Category Archives: Success Stories

Pacific Southwest REALTORS® Advocate for Transit-oriented Smart Growth

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Housing affordability is the top priority for California’s governor.  It's the principal challenge for the mayor and the San Diego City Council.  And it's of utmost concern to the Pacific Southwest Association of REALTORS® (PSAR), with 2,000 members in the trenches of the local real estate industry, where rents have skyrocketed in the past decade, and would-be first-time homebuyers are struggling.  PSAR recently used a REALTOR® Party Smart Growth Action Grant to co-sponsor a report that convinced the city to adopt a handful of policy measures to help ease the crisis.

The grant was used to support the work of Circulate San Diego, the region's leading nonprofit concerned with transportation and sustainable land use issues, as it developed recommendations for transit-oriented development. A prime focus of the plan was updating the city's existing Density Bonus program, along with other incentives making it easier for in-fill development to move forward.

Tracy Morgan Hollingworth, Government Affairs Director at PSAR, served on the technical advisory board of Circulate San Diego's Transit-Oriented Development report.  Its goals were to:

  • Reduce costs for new affordable and market-rate mixed-use developments near transit
  • Generate more economic development from region’s transit investments
  • Create better links between homes and jobs through transit
  • Reduce vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions by accommodating future growth near transit

Shortly after receiving Circulate San Diego's report, the City Council unanimously voted to adopt five new incentives based on its recommendations.  Rather than increasing density rates, the new ordinances make it faster and simpler to build housing units that are already allowed.  The incentives include: an increase in the existing Density Bonus Program, which rewards developers for including a certain number of low-income units in their building projects; reducing the parking space minimum for units built close to transit stations; and allowing low-income units to be built up to a mile away from market-rate units, within a single development project, for construction efficiency.

Hollingworth notes that the beauty of the new ordinances is that they simply remove obstacles that have discouraged building where increased density has already been approved.  "It's about maximizing density to the allowed limits, not increasing the density rates.  This will add desperately needed housing units where there's existing infrastructure, and give developers and builders a fair degree of flexibility. And because it covers the entire city, it takes some of the pressure off individual neighborhoods struggling to update their community plans, which can be a lengthy and tortured process."

Rafael Perez, a PSAR member active in city politics, attended many Circulate San Diego meetings and provided testimony for the City Council.  He notes that the coalition of organizations supporting Circulate San Diego in this complex effort was highly unusual in its diversity. "You'd expect to see environmentally-focused groups getting behind transit-oriented development," he says, "but the presence of the REALTORS® and other business groups brought valuable angles of expertise, and a critical balance, to the process.  And for the City Council to have found the recommendations acceptable on both sides of the aisle, tells you how universally beneficial they'll be.  For REALTORS®," he adds, "our involvement also demonstrates our vested interest in the region, and helps to disprove the all-too-common notion that we're only interested in sales."

To learn more about how the Pacific Southwest REALTORS® are working to help San Diego maximize housing density and implement transit oriented development initiatives, contact Government Affairs Director Tracy Morgan Hollingworth at 619-222-8155.

Delaware REALTORS® Use REALTOR® Party Mobile Alerts to Save Itemized Deductions

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But with the recent loss of GM and Dupont jobs, and casino profits dwindling, the deficit on the state of Delaware’s $4 billion budget this past fiscal year was close to $400 million. Something had to be done to help fill the gap.  The Delaware Association of REALTORS® had managed to dissuade the legislature from pursuing a statewide property tax, and had received a strong indication from the Joint Finance Committee that it would not be looking to eliminate itemized deductions from the state tax code.  But then it did.  And the REALTORS® responded in force.

Maria Evans, Government Affairs Director of the 3,800-member association, explains that the bill, which threatened both mortgage interest and property tax deductions, was introduced just under the wire, and the association issued a Call for Action in short order. This was the first time that Evans, a veteran GAD, had used REALTOR® Party Mobile Alerts.  It couldn't have been simpler, she says.  "It was easy for me to set up, and easy for our members to take action.  I drafted the text message to our members, and a basic form letter that could accommodate additional personal comments.  The REALTOR® Party team talked me through the set-up; I was working on this fairly late-night, and they were right there with me. We had to get it out ASAP.  With just a few clicks, constituents were voicing their opposition to the bill."  The fact that the system is address-based means that legislators are only hearing from their own constituents, which has a much stronger impact on the receiving end, she notes.

