Grateful

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, there’s much to give thanks for. Last Thursday, the federal government reopened after a record-setting 43-day shutdown. I am grateful for every single one of you who pushed through challenges and uncertainty to keep housing your residents and serving your communities. I am grateful for every single one of you who used our advocacy action center to call (a new feature!) and email your elected officials. Your voices and advocacy helped your senators and representatives understand the shutdown’s impact on your staff, your residents, your landlords and other business partners, and your communities.    

I am grateful that the funding streams that allow you all to serve your communities will remain uninterrupted and that our colleagues at HUD are back at work and able to assist us. But this may only be a temporary respite. The continuing resolution that funds the government expires on January 31, 2026, and Congress has still not passed an FY 2026 budget. So while we take a deep sigh of relief, we also find ourselves preparing for the possibility of another shutdown in just over two months. 

Here are some of the ways that NAHRO has worked for you in Washington, D.C. during the government shutdown: 

• Keeping you informed. NAHRO built and maintained a shutdown page as a one-stop shop for news and resources, held weekly special webinars to share information and answer shutdown-related questions, and sent special weekly Direct News emails with shutdown-related updates. 

• Lifting up your voices. In addition to providing pre-written, customizable advocacy letters, NAHRO also invested in resources that allow you to call your elected officials, including an easy-to-follow and customizable script for speaking to Congressional staff or leaving voicemail messages. Over the course of the shutdown, nearly 800 NAHRO advocates contacted 62% of Congress (240 representatives, 90 senators and 3 delegates), 

• Advocating for you and your communities. NAHRO worked to amplify your stories and highlight the real impacts of the shutdown to policymakers in Washington and beyond, ensuring that residents could remain housed and agencies could continue their vital operations. We also answered many questions from members of the media, improving their understanding of your work and the federal programs you use, and ensuring that their shutdown coverage was correct and contextual. 

And we will keep working for you, whether the government is open or closed, year-round. Please keep in touch — subscribe to our emails, follow our social media accounts and let us know if you have questions or concerns about the lingering effects of the shutdown or any of the new NOFAs and policies that are beginning to emerge from a newly reopened HUD. We’re always happy to help. 

Early in December, we’ll open registration for our 2026 Washington Conference, which will take place from March 9-11 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. With midterm elections happening next fall, this is a critical time to walk the halls of Congress and meet with your elected officials and their staff. In addition to assisting you in making appointments with your senators and representatives, we’ll have resources to help make Congressional visits easier and more effective, ranging from our 2026 Policy Priorities and informative one-pagers, concurrent sessions on improving your advocacy, support during your visits and much more.

These are uncertain times, but there is so much to be grateful for. I am grateful for all of you, and the vital work you do for your communities. I am grateful to our state, regional and national leaders, who ensure NAHRO’s continued presence and aid throughout the nation. And I am grateful for NAHRO’s dedicated team, who work tirelessly on your behalf. 

I wish you a joyous Thanksgiving, and hope to see you in D.C. in March 2026!