Amber Burton Alfred, GAD for the Houston Association of REALTORS® sent us some of the incredible work the HAR Government Affairs team and Governmental Affairs Advisory Group (GAAG) has done during 2020:
“…November was a month for giving thanks and we are proud to have had collaboration opportunities with several amazing community partners, world-renowned artist Reginald Adams, Plant it Forward Farms and Better Block Urban Development. In the spirit of thanks, we owe the NAR Mega Board program a debt of gratitude for the grant opportunities that made these community partnerships possible…”
WESTBURY – PLANT IT FORWARD COMMUNITY GARDEN
Partners – Liz Vallete Rachel Folkherts of Plant It Forward; Urban Farms for Houston, Small businesses for Refugees
Over the past six months, we worked with Plant It Forward, a non-profit organization, that specializes in creating urban farms around Houston.
Dirissy Doan, the Orange County REALTORS® GAD, sent us this truly Californian effort to support their local food bank: This year’s 4th annual San Juan Capistrano Historical Society’s “Keeping OC Orange” picking event was a rousing success. Benefiting the Second Harvest Food Bank of OC, we were able to once again fill three, large watermelon bins full of ripe, juicy Valencia oranges totaling… (drum roll please)… 1480lbs of fruit! Despite the Covid-19 environment, we had our largest volunteer turnout to date this year (all COVID protocols were followed).
The Bakersfield Association of REALTORS® GAD, Jenifer Pitcher, has spent 2020 making a difference in her community through her many voluntarism activities. These have included distribution of Thanksgiving meals to families in underserved areas with Bakersfield North Rotary and leading city beautification and clean-up efforts with the Old Town Kern Historic District and Keep Bakersfield Beautiful.
SPECIAL FEATURE
A major issue for 2020 has been the eviction moratorium established to protect renters who are experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19. Policy makers are now concerned that a rash of evictions will harm renters, and housing providers are looking to recover their large financial losses due to decreased or non-existent rental payments. This is going to create a high demand for eviction mediators, and who better to serve in this capacity than REALTORS®? Enter this first-in-the-nation, eviction mediation scholarship program that’s being implemented by the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®. The Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MAR) has partnered with Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) – a local affiliate of the State Attorney General’s Office – to create an opportunity for REALTORS® to participate in a state-approved mediation training course that would deem REALTORS® as eligible District/Housing Court meditators for landlord-tenant disputes. MAR has invested $25,000 to cover the costs of 16 scholarships for Massachusetts REALTORS® to participate in the program and NAR is working to identify additional funding to help expand this timely initiative as we near the end of the eviction moratorium. The Boston Globe published a terrific overview of the program. For more information, contact Jonny Schreiber, Legislative & Regulatory Counsel, Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®. Phone: 860-573-7476 Email: jschreiber@marealtor.comNAR State and Local Issues Mobilization Support Committee will be considering grant requests for assistance on 2021 issue campaigns on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 during the REALTOR Party Training Conference. For consideration of a grant request at the January 12 Committee meeting, the deadline for submitting a Draft grant application is December 28, 2020 and the deadline for submitting a Final grant application is January 5, 2021. To submit a grant request for consideration at the January 12th Committee meeting, please reach out to Joe Maheady or John Winston at: jmaheady@nar.realtor, 443-690-8201; jwinston@nar.realtor, 804-398-8780.