What really amazed Evans is that the REALTOR® Party followed up with a finely targeted text message alert to those who had not yet responded, and then another, after a calculated amount of time.  Before the dust had cleared, more than 1,100 REALTORS® had taken action: a remarkable response rate of 31%, the highest, by far, for Delaware.  The click-through rate, according to the National Association of REALTORS, was an astonishing 87%—a national record, and far above the average state CFA click-through rate of about 15%.  The REALTORS® also reached out to the general public through the Consumer Advocacy Outreach Program, which generated a modest but helpful response.

"The volume of emails from our REALTOR® members was amazing!" says Evans. "We had a caucus across the aisle, and needed just one more vote, and we got it.  The emails to legislators also allowed us to hold on to the votes we had.  There is no doubt in my mind that it was our initiative, with the help of the REALTOR® Party, that carried the vote."  The Speaker of the House had no doubts either, as Evans and the President and General Counsel of the Delaware REALTORS® learned when he called them in to his office.  "He was livid that the state had been forced into an unprecedented extraordinary session, and placed the blame squarely on the REALTORS®.  For my part," reports Evans, "I was happy to accept that credit!"

The REALTORS®' success in defending the mortgage interest and property tax deductions came at a cost, however: in the three-day extraordinary session, the legislators hiked the transfer tax by 1%, a whopping 33% increase. Evans got right to work, and is hopeful that in January, it will be amended to exempt first-time home buyers and possibly primary dwellings, as well.  "We need to make sure the legislators understand that not all prospective buyers are investing in beach houses," she says.  "This is going to hurt kids living in their parents' basements, and working people scraping their pennies together for a first home."

To learn more about how the Delaware REALTORS® are using REALTOR® Party tools to protect property rights by engaging members in the legislative process, contact Government Affairs Director Maria Evans at 302-734-4444.

Miami REALTORS® Kick off Year of Advocacy with Community Engagement Projects

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Miami Association of REALTORS®, with more than 46,000 primary members, has to think BIG to deliver the most impact with the REALTOR® Party programs, explains Senior Vice President of Housing & Government Affairs Danielle Blake.  In order to use REALTOR® Party resources efficiently, the Miami Association, through member engagement and feedback, developed a list of projects designed to bring significant improvements to nearly every corner of greater Miami.

To build the bundle of projects, the Miami Association invited its membership to a brainstorming session; more than 200 members, many of them members of the NAR’s Young Professionals Network (YPN), attended and submitted ideas with gusto: "REALTORS® work and live in all our communities," says Blake, "and they know what the needs are."  Each final project was led by the REALTOR® who proposed it, and supported by a team of fellow REALTOR® volunteers and a REALTOR® Partner, typically an elected official.  The group came up with the following projects, among others:

  • In Miami Gardens, an incorporated city home to the Hard Rock Stadium where the Miami Dolphins play, REALTORS® kicked off the US-441 beautification project in anticipation of Super Bowl LIV in 2020: the mayor, city commissioners, residents and several REALTOR® members re-painted the façade of a prominent corner commercial building.
  • The REALTORS® have partnered with the Ludlam Trail, a former railroad track that is now a recreational path, in sponsoring community events from car shows to yoga classes to movie nights, all branded with the REALTOR® name and logo.
  • The REALTORS® are supporting the Underline, a large-scale project capitalizing on the unused space beneath the 10-mile elevated Metrorail between Miami and Coral Gables.  More than 100 members participated in a kick-off bike ride sponsored by a portion of the bundled grant.
  • Making use of both Housing Opportunity and Diversity Grants, the REALTORS® partnered with the local National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) chapter in hosting a condo-financing conference attended by 350 real estate professionals and members of the public.  A white paper produced by the Miami Association of REALTORS®’ task force had influenced an FHA policy change, resulting in a significant increase of insurance compliances for condominium buildings.
  • Inspired by the REALTOR® Village, a shipping-container community in the Philippines, built in cooperation with NAR, the Miami REALTORS® are tackling the housing affordability crisis by developing a container house prototype in the City of South Miami.  The REALTORS® have navigated complex city zoning and setback requirements, partnered with the county to donate the land, and identified a local architect and contractor with container-home experience. With the enthusiastic support of an enlightened mayor, the tiny house is becoming a model reality.
  • Miami REALTORS® are passionate about giving back to people of all backgrounds and abilities.  With support from a grant, more than 40 Miami REALTORS® dressed up to serve dinner to more than 500 individuals in need at Chapman Partnership, a non-profit committed to empowering the homeless in Miami. The association is working to make the event an ongoing volunteer opportunity, and a number of REALTORS® who participated are working on future corporate events with Chapman Partnership. 

