Greg Brown, senior vice president, government affairs, at the National Apartment Association
With a new presidential administration and Congress, the National Apartment Association (NAA) has been keeping its rental housing policy priorities at the forefront so far this year. At its annual advocacy conference in March, the NAA and its members had over 270 meetings with members of Congress in a single day.
Greg Brown, senior vice president of government affairs at NAA, says victories related to the rental housing industry have already been seen during President Trump’s first 100 days.
“Certainly, the president has lived up to what was advertised during the campaign about deregulation, and housing rental providers have been the beneficiaries of some of that work,” he says.
Brown cites several regulatory wins for the industry, including:
- The Federal Housing Finance Agency rescinded several Biden-era directives imposing protections for multifamily properties financed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac;
- The Federal Communications Commission withdrew a Biden-era proposal that would have banned broadband bulk-billing arrangements between property owners and internet service providers;
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development terminated the Affimatively Furthering Fair Housing rule and rescinded a proposed rule on criminal screening; and
- The Federal Trade Commission removed 300 blog entries from its website that made it difficult for industry stakeholders to understand their federal compliance responsibilities.
Brown also has been encouraged by recent bipartisan proposals in Congress, such as the reintroduction of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA) and the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act.
“Policy makers on both sides of the aisle know housing is an important place to weigh in since it directly impacts all their constituents,” Brown says. “That includes the president too, who wants to see lower housing costs and better options for everyone.”
While Brown has been encouraged by some of the efforts on the federal level, he says he is concerned with Washington state’s move on rent control. Gov. Bob Ferguson signed HB 1217 into law May 7, capping rent increases at 7% plus inflation or 10%, whichever is lower.
“Rent control is one of those issues that won’t go away,” he says. “That the governor of Washington signed HB 1217 into law is deeply disappointing. It is the wrong message to the housing market at exactly the wrong time when the state is already facing significant housing affordability challenges. The fact that we’re still dealing with a policy like rent control that is a demonstrable failure everywhere it is applied is startling.”
Looking ahead, Brown is closely watching several other policies that could impact the rental housing industry, such as tariffs, the 2026 fiscal budget, and the administration’s tax bill.
Regarding tariffs, he says NAA members have yet to report feeling any impacts and that it remains to be see what the true implications will be.
He notes NAA also will be paying attention to where budget conversations go and participating in meetings to advocate for its members.
“Traditionally any president’s budget is aspirational—a clear indication of his priorities. Whether or not Congress will agree on those priorities will be determined,” Brown says. “I would say as it’s written and has been presented, we have a different view. Section 8, for example, is one of the most significant affordable housing programs and is part of the larger ecosystem of providing housing for low- and moderate-income families. Rental housing providers have invested a lot of time and energy to making this program better.”
He says 2025’s tax bill will occupy a lot of his time in the coming months, with passage needed since many of the provisions of the Trump administration’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set to expire by the end of the year.
“There’s not a part of the housing industry that won’t be impacted by the tax bill,” he says. “We will spend a lot of time working on it from now until the end of the process. I’m optimistic that we will see a good outcome on tax legislation and other bills that are so important to the housing ecosystem.”
Brown adds it’s important for multifamily stakeholders to also be part of the advocacy efforts to bolster housing supply and lower costs.
“Show up at city council meetings, the state house, and in Washington, D.C.,” he urges. “You’ve got to show up. I play an important role as a paid lobbyist, but nothing is better than a constituent or someone in the business. Everyone who is playing a role in this industry has an important story to tell. Help them make the right decision for housing.”
