Invite Your Senators and Representatives to Visit a Property

Having a Member of Congress make a site visit to a Housing Credit property is one of the most powerful ways to build a relationship and advocate for strengthening, protecting, and expanding the Housing Credit. By showing your Senators and Representatives the work that you do first-hand, how you serve your community, and how the Housing Credit supports your efforts, you can make a lasting impression. As mentioned above, continued advocacy for the AHCIA, and gaining cosponsorship numbers, is critical for keeping discussion focused on the Housing Credit and keeping the provisions in the 2025 tax bill. This is your opportunity to shine. 

 

Showcase Your Organization

• Always try to organize your event in such a way that your Senators and Representatives can speak to and meet with a significant number of constituents. 
• Some ideas include inviting your Senators and Representatives to:
  • Meet your staff and members of the community who you serve, including residents.
  • Celebrate your organization or project’s success at a ceremony and say a few words in support of your organization.
  • Receive an award from your organization for the good work that they have done in support of your cause.
• Connect the dots. You are not only showcasing your organization, but the Housing Credit program and how it supports your work. This kind of personal connection can help turn your Representative or Senator into a champion.

 

Make it About the Member of Congress

• If your Senator or Representative responds strongly to business interests, be sure to have the event business-focused and give the investors or developers a prominent role. Remind your Member of Congress that the private sector, not the taxpayer, bears the risk for its involvement in the Housing Credit, and that the private sector has strong incentives to perform due diligence. The Housing Credit is also an effective tool for providing workforce housing. 
  • Ensure the investor or developer will speak to the necessity of the Housing Credit to make these projects possible.
• If your Senator or Representative is on a committee or a caucus that addresses the needs of a special population, such as veterans or seniors, be sure that they are featured prominently on the agenda. Most Members of Congress list their committees and caucuses on their websites under “About.” In short, match your program to the interest areas of your Member of Congress. 
• Personalize the experience by inviting a constituent who has benefited from the project to share a personal story of how your organization impacted their life. 
• Individual clients or local government leaders can put a human face on the work you do.

 

Things to Remember Before and During the Visit

• What two or three points on the Housing Credit, the AHCIA, and the tax package do you want to drive home with your elected officials? Make sure flyers, handouts, and remarks reflect those points. 
• Determine what day is the busiest at the site where you have chosen to hold the event. This is when you will want to try to hold the visit, since it will confirm the success of the project. 
• Invite your Senators and Representatives (page 16) as far in advance as possible — they receive many invitations every day, so make sure your invitation stands out. Let their staff know you are flexible and willing to accommodate the Member’s schedule. 
  • Email the invitation to both the DC office (attention scheduler) and to their local office. Follow up with the scheduler after a few days, even if they confirmed it with you. 
• Maximize the value of the visit by inviting local media to attend the event. Make sure the Member knows about the media’s involvement in advance and offer to coordinate with the Communications Director in the DC office and the Press Secretary in their local office. Include a hashtag or information on ways to follow the event on social media platforms if you have the capability to do so. 
• Be sure to send information on the event to the ACTION Campaign — we can help with contact information, invitations, and planning as needed and help promote the visit. 
• Before and during the visit, volunteer your organization to serve as a resource for their offices. 
• If your representative is a cosponsor of the AHCIA, thank them. 
• If your representative cosponsored the AHCIA in the last/a previous Congress and are not yet signed on in this Congress, encourage them. 
• Take photos, and post live to social media, and be sure to tag other people and organizations who are participating in the event — this will help broaden your audience and amplify your message. Some ways to get other partners involved is by using the following hashtags: #HousingCredit #AHCIA #AffordableHousing. 

 

Things to Remember After the Visit

• Send thank-you notes (letters or emails), including any press releases, news articles, and photos from the event to the Congressional staff who helped plan it. If they cosponsored the AHCIA, mention that in your thank-you note.
• Share photos and articles via email and through social media.
• Make sure that you provide the name, email address, and direct phone number of a person in your organization to serve as a constituent services liaison and overall resource for the Congressional office. 

 

How to Invite Your Member to Visit a Property

[DATE]

The Honorable [NAME]
U.S. House of Representatives / U.S. Senate [ADDRESS]
Washington, DC 20515 (House) / 20510 (Senate)

Dear Representative/Senator [LAST NAME]:

The nationwide housing crisis is dominating policy and media conversations in Washington and across the country. There is a nationwide shortage of 7.3 million available and affordable rental homes. As an [AFFORDABLE HOUSING / HOUSING CREDIT STAKEHOLDER], we use the Housing Credit to [do XYZ] to / for / on behalf of low- to moderate-income communities [IN THE CITY / STATE / REGION / AROUND THE COUNTRY]. The Housing Credit is essential to keep rental housing affordable in [OUR COMMUNITY], especially as interest rates have increased along with construction costs. We would like to draw your attention to the impact the Housing Credit has had on [OUR COMMUNITY], by inviting you to tour [PROJECT], a Housing Credit property located in [CITY], to hear from [RESIDENTS / CONSTITUENTS / LOCAL OFFICIALS / ETC.]. [OUR ORGANIZATION] is a member of the ACTION Campaign, which sent a letter to Congress last May signed by over 2,600 businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations in support of the Housing Credit. The letter called on Congress to support the Housing Credit and the residents who live in these properties by passing the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2023 (LIST ONE: S. 1515 for the Senate OR H.R. 2725 for the House).

[THIS PROJECT] is just one example of the impact the Housing Credit has had in communities throughout [STATE]. In addition to creating or preserving [#] units of quality affordable homes for [#] families in [STATE], investments in the Housing Credit have supported [#] jobs, generated $[#] in tax revenue, and $[#] in wages and business income. 

We [OUR ORGANIZATION] would be honored if you would join us for a tour of [THIS PROJECT] and a discussion on the importance of the Housing Credit and its impact on your constituents. We would like you to join us from [TIME, e.g., 8:00-9:30AM, ON DATE], but we are flexible if a better time works for your schedule. [DESCRIBE HERE WHAT THE MEMBER WILL SEE, SUCH AS A TOUR OF THE PROPERTY, AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET A FEW RESIDENTS, AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET STAFF, ETC.] 

I will follow up with your office on this request, or you may reach me at [PHONE NUMBER AND/OR EMAIL]. Thank you in advance for your attention and we hope to see you soon.  

Sincerely, 

[YOUR NAME]  
[TITLE] 
[ORGANIZATION]