| Gavel Chaos: With McCarthy Out is Ryan Up? |
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| Copyright: Brandon Bourdages |
In the aftermath of a surprise resignation by House Speaker John Boehner, many hoped elections originally scheduled for this week would calm a number of storms within the House Republican Conference. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had been the clear front runner to become the new Speaker. And dozens of endorsements for McCarthy rolled in with many members eager to support the man that recruited them to run for Congress and then supported their campaigns through the Young Guns program he co-founded.
Despite a last minute challenge from Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), and a long shot bid from Daniel Webster (R-FL), McCarthy was widely seen as the most assured candidate on a slate of upcoming leadership elections. That all changed yesterday when McCarthy reversed course from his weeks long bid for the Speaker’s gavel and announced that he was withdrawing his name from consideration. |
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House Bill Would Streamline the Section 8 Voucher Program |
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| Copyright: pisaphotography |
Congressman Blaine
Luetkemeyer (R-MO), chair of the House Financial Services Committee’s
Subcommittee on Housing, introduced the “Housing Opportunity through
Modernization Act of 2015” on October 7. The legislation would streamline the
Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program to better utilize available resources.
The Section 8 voucher program has long served as America's primary method of
rental assistance. |
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| NMHC EVENTS |
| Register Now for NMHC OPTECH from November 17-19 in San Diego! |
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The 2015 NMHC
OPTECH Conference and Exposition will be held at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront
from November 17-19. OPTECH provides a forum for senior practice leaders from a
wide variety of disciplines to collaborate on strategic action, incubate new
ideas and elevate the industry across all areas of business operations and
technology. Thought-provoking content and speakers from Airbnb, Google, the San Diego Padres, MIT Media Lab and more will join leading multifamily industry firms
at this premier event. OPTECH’s high-level networking and in-depth educational
sessions will also cover a wide range of key multifamily issues, including disparate
impact, cyber security, patent reform and Federal Communications Commission regulation.Early bird registration ends October 14
so register today! |
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| ENERGY STAR |
| EPA Asks NMHC Members for Help on Water Efficiency Rating |
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached out
to NMHC on September 30 seeking assistance in contacting our member companies
that use the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Program. Specifically, ENERGY STAR
and WaterSense are working together to develop the first 1-100 score for water
efficiency for multifamily buildings. EPA is looking for industry’s feedback on
usage for this rating. |
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| SHARING ECONOMY |
| House Takes Closer Look at Implications of Airbnb |
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On September 29, a
key House subcommittee held a hearing entitled, “How Sharing is Faring: Growth and Adjustment in the Sharing Economy.”
The multifamily industry is increasingly dealing with the implications, both
positive and negative, of peer-to-peer home sharing services like Airbnb. The
concerns facing the industry were part of the discussions at the hearing,
including tenant lease violations, on-site security concerns and property
insurance implications. |
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| FAIR MARKET RENTS |
| Fair Market Rents Now Ready for Public Comment |
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On September 8, HUD released their proposed FY 2016 Fair Market Rents (FMRs)
for public comment. FMRs vary based on several factors like local housing
supply and demand, economic conditions and apartment unit size. For the
most part, they are set at the metro or county level. As a demonstration
project in limited areas, HUD has also chosen to continue to use the concept of
Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs) that are set at zip code level. As usual,
changes vary by jurisdiction – in some cases there was a decrease and in others
there was an increase. |
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| EMPLOYMENT |
| Bill Fights Expansion of Employer Responsibility for Joint Employees |
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Congress is responding to the
multifamily industry’s opposition to a recent National Labor Relations Board
(NLRB) decision to expand the definition of a joint employer. In just the last
two weeks, key Senate and House Committees have both held hearings on the
related negative consequences that employers could face in relationship to
their business operations. As we reported, the decision could have a significant impact on
multifamily firms who may become liable for the actions of subcontractors,
suppliers, vendors and temporary staff. |
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| NMHC Leaders Host Luncheon in Chicago |
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Eight leaders in the real estate industry co-hosted an
NMHC Personal Dollar Event in Chicago that brought together a wide-range of key
players in the multifamily industry. |
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| The Senate and House are in recess next week. |
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Solved: The Case of the Missing
Presidential and Papal Water Glasses
Ever since President
Obama took his first oath of office, government curators have wondered what happened
to the water glass set out for him that went missing that day. Then, Pope
Francis’s water glass disappeared from the House Chamber after his visit to
Capitol Hill last month. But thanks to some bragging, we now know who the one culprit
is for both cases. Read more to find out!
Read
More
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