RHA's Public Policy

Support for Existing State Laws and Local Housing Codes: RHA believes in protecting the general health safety and welfare of all tenants and works to eliminate substandard rental units by supporting existing state law and local housing, fire and health codes. 'These laws and codes are sufficient to remedy egregious, unsafe conditions, but only if they are enforced by local jurisdictions. Problem properties will only be improved and hopefully eliminated by the consistent application of existing law and code by responsible local government entities.

Protection of Property Rights: Respect for property rights is the foundation of a free society and economic prosperity. RHA believes government regulations should not unduly or unfairly restrict the rights of property owners to control the use of their property. RHA believes housing regulations should recognize and preserve the privacy and property rights of both tenants and landlords.

Fair Regulatory Treatment: Housing regulations should be fair and should minimize compliance burdens and costs. RHA believes housing regulations should not place discriminatory burdens on rental housing relative to other forms of housing.

RHA opposes regulatory fees on rental housing that seek to transfer the cost of general public services, including police and fire protection, to rental property owners and tenants. RHA believes regulatory fees and user fees must fairly apportion regulatory and service costs based on the services actually provided to individual fee payers. Government should not use regulatory fees and user fees to fund general public services that are available to fee payers and non-fee payers alike.

Market Based Housing: The competitive market best provides efficient and cost effective housing to the vast majority of the population. RHA opposes rent control. Rent control distorts the allocation of housing resources, discourages investment and upkeep, induces unfair rent discrimination and creates expensive and intrusive bureaucracy.

RHA has long championed rental vouchers for low-income persons needing housing. Vouchers offer an effective, efficient program for providing market-rate housing to those who can't otherwise afford it. RHA believes rental vouchers should be a significant part of any low-income housing program.

Uniform and Fair Taxation: Rental housing should be taxed uniformly based on value, along with all other real estate. RHA strongly supports tax uniformity. RHA opposes taxes that discriminate against rental housing, such as business taxes and regulatory fees that are imposed on rental housing to raise revenue.

Land Use: Government at all levels should carefully weigh the benefits of housing and land use regulations to assure regulatory costs do not outweigh regulatory benefits. RHA believes the high cost of compliance with housing and land use regulations, including permitting requirements and development restrictions, is a major factor in reducing housing availability that leads to high housing costs.

Equal Justice: The legal system should provide fair and equal justice to landlords and tenants alike. RHA believes in protecting the general health, safety and welfare of all tenants and works to eliminate sub-standard rental units by supporting existing state law and local housing, fire and health codes. RHA believes landlord/tenant laws should be uniform statewide.

Public Disclosure and Open Government: The public welfare demands open and honest government. RHA believes government officials are public servants and should conduct their affairs openly and honestly. RHA believes full access to information concerning the conduct of government at every level is a fundamental and necessary precondition to the sound governance of a free society. Public officials are encouraged to fully and faithfully comply with the Public Disclosure Act.