On Thursday, November 13 NACCED’s Executive Committee visited Washington, D.C. for its annual end-of-year meeting. Executive Committee members in attendance were NACCED President Jennifer Daniels (Arlington County, VA), Vice President Joe Riddle (Pinellas County, FL), Secretary/Treasurer Marcos Ysmael (Pima County County, AZ), and NACCED Representative to the National Association of Counties (NACo) Mary Keating (DuPage County, IL).

The group began the day by meeting with NACo Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director Matthew Chase for a productive discussion on the future of affordable housing, community development and economic development federal programs. The conversation centered on shared priorities for strengthening county-level capacity, improving federal program efficiency and advancing long-term housing affordability solutions. Both organizations exchanged advocacy updates and identified opportunities to align messaging for elevation of county voices in ongoing policy debates, reinforcing a strong partnership heading into the new year.

The day consisted of meetings between NACCED’s Executive Committee and members of their respective congressional delegations. The group met with the offices of U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA). A main issue discussed by the committee with Capitol Hill offices was association-supported provisions of the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act of 2025, which passed the U.S. Senate on October 9 and is currently under consideration with the U.S. House of Representatives. Members of the group also had the opportunity to meet newly sworn-in Representative Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) on her first day in office.

NACCED Executive Committee members used the office visits to engage with congressional staff on association-supported provisions of the bill including the permanent authorization of the Community Development Block Grant Disaster – Recovery program and the reauthorization of the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program. The group also took the opportunity to share concerns held on the bill’s language which would alter the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program into measuring funding allocations to a housing production metric. NACCED thanks members of the Housing Committee and Community and Economic Development Committee for their continued engagement on the ROAD to Housing Act and looks forward to additional education opportunities with Capitol Hill on the issue.

Other priorities discussed included the support of maintained federal staff within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; support for maintained levels of Continuum of Care funding; support for Reps. Mike Flood (R-NE) and Emmanuel Cleaver’s (D-MO) HOME Reform Act of 2025; and continued advocacy for increased federal funding of CDBG and HOME for Fiscal Year 2026.

A show of continued collaboration between NACCED and NACo, Jared Grigas, who serves as NACo Associate Legislative Director for Community, Economic, and Workforce Development, joined Executive Committee members for congressional office meetings throughout the day to voice alignment of the two associations with Capitol Hill staff.

Additionally, the group held lunch during the day with Xavier Arriaga, Associate Director of Policy with Enterprise Community Partners and Jenna Hampton, Director of Advocacy and Federal Programs with the Council of State Community Development Agencies. Xavier and Jenna engaged Executive Committee members on ongoing priorities within the CDBG Coalition and HOME Coalition, both of which NACCED serves as a leading educational voice.

On the second day of the meeting, Friday, November 14, the Executive Committee met at NACCED’s office to review items for 2026, including the budget, strategic planning, committee work plans, and more. These draft documents will now move to the full Board of Directors for approval in early December.

Be sure to save the date for NACCED’S 2026 Legislative Conference, which will be held from February 19 – 22. Next year’s conference serves as an excellent opportunity for members to engage in advocacy and take part in educational sessions centered around federal policy initiatives. To register for the conference click here.

NACCED greatly appreciates the continued leadership of our Executive Committee, Board of Directors and committee participants who drive the association’s policy presence forward. We look forward to further engagement opportunities and association member participation in the new year!

View all pictures from the meeting here.