The REALTOR® Party grants have also helped to create a dog park, and sponsor multiple Better Block projects that have spurred citizens and elected officials to make lasting improvements. 

The great thing about the effort, says Blake, is that it succeeds on so many levels:  "We were finally able to use these wonderful REALTOR® Party programs on a substantial level.  We're interacting with elected officials, who, in turn, are recognizing the input and expertise of the REALTORS®.  We're engaging our membership, and our YPN, in particular.  We're helping our communities, and we're crafting housing policy!  None of these projects, nor any of this positive effect, would have happened," she concludes, "without the support of the National Association of REALTORS®." 

To learn more about how the Miami REALTORS® are using REALTOR® Party resources to improve their communities on multiple levels, contact Danielle Blake, Senior Vice President of Housing & Government Affairs, at 305-468-7015.

Small Connecticut Boards Make Big Impact with Placemaking Grants

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The 650-member Greater Fairfield Board of REALTORS® created an inviting 'pocket park' on an unused downtown corner. The 156-member Newtown Board of REALTORS® helped establish an attractive and productive 'Fruit Trail' of flowering trees and perennials along a recreational path.

The Executive Officer of the REALTOR® boards of Greater Fairfield and Newtown, Connecticut declares that "Placemaking Grants are one of the best things that the National Association of REALTORS® has done for the local boards!" Frances Cormier-Carroll ought to know:  both her boards made use of this small-scale, intensely local REALTOR® Party program to enhance their respective communities with inviting spaces last year.  In fact, they're both applying for grants to fund new projects this year, and she anticipates the REALTOR®-supported placemaking activities will continue in this corner of Connecticut well in to the future.

The Placemaking Grant program helps REALTOR® associations plan, organize and build new public spaces in their local communities. "Not only do these activities help the towns and the REALTORS® by generating positive exposure," says Cormier-Carroll, "but the national association is really putting resources back in to the country through its local boards. Our members are proud of that, and our communities are grateful." She notes that the grant application process is user-friendly, and that the NAR staff provides invaluable assistance and advice as the boards have prepared their project proposals.

She credits the presidents of both boards with the energetic leadership it has taken to make their respective projects happen:

Last summer, the 650-member Greater Fairfield Board of REALTORS® (GFBOR) partnered with the Town of Fairfield to create a 'pocket park' on a small plot of unused public land at a downtown crossroads. 2016 President Stephanie Barnes, together with
co-chairmen Michael Traum and Kristen DeLaurentiis, approached the town to develop the project and identify the site. With a $3,000 grant from the REALTOR® Party, numerous planning meetings and about 100 man-hours of labor from the Fairfield Department of Public Works, an inviting and attractive park emerged, featuring new trees and plantings, a winding brick pathway, and three benches with plaques identifying the REALTORS® as the donors. In his remarks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony in October, Fairfield's First Selectman, a former REALTOR® and Past-President of GFBOR, noted the benefit of amenities like the new pocket park, in terms of both quality-of-life and property values.

The 156-member Newtown Board of REALTORS® used its $1,500 Placemaking Grant to help establish a "Fruit Trail" along an existing recreational path on the 185-acre campus of a former hospital that the town has taken over for public/private use and development. The Newtown Fruit Trail connects the community with nature, and its young plantings will feed the land and the people, as well as attract bees, birds, and butterflies. One July morning last year, board President Barbara Frey and seven of her REALTOR® colleagues actively joined the effort, mulching, weeding, and planting fruit trees and perennials. Not only did the REALTOR® team contribute the grant and considerable elbow grease, notes Cormier-Carroll, but the funds from the REALTOR® Party were spent at a local nursery, supporting the local economy.

