NAHB's BuilderLink Update: In-District Congressional Visits
The foundation of BuilderLink, NAHB's grassroots program, is building relationships with Members of Congress at the local level. Since January, BuilderLink has looked for opportunities to partner with state and local home builders associations to hold in-district visits with federal lawmakers in the communities in which they serve.
As part of a new approach to organizing these visits, NAHB has instituted a targeting process at the beginning of each legislative session that identifies key members of Congress for in-district outreach based on the leadership role they play in Congress and their oversight of housing issues.
Efforts are then made to work directly with HBA Executive Officers and elected leadership to take advantage of the numerous congressional recesses throughout the year to meet personally with Senators and Representatives while they are at home.
During the August recess, NAHB partnered with the Builders Association of South Florida (BASF) to meet locally with freshman Rep. Ron Klein (D-22nd). Klein sits on the House Financial Services Committee, which oversees matters concerning government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks, as well as the Federal Housing Administration.
GSE reform and FHA modernization are two issues that have moved to the forefront of NAHB’s legislative agenda because of the current credit crunch gripping the nation’s housing market.
BASF staff and members, along with staff from NAHB, were able to present a local and national perspective on the credit crisis and deliver a unified message regarding solutions to the problem. At the end of the day, the meeting was a success on several levels.
First, we were able to educate Rep. Klein on the importance of these issues to the housing community. In addition, we were literally able to bring our arguments “home” by having builders who work in Rep. Klein’s home district explain the problems they face on a day-to-day basis and lay out actions that Congress can take to help alleviate the current mortgage credit crunch.
In addition, NAHB partnered with the Home Building and Remodeling Association of New Hampshire, and representatives from the Realtors and Mortgage Bankers, to arrange a meeting with Sen. John Sununu (R) in his Manchester office. Sen. Sununu is a member of the Senate Banking Committee, which considered FHA legislation on Wednesday, Sept. 19.
This timely meeting presented the perfect opportunity for the Senator to hear from his constituents in the home building industry about the critical need for FHA reform. By all accounts the meeting was a great success and the Senator was receptive to the home builders’ message.
For more information about BuilderLink or NAHB's grassroots strategies, contact Molly Murray at 800-368-5242 x8282.
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