The AHTCC has developed sample letters which you can adapt to send to your members of Congress and those representing the areas in which you work. We have included separate letters customized for Senate and House members, based on whether or not they previously cosponsored the AHCIA in the last Congress (the 115th Congress). Download the sample letters here. Please contact Megan John at megan.john@taxcreditcoalition.org with any questions or if you need assistance acquiring contact information or customizing your letters.

Invite Members of Congress to Grand Openings and Ground Breakings

We hear from members of Congress time and time again that seeing Housing Credit properties firsthand made lasting impressions and grew their support for the Housing Credit. As Emily Cadik, AHTCC Executive Director, wrote in Affordable Housing Finance, August recess is an opportune time as most members of Congress will be in their home states and districts. Both the House and Senate will be on recess until September 8, 2019. The AHTCC can provide guidance to AHTCC members and nonmembers regarding property events. For AHTCC members, the AHTCC can assist in inviting members of Congress to events by coordinating with congressional staff and drafting invitations and talking points. To learn more, please contact Megan John at megan.john@taxcreditcoalition.org.

Write and Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor

Local and national media outlets provide a platform to share the importance of affordable housing and the Housing Credit with a broader audience. In just the last few weeks, several published pieces have highlighted the acute affordable housing need and the AHCIA. After visiting a Housing Credit property and a manufactured home factory, Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) wrote about the need for affordable housing in Idaho and across the country. In a Letter to the Editor published in the New York Times, Emily Cadik urges 2020 presidential candidates to support the AHCIA, and in Affordable Housing Finance she expounds on the prescient need for practitioners to advocate for the AHCIA. President and CEO of The Community Builders, Bart Mitchell, wrote about the need for affordable housing in Massachusetts, the AHCIA, and Rep. Neal’s longtime affordable housing leadership, and Chief Development Officer of Jamboree Housing, Michael Massie, wrote about the AHCIA and how it would help California renters. USA Today also ran an op-ed that called on Congress to expand the Housing Credit.

Advocate for the Housing Credit Firsthand on Capitol Hill

Joining us for our Fall Advocacy Event on September 11, 2019, in Washington, D.C. is one great way to help build support for the Housing Credit. Event participants will participate in teams led by experienced advocates, and will meet with congressional staff or Members of Congress to advocate for the Housing Credit firsthand. Participants will receive individualized itineraries and talking points, as well as all of the advocacy materials you will need to leave behind with congressional offices. Learn more about the AHTCC Fall Advocacy Event here. If you aren’t able to attend the Fall Advocacy Event but you’d like to join efforts in Washington, D.C. at a different time, please contact Megan John at megan.john@taxcreditcoalition.org to coordinate your visit. 

Help Your Colleagues Stay Up to Date with the AHTCC and the AHCIA

All members of the AHTCC can choose an unlimited number of the organization’s employees to benefit from the AHTCC member newsletter, policy updates, webinars, events, and additional advocacy support, such as assistance with inviting members of Congress to property events. If you are an AHTCC member but you aren’t yet receiving our content, please provide your contact information here and we’ll make sure you stay up to date. If you aren’t yet a member of the AHTCC, learn more about membership here.

Access the AHTCC’s Advocacy Toolkit

As Emily Cadik wrote in her recent Affordable Housing Finance article, “advocacy is an all-hands effort, and the most compelling voices are often local ones.” We encourage all affordable housing stakeholders and advocates to join in these efforts. The AHTCC’s full Advocacy Toolkit can be accessed here, and please do not hesitate to reach out to Emily Cadik, AHTCC Executive Director, at emily.cadik@taxcreditcoalition.org or Megan John, AHTCC Senior Policy Analyst, at megan.john@taxcreditcoalition.org if you need any assistance.