"These boards, Newtown especially, are on the small side, but their members are deeply involved and committed to improving their communities," she says, adding that both of the placemaking projects have also served to strengthen the bonds between REALTORS® and local leaders. "There's been a great community response to these placemaking projects, from neighborly notes to recognition from officials. We are so grateful to NAR and the Placemaking Grant program for making this  possible."

To learn more about how smaller associations are making a big impact with the REALTOR® Party's Placemaking Grants, contact Frances Cormier-Carroll, Executive Officer of the Greater Fairfield Board of REALTORS® and the Newtown Board of REALTORS® at 203-255-0497.

Giving Legislators the Big Picture: Record-Breaking Attendance at Connecticut REALTOR® Rally

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In the past, the annual REALTOR® Advocacy Day in Hartford, Connecticut, looked similar to lobbying events across the country:  about 500 members of the state association would venture to the capitol building and lobby the legislature, one bill at a time. This year, the Connecticut REALTORS®' Board of Directors wanted to engage members in bigger numbers. Thinking outside the box, they did so in a big way: on May 9, more than 2,200 Connecticut REALTORS® gathered on a public green outside the capitol—and the legislators came to them.

"We Sell Connecticut, Give Us a Connecticut to Sell" was the loud and clear message from the record crowd of Connecticut REALTORS®, many sporting REALTOR®-blue scarves and neckties.

Chief Executive Officer Cindy Butts explains the impetus behind the wildly successful REALTOR® Rally.  "Our leadership is politically aware, and they're also proactive. They know there are a number of very serious legislative issues on the horizon that that will define the future of our state. The question was, do we prepare to tackle them by building our war chest? Or by building our army?" Because much of Connecticut falls within the very expensive New York metropolitan media market, launching even a single public issue campaign effectively can be cost prohibitive. So the board decided to build its army. 

Members seemed to have grown tired of the usual Advocacy Day format, so the state association president and his team decided to bring it outdoors. Instead of concentrating on a list of individual bills, the focus was a global message about improving the business-friendliness of the state of Connecticut.

"Michael Barbaro, our 2017 President, is incredibly dynamic," says Butts. "He went out to the local associations and personally sold this event. Having the locals on board was hugely helpful, and made all the difference."

The board agreed to give members as many reasons to come as possible:  a $100 dues increase approved for 2018 would be discounted by $100 for all who attended; parking options were identified and made free of charge; buses from local areas were provided.   Along with a BBQ, Butts' team found the best food trucks in the state, and had them serving free fare, from pizza to cannolis to gluten-free, until the lines were gone.  The biggest draw of all was the legendary Hall of Fame Women's Basketball Coach Geno Auriemma, who led a lineup of dynamic speakers including the Connecticut REALTORS® president and key legislators, who addressed the REALTORS® and the 50 state legislators in attendance in full view of the gold-domed capitol building.

The overall expense for the outdoor rally was about ten times what the typical auditorium event cost the REALTORS®, but Butts says there wasn't a single event cost they would have trimmed: "When you're trying to save your state, it's not a time to skimp."  In addition to the permits, food, transportation, and parking vouchers, there were 32 portable bathrooms, and a first aid station.  Bold, professionally designed signs proclaimed "We Sell CT," "Build a Stronger CT," "Real Estate=Jobs," "Jobs=Growth," and "Homeownership Matters." Blue-and-white REALTOR®-branded umbrellas, distributed because there was no rain date, made a big impact in the spectacular photos taken by drones overhead. The high-visibility and highly photogenic event was covered by all the local news stations, including one live broadcast, and by media outlets across the state.  Social media projected the energy of the Connecticut REALTORS® far and wide, and all the free coverage laid valuable groundwork for those legislative battles down the road.

Butts reports that the goal was to draw 1,000 members to the REALTORS® Rally; having met that (twice over!) the $100 dues increase was waived for the entire membership. Will the Connecticut REALTORS® repeat the outdoor rally format next year, given the great turnout in May? "We don't know what next year will bring," says Butts, "but whatever the Board of Directors wants to do, we're on board to implement the vision."

The real success, she notes, is not just that more than 2,200 REALTORS® came to the rally. It was in how they left: "Everyone came away energized to make a difference. That's our army!"

To learn more about how the Connecticut REALTORS® rallied in record numbers to show state legislators they mean business, contact Chief Executive Officer Cindy Butts at 860-566-8683.

