SIOUX FALLS, SD - Bill Deegan, the CEO of the leading renting “lifestyle” advocate Renter Nation, introduced a new weekly feature to the Renter Nation website entitled “Confessions of a Frustrated Renter”.
The weekly report will be a component of Renter Nation’s “The Buzz”, a blog and multifamily housing discussion forum. The postings will offer comments from the renter’s point of view about the people, places and things important to renters, property owners and managers and the politics motivating the multifamily industry.
Here’s the text of Mr. Deegan’s initial post:
“Am I the only renter out there who is sick and tired of being portrayed in the media and popular culture as being a second-class citizen?
Whether it’s Subaru Impreza commercials depicting renters as living in slums, the National Association of Realtors cynically insinuating in their ads that homeowners raise smarter kids, or Spike TV’s senseless World’s Worst Tenants screed, I’ve come to think that I’ve reached the height of my endurance. I’m afraid my shoe through the TV screen is my next course of action. In the immortal words of Howard Beale in the Academy Award winning movie Network, “I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”
To add insult to injury the National Apartment Association (NAA), who you would think is on the side of renters, recently launched its Congressional Recess Program. The program is designed to educate our Members of Congress on the important role multifamily housing plays in our economy. I have no problem with that. In fact, it’s a great idea. My issue with it, however, is that on the NAA’s website, organization members were encouraged to remind their representatives and senators that “apartment owners, managers, developers and suppliers work, live and vote in your district.” See my problem? What about renters? Don’t we count? Don’t renters share a stake in the fortunes of the multifamily housing industry? Well, this renter thinks we do and I think the NAA, and perhaps the National Multi Housing Council as well as state and regional apartment associations are missing a tremendous opportunity – the opportunity to work with their residents to increase our collective political clout.
That’s why our Renter Nation website features a link to “Rock The Vote” to encourage renters to register. That’s why our political instincts tell us that until the multifamily industry realizes that more than 100 million renters represent a tremendous chance to gain more power in Washington and our state capitals they are missing the boat.
We call on the industry to include their residents in the influence equation. We call on the industry to defend themselves, their business, their customers and the renting way of life.
I’m one guy who believes that renting make sense. Throw out the rent/buy calculators. It’s about sustainability, flexibility, choices, efficient use of tax dollars, less reliance on natural resources, containing suburban sprawl and freedom. Let’s work together – renters and industry. Together we can make positive changes in societal and cultural attitudes about renting, renters and the renting lifestyle.”
Renter Nation, an emerging grass roots supporter of renting as a sustainable housing choice, is also one of the multifamily industry’s fastest growing apartment internet listing services. Based in Sioux Falls, SD, Renter Nation is a unit of Media Demographics, Inc., a provider of innovative marketing solutions to the multifamily housing industry.