How Does Chppi Envision Working With State Advocates?

 

State advocates: What’s working in your state, and what's not working?

 

The United States needs both federal and state consumer groups, working in tandem with one another. Federal policy and standards will drive individual states to amend their laws accordingly -- regardless of opposition from state-level special interests. A national standard can weave together the most consumer-friendly policies in individual states, and prevent advocates from spinning their wheels promoting ineffective reform measures.

 

Federal housing policy is not a novel concept. At one time, all real estate sales were strictly subject to "Buyer Beware," prior to government requirements for seller disclosure and laws governing fair real estate sales practices.

 

More recently, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently set new federal requirements for reporting on efforts to promote fair housing through Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH). The goal of AFFH is to help communities analyze challenges to fair housing and establish their own goals and priorities to address fair housing barriers in communities.

 

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the National Association of Realtors (NAR), and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the American Bankers Association (ABA), the Community Associations Institute (CAI), and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) are all organized at both the national and state levels.

 

Many HOA industry service providers are counting on consumers and homeowners remaining focused on individual state and local issues, so they can continue to divide and conquer to serve their own political and financial interests.