CT REALTORS Rally

North Bay Association Tackles Rent Control Ordinance in Santa Rosa, California

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In the North Bay region of California, which counts Napa and Sonoma among its counties, agriculture and tourism are big—and so is the shortage of affordable and work force housing.

When Santa Rosa, the region's largest city, recently attempted to pass rent control and just cause eviction legislation, the 3,200-member North Bay Association of REALTORS® (NorBAR) joined forces with a strong coalition of business alliances to protect the rights of property owners—and to encourage government to meet the demand for affordable housing.

NorBAR does not deny that there is a shortage of affordable and workforce housing in the region; rents in Sonoma County have risen nearly 40% in the past four years. But denying apartment owners the ability to charge full market value for the use of their property, and limiting circumstances under which owner can evict a problem tenant, undermines basic private property rights, says Tracy Huotari, NorBAR's Chief Executive Officer. To solve the real problem, she notes, the city will have to allow development of more affordable housing.   

The issue had been brewing for several years, when in August 2016, the Santa Rosa City Council passed a permanent rent control and just cause eviction ordinance. The next day, NorBAR and a coalition it had formed with the California Apartment Association began collecting signatures to prevent it from being enforced. They were successful in halting the ordinance, only to have the Council place it on the ballot for voters to decide, in a special election in June 2017.

NorBAR turned to NAR’s Campaign Services Team for help; it had already contributed funds from its own Issues Mobilization fund, and secured a grant from the California Association of REALTORS®. In addition to a major grant, the REALTOR® Party’s Campaign Services Team provided focus groups and polling to determine the campaign's viability, identify voters and craft the campaign messaging.  The "No on C" campaign was both a get-out-the-vote effort and an educational force. "Our REALTORS® were deeply involved,” says Huotari, "they were out knocking on doors, registering voters, putting up lawn signs and making a big push on social media. Our coalition, 'Citizens for Fair and Equitable Housing,’ was amazing, uniting the chamber of commerce and groups from across many local industries. Its website, FairHousingForAll.com, remains a great resource." In addition to four targeted postcard mailings, door-to-door canvassers and TV, radio and online advertising, the 'No on C' campaign benefitted from the support of the influential local newspaper, The Press Democrat. 

On June 6, the ordinance was defeated by 52% of the vote.

The next step, says Huotari, will be sitting down with legislators and getting them to solve the real problems. "The bottom line is that we need to fix the supply shortage," she explains, noting that the REALTORS® will be working with local units of government to look at removing obstacles to affordable and workforce housing. "We've got a number of understanding legislators in office, and we'll continue to work hard and use our PAC funds in the local elections process to support even more."

Meanwhile, the success of the campaign is having an apparent impact beyond Santa Rosa.  For months, says Huotari, the rent control issue was being discussed in another nearby community, also within the North Bay Association's jurisdiction; it now seems to have "fallen off the agenda" in the weeks since the voters in Santa Rosa defeated the measure.

To learn more about how the North Bay Association of REALTORS® is protecting private property rights in the counties north of San Francisco, while keeping the focus on solutions to increase affordable and work force housing, contact Chief Executive Officer Tracy A. Huotari at 707-522-8169.

Texas REALTORS® Bring Clarity to Voting Process

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In a democracy, it's in everyone's best interests that ballots are clear and straightforward. But when the names of propositions are duplicated on other propositions on the same ballot, as was happening in Texas, voters can become confused.

The Texas Association of REALTORS® (TAR) recognized that the commonsense solution was to mandate a simple system of naming conventions for all propositions admitted to a ballot in the state. The association had little difficulty convincing state lawmakers, and in late May, the Texas Senate and House of Representatives unanimously approved Senate Bill 957. 

The good news continued on June 1, when Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill into law, effective immediately.

In Texas, the governor has up to 20 days after the legislative session ends to sign or veto a bill—bills that are not vetoed by then automatically become law. That date this year is June 18, so the governor’s quick action was notable.

“Historically, bills can take a while to make their way to the governor’s desk after receiving the Legislature’s support, and the governor often takes all 20 days,” says TAR Director of Legislative Affairs Daniel Gonzalez. “It’s unheard of that a bill like this would be signed in five business days, but that just reinforces the across-the-board support for this legislation.”

