to Washington
No one is really sure if it’s the actual weather in Washington that makes it so hot in summer, or if it’s all the hot air pouring out of agency buildings. Christine recently spent a morning at EPA headquarters and still can’t tell. She was in town representing the National Apartment Association to argue for the interests of the apartment industry at an EPA public meeting about lead paint hazards in buildings. The powerful federal agency might expand their Renovation Repair and Painting rules to commercial buildings. Current RRP rules only apply to residential buildings built before 1978-the year lead was taken out of paint, and child care facilities. RRP rules can add huge costs to renovation and repair projects. In typical Washington cart-before-the-horse fashion, the EPA is considering requiring every single commercial building in the country-even the ones built after 1978 – to follow RRP rules as well. In her comments Christine noted they are simply guessing there could be a problem and from there they are guessing at a solution to fit their imaginary problem.
Apartment Industry Adds 3.5 Billion to Metro-Philly Economy
News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 12, 2013
Contact:
Christine Young-Gertz Jim Lapides Carole Roper
610-664-1800 202-974-2360 703-797-0616
cgertz@aagp.com jlapides@nmhc.org carole@naahq.org
Study: Apartment Construction and Operations Contributed $3.5 Billion to Philadelphia Economy
Pennsylvania received $28.6 billion economic contribution from the combined construction, operation and resident spending, says new report “The Trillion Dollar Apartment Industry”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite the worst economy in a generation, apartment construction and operations contributed $3.5 billion to the metro Philadelphia economy in 2011 supporting 28,000 local jobs, according to a new report released today by the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC) and the National Apartment Association (NAA). In addition, apartments and their residents contributed $28.6 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy supporting 664,000 jobs. The report, along with an interactive map and economic impact calculator, is available on the new website www.WeAreApartments.org.
Based on research by economist Stephen S. Fuller, Ph.D., of George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis, the report covers the economic contribution of apartment construction, operations and resident spending on a national level plus all 50 states. In addition, construction and operations data is available for 12 metro areas: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
Highlights from the report include:
- Nationally, the apartment industry and its residents contributed $1.1 trillion to the economy in 2011, or more than $3 billion every day. This combined spending supported 25.4 million total jobs.
- Within the Philadelphia metro area, the apartment industry spent $152 million on new apartment construction, creating a total economic contribution of $331 million supporting 2,400 local jobs.
- The apartment industry spent $1.5 billion operating the metro’s 341,000 apartment units, generating a total economic contribution of $3.2 billion supporting 26,000 local jobs – more than nine times the impact of apartment construction.
- Within Pennsylvania, apartment construction contributed $438 million to the state economy supporting 3,200 jobs in 2011.
- Operating the state’s 584,000 apartment homes created a total economic impact of $5.1 billion to Pennsylvania supporting 66,900 jobs.
- Pennsylvania’s 874,000 apartment residents spent $11.0 billion on goods and services within the state in 2011, creating a total economic impact of $23.1 billion supporting 594,000 jobs.
- Neighboring state New Jersey received a $37.5 billion economic contribution supporting 881,000 total jobs from the combined apartment construction, operations and resident spending.
“The apartment industry doesn’t just provide homes. It creates thousands of good paying, local jobs that stay right here in the Philadelphia area,” said Gunti Weissenberger, President of The Westover Companies and 2013 President of The Apartment Association of Greater Philadelphia. “Fuller’s impressive report shows just how important apartments and our residents are to Pennsylvania – contributing more than $28 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy.”
“Although attention is usually focused on homebuilding and the single-family sector, the annual construction and operating outlays for apartment buildings with five or more units are major sources of economic activity, jobs and personal earnings,” said Fuller. “In addition, the residents of apartment buildings constitute an important source of local, state and national economic activity as their spending for goods and services is recycled through the economy. Like the operating outlays for apartment buildings, the spending by renters recurs annually thereby supporting local economies on an ongoing basis.”
In conjunction with the study’s release, the new website www.WeAreApartments.org breaks down the data by each state and the 12 metro areas through an interactive map. Visitors can also use ACE, the Apartment Community Estimator, a new tool that allows users to enter the number of apartment homes of an existing or proposed community to determine the potential economic impact within Pennsylvania or any of the 50 states.
“For the first time we’re able to quantify the tremendous economic impact of apartment residents across the country, in addition to the powerful contributions from apartment construction and operations,” said NAA Chairman of the Board Alexandra Jackiw, CPM, CAPS. “It truly shows a comprehensive view of the industry’s critical role not just in housing, but to the economy at large.”
“Even in one of the worst economic climates we’ve ever seen, the multifamily industry and its 35 million residents contributed more than $1 trillion to the economy,” said NMHC Chairman Thomas S. Bozzuto, CEO, The Bozzuto Group. “With up to seven million new renter households forming this decade—almost half of all new households—the dollars and jobs we add to the economy will only grow in magnitude.”
For more information or to download the report “The Trillion Dollar Apartment Industry”, visit www.WeAreApartments.org.
Philadelphia-specific information can be found at www.WeAreApartments.org/Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania-specific information can be found at www.WeAreApartments.org/Pennsylvania.
New-Jersey-specific information can be found at www.WeAreApartments.org/New-Jersey.
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Metro Area Defined:
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md. Includes Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County in Pennsylvania. Also includes Burlington County, Camden County, Gloucester County and Salem County in New Jersey; and New Castle County, Delaware and Cecil County, Maryland.
About Us:
For more than 20 years, the National Apartment Association (NAA) and the National Multi Housing Council (NMHC) have partnered on behalf of America’s apartment industry. Drawing on the knowledge and policy expertise of staff in Washington, D.C., as well as the advocacy power of 170 NAA state and local affiliated associations, NAA and NMHC provide a single voice for developers, owners and operators of multifamily rental housing. One-third of Americans rent their housing and 35 million people live in an apartment home. For more information, contact:
NMHC at (202) 974-2300 or info@nmhc.org or www.nmhc.org.
NAA at (703) 797-0616 or carole@naahq.org or www.naahq.org/governmentaffairs.
AAGP Mobile SIte
Away from your computer and need to know when the next AAGP event is? Looking for an AAGP member but can’t find the contact information? Use the AAGP Mobile site for easy access to our Calendar of Events, Vendor Search and AAGP Social Media sites. Hop on your phone and get all the information you need. Simply go to http://aagp.com/mobile and depending on your device it will display the mobile site appropriately.
http://blog.respage.com/apartment-association-of-greater-philadelphia/2013/02/01/294/
2013 Trade Show & Education Conference Registration Now Open
2013 AAGP Trade Show & Education Conference Registration
Pre-registered attendees will have a badge instantly availabe
for pick-up at the show
Apartment Owner • Property Management
Leasing Staff • Maintenance Staff
Online Registration • Registration Form PDF
Non- exhibiting vendors will not be permitted on the Trade Show floor. AAGP has a no-tolerance policy regarding “suitcasing”, which describes the practice of non-exhibiting companies or individuals soliciting sales on the Trade Show floor.
Hotel Information: The Valley Forge Casino is offering a reduced rate of $130 for one nights stay. Discounted rate is available for March 19 and 20. Make sure you mention AAGP when making your reservation. Ask for Casino Tower Reservation 610.337.2000
AAGP’s Feb. 13th President’s Dinner featuring Bill Rancic is filling up
AAGP members are encouraged to register early for the February 13th Membership Meeting & President's Dinner. The meeting will feature Bill Rancic, winner of the first season of NBC's The Apprentice. It is also the first major event of the year for incoming president Gunti Weissenberger of The Westover Companies. A sell-out is expected! Register online. Flyer.
Equal Housing Opportunity