Columbus Apartment Association shares Section 8 insights with congressmen.

The Columbus Apartment Association (CAA), the National Apartment Association (NAA) and the National Multi Housing Counsel (NMHC) hosted an event Feb. 19 for U.S. Reps. Michael G. Oxley (R-Ohio) and Bob Ney (R-Ohio) to give the Congressmen a first-hand look at the importance of funding the Section 8 voucher program.

The property tours allowed the Congressmen to put a face to multifamily property, to better understand who lives in multifamily properties and the values that these properties create for communities.

Oxley is Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, the committee that works to ensure that the interests of the individual investor and depositors are protected. Ney is the Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity where he has oversight over all federal housing and community development issues.

The event followed the release of the Bush administration's FY 2005 budget. The current proposal would reduce the amount of money available for the Section 8 voucher program, instead creating funding based on dollars, rather than on housing units, which is the current practice.

The first tour at Centerburg Courts, in Centerburg, Ohio, gave both members of Congress the opportunity, to learn more about a property where nearly half of the residents use Section 8 vouchers.

Centerburg Courts is owned by a nonprofit corporation and was developed using low-income housing tax credits. The property provides quality housing for families, many with single-parent heads of households. Section 8 vouchers are important to this property because it is located in a small town where housing is in short supply and many residents are lower income.

Representatives of Fannie Mae, housing advocates and Ohio's largest provider of funding for tax credit developments, were present for the tour and supported the message that NAA/NMHC delivered regarding the proposed conversion of the Section 8 vouchers to a "flexible voucher" system.

After the Centerburg Courts tour, NAA/NMHC and the Columbus Apartment Association continued to a fund-raising event for the Congressmen that allowed NAA members to share their concerns with the congressional leaders.

The day was completed with Oxley's visit to a community in his congressional district, touring Logan Place, a Section 8 seniors property, owned by Gorsuch Management. Leonard Gorsuch, the principal in the company, and Ron Burson, the Chief Financial Officer, have served as Presidents of the Columbus Apartment Association. Oxley addressed senior residents, acknowledging the need for both rental housing and home ownership opportunities.

Steven Gladman, Association Executive for CAA, can be reached at sgladman@ columbusapts.org or 614/488-2150.