Did you know that Congress is in session less than half the year? On average, the House of Representatives is in session 147 days and 165 days for the Senate. The remaining days are spent in recess at various periods during the calendar year with the longest stretch of recess in August. During congressional recess (also known as summer recess or August recess), lawmakers head back to their respective states or districts and continue to work from there.
Members of Congress are in recess throughout much of the summer, presenting an opportunity to make meaningful connections, deepen engagement with their offices, and interact with members of your community. CAI encourages community associations, managers, and homeowners to directly connect with members of Congress, state and local officials, and their staff to amplify industry voices and educate lawmakers on home soil.
Here are a few simple tips for advocating during the August recess and CAI resources to assist you and your associations with these efforts:
- Connect with elected officials directly. Use CAI’s Elected Officials Directory to learn who your elected officials are at the federal and state levels. Once you find your elected officials, tell them via email, phone call, or social media why you support community associations, and why this housing model needs to be a priority for them. You can also use this template to tell your legislators to support community associations.
- Tell CAI about events in your community so we can help invite local elected officials. CAI knows that direct constituent interactions have more influence on lawmakers’ decisions than any other advocacy strategy. In the summer, CAI uplifts the ongoing Constituents in Your Communities campaign. Community events are a great opportunity for your state and federal elected officials to get to know their constituents, experience their local community spirit, and learn what issues are important to communities like yours. Download our guide on inviting elected officials to community events to learn more.
- Follow your elected officials on social media. Use CAI’s Elected Officials Directory to find elected officials’ webpages, visit their websites, find their social media handles, and give them a follow.
- Attend town halls or public office hours. During August many elected officials attend state and local fairs, festivals, and other grassroots events. They also hold public office hours at their district offices. Attend these events, introduce yourself, and explain why the community association housing model is critical to their district. Most legislators will announce town hall meetings and other events on their official websites and social media accounts. Local newspapers also often announce or advertise these events.
- Connect with your local CAI chapter to see what events are being held in August. You may be able to invite an elected official. CAI’s chapters and executive director contact information can be found here.
Elected officials can play a variety of roles in these events depending on the event’s nature and purpose. While some communities request legislators play active roles in events by cutting ribbons, making speeches, or speaking on a panel, others prefer to invite them, their staff, and their families to simply attend the event and interact with constituents in a fun and social setting. Our team is happy to work with you to determine what role(s) make the most sense for your community’s specific events.
CAI is the only international membership organization representing the interests of the 77.1 million Americans living and working in homeowners associations, condominium associations, and housing cooperatives. Your elected officials need to hear from constituents like you about important issues impacting those living and working in their districts.
Get Involved Today. Please contact CAI’s Government and Public Affairs team at government@cainonline.org for support and assistance with your outreach efforts today.
