State and Local Highlights
Report from South Carolina There are three recent SC bills which, under the guise of conservation, will further government or special interest group control of private property; will result in regulatory takings; will provide economic burdens which only the wealthy will be able to overcome; and will further the socialistic "Smart Growth" concept of public control of private land.
Report From Madison, Wisconsin Noah Fiedler, Executive Director of the Apartment Association of South Central Wisconsin outlines some of the interesting activities in Madison. These include a recent proposal that would have banned smoking in common areas of multifamily properties containing four or more units, a frenzied attack by housing lobbyists to require landlord participation in the federal Section 8 housing subsidy program, and a recent ordinance in this college town to prohibit showing an apartment anytime within the first one-third of the lease term. Most troubling, though, is a proposal that reads "No landlord may, by means of a written or oral lease, prohibit a tenant from having guests." Noah has also provided us with a copy of the fourteen points of the Fair and Affordable Housing Agenda which outlines the priorities of the housing activists, must reading for any landlord who has faced activism at city or town councils.
Tim Ballering Retires as Head of AASEW in Milwaukee After a dozen years in the leadership of the Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin, Tim Ballering is turning over the reigns to a new president, Tom O’Brien. But does this mean that we will lose Tim's acumen? Thankfully not. Tim remains committed to our cause. Read Tim's moving Farewell Address, and his promise to continue to use his talents for the benefit of landlords.
Report from Connecticut The Connecticut Rental Housing Alliance (CRHA) has evolved into an effective communications advocate for landlords and real estate investors throughout the state by Karen Pio, president of CRHA also serves as AASPO's chapter chairman for Connecticut.
Report from Maryland Lead paint, inner-city redevelopment innovations, and bills pending in the state legislature by Alfred Singer, Property Owners Association of Greater Baltimore, Inc.
Happy Birthday San Francisco! Congratulations to the Small Property Owners of San Francisco (SPOSF) who celebrated their first birthday and already have more than two thousand members. Landlords and homeowners are joining forces to combat onerous rent and eviction controls limiting owners’ ability to live in their property. Last year, SPOSF organized a protest in front of City Hall over the Criminalization of Home Ownership.
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