The new law will distinctly differentiate ballot propositions, bringing much-needed clarity to the voting process. Starting in the upcoming November election,

  • state propositions will appear first on the ballot, followed by local propositions;
  • all state propositions will have numerical names, while local propositions will have letters of the alphabet; and
  • all propositions will begin with name of the entity ordering the election.

In the Texas Senate, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick described SB 957 as a “little bill with a big impact.”

The bill received bipartisan support throughout the legislative process. It was co-authored by two senators, one Republican and one Democrat; it was sponsored by representatives of both parties; and, in a rare display of unity, it was supported by the entire legislative body.

“We appreciate that every member of the 85th Texas Legislature voted in support of this bill all the way through the legislative process,” says TAR Chairman Vicki Fullerton. “SB 957 received bipartisan support in both chambers because lawmakers know voters deserve clarity about what’s on our ballots.”

This solves a years-long problem, adds Brandon Alderete, TAR’s Director of Political Affairs.  As a recent example, he cites the November 2015 election, when REALTORS® were supporting a proposed amendment to the state constitution, known as "Proposition 1," which would increase the homestead exemption and ban real estate transfer taxes.

At the same time, however, a highly controversial local "Proposition 1" was on the ballot in Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city.  The identical names muddied the waters and threatened the success of the constitutional amendment, which actually had substantial legislative and popular support.

With help of the REALTOR® Party, TAR launched an energetic voter awareness campaign to cut through the confusion and ensure the voting public in Houston could distinguish between the two ballot measures called "Proposition 1."

"In that case," says Alderete, "we had a political interest in the outcome of the vote.  But in the bigger picture, the situation shined a light on the need for election transparency.  No matter what issues are at stake, confusion at the polls is detrimental to the democratic process. The REALTORS® know, and clearly the legislators agree, that this is good for all Texas voters."

To learn more about how the Texas Association of REALTORS® took the initiative to bring clarity to the voting process, contact Brandon C. Alderete, Director of Political Affairs, at 512-370-2124.

Beverly Hills/Greater Los Angeles Association REALTORS

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When an extreme and aggressive anti-development measure landed on the ballot in Los Angeles early last year, the Beverly Hills/Greater Los Angeles Association of REALTORS® took action.  It requested a Land Use Initiative review through the REALTOR® Party.  The association also secured an Issues Mobilization Grant for a strong opposition campaign.  Then it joined forces with an unlikely ally: the LA Labor Federation.  Together, Labor and the REALTORS® led a coalition to defeat the measure—one which sought to hold development in one of the nation's largest cities to a standard established just after WWII. 

Measure S, explains James Litz, Government Affairs Director of the BHGLAAR, would have had a disastrous impact on the city, and set a dangerous precedent for years to come.  Proposed by a deep-pocketed organization seeking to protect its own view of an attractive landmark, the draconian measure would have stopped development completely for two years, and disallowed zone changes in perpetuity, effectively preserving an antiquated piecemeal code dating back to 1946. Beyond the obvious threat to the housing needs of contemporary Los Angeles, notes Litz, there were businesses to consider: "There's a good chance we'll be hosting the Olympics in 2024, and we've got to prepare.  Imagine restaurants being denied sidewalk seating by our paralyzed zoning code!"  

A counter-initiative called “Build a Better LA” was launched, and while not as restrictive as Measure S, it would have created further barriers to construction by raising labor costs on every development.  BHGLAAR submitted the text of both Measure S and Build a Better LA to the REALTOR® Party to review Land Use ordinances.  The report received back, says Litz, confirmed the REALTORS®' deepest concerns about the future of development in Los Angeles, and provided spot-on analysis in support of the opposition campaign that had already been mounted—by the Labor industry.

"Such an extreme proposition required an unconventional coalition," says Rusty Hicks, Executive Secretary Treasurer of the LA Labor Federation.  Acknowledging that Labor and Business historically don't see eye-to-eye, he adds, "In this case, the REALTORS®, having a foot in both camps, so to speak, served as an important bridge, and helped us to form an especially strong and effective coalition.  Their facilitation in bringing together other unlikely partners was key to our success."