RPAC DEADLINES
Jan. 31: RPAC Hall of Fame Deadline The deadline for states to submit RPAC Hall of Fame nomination forms to NAR is January 31, 2021. The Hall of Fame eligibility deadline for the 2020 class was December 16. Eligible members and staff must have met the $25,000 minimum threshold by the end of the previous fundraising year. Click here to access the guidelines and nomination form. For questions regarding the Hall of Fame, or to verify an investment history total, please contact Jackie Zaporowski (202-383-1029). Jan. 7: State Deadline for National RPAC Fundraising Goal States GADs – don’t forget to submit your 2021 National RPAC Fundraising Goals by January 7. Please note, in order to be eligible for 2021 NAR RPAC awards you must submit a National RPAC Fundraising Goal that is higher than the total amount raised in 2020. For questions regarding the goal, or to revise your state’s goal, please contact Lauren Colicelli (202-383-1080).Advocacy Resources
Rural Outreach Initiative Resource Refresh Smaller associations as well as those representing rural areas now have an improved resource to help them take advantage of the REALTOR® Party Community Outreach grants. The Rural Outreach Initiative webpage highlights top-of-mind issues confronting rural communities and suggests strategies and resources to address those challenges. Associations are invited to submit a Rural Outreach Assistance Questionnaire to provide detail on challenges related to affordable housing, downtown revitalization, growth and development and select a time for a one-on-one consultation via Zoom to discuss strategies to address these challenges and how Community Outreach Grants could be used. Questions? Contact Holly Moskerintz, 202/383-1157. 2021 REALTOR® Party Community Outreach Grant Applications Open in January! Make plans to apply for a Community Outreach Grant – Smart Growth, Housing Opportunity, Fair Housing and Placemaking Grant – beginning Monday, January 4th, 2021. Need ideas on how a grant can help fund your advocacy effort? Search success stories or sign-up for a 30-minute one-on-one meeting with staff experts via Zoom to brainstorm ways your association can address affordable housing challenges, community planning and development issues, revitalization opportunities and fair housing initiatives using a Community Outreach Grant. Includes critical steps to success for developing grant ideas and how to write a compelling application. Questions? Contact Christine Windle at 202/383-1135 ICYMI: Transforming Neighborhoods – 2021 Information Session State and Local Associations considering an application for a Transforming Neighborhoods technical assessment or place-based training in 2021 are encouraged to view a recording of the Transforming Neighborhoods Overview Session to learn about the program, application process and hear from past participants. Questions? Contact Wendy Penn / 202-383-7504.MESSAGE FROM THE GAD CHAIR
Kelli Starrett GAD Chair New Orleans Metropolitan Association Of REALTORS®
The holidays are upon us and 2020 is finally coming to an end! Amid the chaos of wrapping presents, baking cookies, and trying to remember to water the poinsettias, there is always time to reflect and maybe even find gratitude in a year unlike any other.
What you all have accomplished this year is no less than extraordinary. You planned virtual fundraisers, many the first of their kind for your association. You navigated legislative sessions where bills likely changed drastically from what you originally envisioned. You supported members at every turn, helping them navigate unemployment benefits they had never before been eligible to receive as best as you could considering you do not work for the unemployment office. You learned the ins and outs of various eviction moratoria so that you could explain it, while also fighting for the rights of tenants and landlords in your statehouses and local government offices. You did all of these things while also becoming virtual meeting experts, probably having a cotton swab touch your brain at least once, picking up new hobbies while stuck at home, and likely experiencing other unforeseen challenges like having a loved one contract COVID, wrestling with lockdowns as an extrovert, evacuating from hurricanes and wildfires, and grief, loss, and stress that no one should face even in a good year.
And when you stared up at the mountain of new challenges that lovingly were thrown at you during a big election year, you dug down into your hearts and your pockets and added a healthy dose of community support. You paid it forward to your local organizations and smashed a record for GADs Give Back. You persevered. You persisted. You took it like a GAD and made waves everywhere you went. Take a moment to give yourself a hug, treat yo’self, and realize that yes, you did.
Once you’re feeling all warm and fuzzy about being the rockstar we always knew you were, strap in for 2021. There is nothing Baby New Year can throw your way that you can’t handle, crush, and turn into inspiration.
Cheers to you and all that you have done on behalf of GAD Nation, your members, and the industry! I hope your holiday season is happy, healthy, safe, and includes stable wifi every time you need it, and I look forward to being in awe of you even more in the New Year.
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