Legislative Update
A New Year Brings New Opportunity
The AMA begins its push to build more housing, secure rental assistance and oppose further moratoria in 2021 By Jake Hinman and Bastien Andruet
With the dust settled on the 2020
the AMA is able to pick up where it left off
President Ronald Reagan, made permanent
election, the AMA, as with many
prior to COVID-19. In 2021 it will push for
by President Bill Clinton, and has been re-
the establishment of a state LIHTC program,
sponsible for developing millions of housing
others, was surprised to find that
secure further rental assistance for property
units in the decades since. The bill received
the next legislative session will
owners experiencing a loss of income and
wide bipartisan support, passing 45-15 in the
oppose any further efforts at the state and
state House, and was on its way to passage
federal levels to impose another eviction
through the state Senate when COVID effec-
moratorium.
tively killed all remaining bills for the session.
look quite familiar. After nearly every politico and pundit predicted that Democrats would flip the state House of Representatives, Republicans managed to hang on to their majorities in both the state House and the state Senate, only losing one Senate seat.
LIHTC returns
One thing the 2020 election taught folks was
As you may recall, the AMA, in partnership
that the issue of building affordable housing
with Rep. Jeff Weninger (LD17), had intro-
is bipartisan, and it is an issue the AMA ex-
duced a bill to the previous Legislature that
pects should receive widespread support yet
intended to establish a state Low Income
again in 2021.
Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) meant to develop a greater supply of affordable housing across
This is of particular significance as Arizona
the state. Over half of all U.S. states, both red
saw an influx of more than $40 million into
and blue, currently have established LIHTC
legislative races – most of which originated
programs which have proven to be incredi-
from out of state and was intended to help
bly effective and generating more affordable
Democrats flip key seats.
housing development.
Now that many of the same, and even a few
The AMA’s bill mirrored the federal LIHTC
new players are returning to the state house,
program, which was established in 1986 by
Apartment News | January/February 2021
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Rental assistance has proven key As has been the case since March, the AMA has been holding local and state government accountable during these unilateral eviction moratoria by fighting to secure more than $128 million in rental assistance and foreclosure prevention funds for property owners and managers. Additionally, the AMA has –Continued on next page
azmultihousing.org