The resources the REALTORS® brought to the effort were also invaluable, he says.  Beyond the legal analysis, they supported the campaign with major funding from the REALTOR® Party, and the active involvement of many BHGLAAR members.  "Our membership was clearly concerned about the high profile 'Yes on S' campaign, which had the benefit of a huge inventory of billboards across the city," reports Litz.  "If they were at all skeptical of teaming up with Labor, they still threw themselves into the coalition's campaign to defeat the measure.  They participated in phone banks, and put signs outside their homes and offices.  Above all, they engaged in an energetic grassroots social media campaign."  Television ads, an extensive door-knocking effort, and an educational website called GoesTooFar.com also boosted the opposition effort.

"We found that voter awareness was the key," says Litz.  "When we could reach people about the truth behind Measure S, their vote turned against it."  At the end of the day, the measure was defeated by 69% of the vote.

Says Hicks, "I've long argued that you don't ever know someone until you've fought with him.  As tried-and-true 'battle buddies,' Labor and the REALTORS® are now working together to establish policy that will create more housing and job opportunities in Los Angeles.  Who'd have thought?  In the end, it's a positive outcome from a dire threat to both our industries."

Litz adds, "Beyond eliminating the immediate threat, we've also been able to leverage our win, politically.  We've just bailed the City Council out of a serious situation, and now it's up to them to be responsive to the needs of the city.  They're on notice that they must establish a viable new Zoning Plan, and make progress on affordable housing and housing for the homeless.  It's still an uphill battle, but I think we're already seeing a glimmer of progress."

To learn more about how the REALTORS® of Beverly Hills and Greater Los Angeles are forging strong partnerships to protect and promote housing and business opportunities in their metropolis, contact Government Affairs Director James Litz at 310-704-2767.

 

REALTORS® Promote Affordable Housing for the Los Angeles Workforce

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A recent report from the California Housing Development Office indicates that while the state population is growing significantly, its production of affordable housing units in the last decade has fallen way short of the demand. The statistics didn’t surprise Mel Wilson, a seasoned Los Angeles broker who’s been concerned about the shortage of housing for middle class workers for years.

“I've been doing this a long time, and the increasingly steep competition for medium-range properties is a reality we just can’t ignore: our agents are making offers on behalf of middle-income clients on four, five, six different houses, to no avail.” Not only is it a frustrating experience for would-be homeowners, he notes, but many of them are having to live well over an hour away from their place of work, which puts a great strain on the health and well-being of workers, their families and the environment. The issue snowballs, he adds, when businesses move out of state because they can’t find the workers they need where they are located.

At an NAR conference a few years ago, Wilson, who also serves as Government Affairs Director of the 9,500-member Southland Regional Association of REALTORS® (SRAR), voiced his concerns about middle class housing access to Holly Moskerintz, NAR’s Community Programs Outreach Manager. She told him about two REALTOR® Party programs designed to help his local association explore solutions to the problems the region was experiencing; through these, SRAR was able to offer an Employer-Assisted Housing course, and sponsor a Workforce Housing Forum called "Housing Our Workers," in early February 2017.  

The back-to-back events were part of an overall plan to educate REALTORS® and the public, and to motivate them toward a plan of action, says Wilson. The four-hour Employer Assisted Housing course attracted nearly 50 REALTORS®, who learned out how to form a team and contact employers to discuss how they can offer home buying guidance and financial assistance to their employees. The Housing Our Workers Forum, held the following day, was funded in part by a Housing Opportunity Grant, and was co-sponsored by the Valley Economic Alliance and BizFed Institute. 

This day-long event was free and open to the public, drawing more than 200 participants from the community. Its packed program included hardship testimonials from workers who travel great distances from home to work in Los Angeles; remarks by Scott Syphax of Nehemiah Corporation of America, a California-based social enterprise and real estate development firm; and a keynote speech by Ben Metcalf, Director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development. The heavy lifting took place in six breakout groups focused on Labor Partners, Social Benefits, Government Partners, Neighborhood Advocates, Public-Private Partnerships and Traditional & Creative Financing.  Each of the forty panelists in these sessions was asked to respond to three questions:  How did we get here?  How can my agency contribute to an increase in housing options?  and How can I be personally responsible for helping the cause?  The results of each breakout group were tabulated and presented to the whole assembly via PowerPoint following the morning and afternoon sessions.

