APARTMENT ADVOCATE
NATIONAL APARTMENT ASSOCIATION
2015 A Success for the Industry
F
ew disagree, in Washington and throughout
the country, that there’s something special
about the New Year and its unlimited potential. President Obama took to the airwaves to detail a wide-ranging agenda in his final
State of the Union Address on Jan. 12. NAA and
NMHC issued a related media statement focused
on teeing up our own agenda for the Administration,
HUD and Congress by outlining the Apartment
Industry’s Top 2016 Policy Priorities.
Yet, it’s also important to look back at all that
we accomplished together with you, our members,
in 2015. There’s a lot to be proud of because our hard
work resulted in critical changes that will benefit
our $1.3 trillion industry, and the 38 million residents
that call an apartment home, for years to come.
From securing the extension of key expired tax
provisions, to successfully advocating for vital Section
8 Housing Voucher Program reforms, to helping
ensure beneficial changes to the Foregin Investment
in in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA) – ultimately, these and other significant accomplishments
helped reduce your costs, improve your productivity and save you time.
Let’s take a look at closer look at how our 2015
advocacy helped make a lasting difference.
KEY 2015 NAA AND NMHC
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Below is just a handful of the key advocacy successes that we worked closely with NAA and
NMHC leadership, and our members, to accomplish
last year:
Tax Policy
Secured the permanent or long-term extension
of expired tax provisions that will significantly benefit the apartment housing industry, including bonus
depreciation, small business expensing and the LowIncome Housing Tax Credit
• Removed barriers to foreign investment by
advocating successfully for the permanent
increase from 5 to 10 percent of the
ownership stake that a foreign investor can
take in a U.S. publicly traded REIT without
triggering FIRPTA, and helped secure the
removal of the tax penalty that FIRPTA
imposes on pension funds investing in U.S.
real estate
• Ensured renewal of the Energy Efficient
Commercial Buildings Deduction and
26 | TRENDS • FEBRUARY 2016
Energy Efficient New Homes Tax ܙY]