The Housing Our Workers forum garnered significant press coverage in the massive southern California market, raising awareness of the workforce housing shortage—and the REALTORS®' efforts to address it. The principal goal of the forum was met, as well, reports Wilson: “We brought representatives of all stakeholder groups to the table, to hear each other’s side and engage in civil discourse regarding the need for more middle class housing in Los Angeles.” Now that they’ve identified commonalities, he says, they can build on them.  Looking ahead, as they work to overcome differences, learn to compromise, and continue to listen to each other and share ideas, SRAR will be there, meeting the affordable housing challenges in its region.

To learn more about how REALTORS® are working to create more housing for the Los Angeles workforce, contact Mel Wilson, Government Affairs Director the Southland Regional Association of REALTORS®, at (818) 534-2400 ext. 2424.

Washington REALTORS® Help Revitalize Downtown Bellingham

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In 2015, a neighborhood in the city of Bellingham, Washington, received a few fairly modest, highly creative additions intended to improve the quality of life and build community. They included a painted concrete ‘soapbox’ for anyone to preach from, and a hanging garden adding vibrant greenery to the side of a multi-storey car-park: signs of life that signaled the slow but steady revival of the city’s downtown district, the vitality of which had been drained by the arrival of shopping malls in outlying areas several decades ago.

The 534-member Whatcom County Association of REALTORS® (WCAR) had supported the placemaking competition that brought these colorful improvements to the city streets. The following year, in 2016, a Level 3 Smart Growth Action Grant kicked its involvement up a notch: as a major sponsor of a placemaking event that drew 24 competitors and more than 500 community members, resulting in five new projects and paving the way for even more. WCAR positioned itself as a distinctly positive force in Bellingham’s urban renewal.     

WCAR Executive Officer Perry Eskridge credits Past President Cerise Noah as being the one with the vision to engage the REALTORS® in revitalizing the city center. “She was at a Downtown Bellingham Plan meeting when the placemaking concept was pitched, and recognized it as a good project for the REALTORS®,” says Eskridge. “She also realized that if we succeeded in getting a REALTOR® Party grant, we’d need a community partner to help implement the program, so she forged a partnership with Sustainable Connections, a highly effective local organization that got the job done, and made it great fun for the community.”

Rose Lathrop, Sustainable Connections’ Green Building & Smart Growth Manager, organized a colorful competition that attracted dozens of proposals to add life to Bellingham’s North State Street corridor, a high-profile downtown location suffering from outdated infrastructure and lack of public funding. The event was called “KAPOW!” and the super-hero theme packed a punch of creative energy. Eight projects, chosen for their creativity, innovation, potential to be realized and social impact, were presented to an enthusiastic crowd at the Mount Baker Theater in a rapid-fire pecha kucha format, which allows each competitor just under seven minutes and twenty PowerPoint slides to convey a concept. 

WCAR 2016 President MaryKay Robinson, who served on the committee that chose the finalists, notes how fun it was to watch the parade of dynamic, well-organized proposals, of which three were granted the Mayor’s Choice Award, the juried Superhero Award and the People’s Choice Award. “We had funding budgeted for those three awards,” she explains, “but the great thing was that two audience members felt compelled to fund two others that had appealed most to them. So we actually had five winners!” Among them are a coin-operated all-weather dance space; a giant sidewalk hopscotch game; and a bicycle maintenance, map and repair station. WCAR opted to finance the State Street light installation, part of a solar system scale model that will bring a more human, pedestrian element down the length of the North State Street corridor, says Eskridge.      

Lathrop agrees that the event was a tremendous success, and reports that the process has also inspired the city of Bellingham to make additional investments on State Street, including re-striping for reduced lane widths and traffic calming measures. Based on the strength of the 2016 event, she is now planning a KAPOW! placemaking event for this year focused on Birchwood, a  neighborhood separated from the rest of the city by both economic barriers and physical divides, notably a ravine and an airport.

Beyond the enlivening benefits for the city, says Eskridge, the placemaking events and projects shine a positive light on the REALTORS® as they invest back in to the community. “It’s good to be a part of the good things happening here in Bellingham, and we’re very grateful to the REALTOR® Party for its support of our efforts.”

To learn more about how the REALTORS® of Whatcom County are helping to revitalize areas of downtown Bellingham, Washington, contact Perry Eskridge, Executive Officer of the Whatcom County Association of REALTORS®, at 360-671-5477, or WCAR 2016 President MaryKay Robinson at 360-734-7500.