Member News

December 2, 2024

On December 2, 2024, ASHA submitted comments in response to Senator Mark Kelly's (D-AZ) draft legislation, the ASSISTED in Assisted Living Act. ASHA expressed concerned that what is being proposed can interfere with industry innovation and divert necessary resources from state initiatives. Specifically, in a few areas: 1) what appears to be a voluntary effort can lead to new and duplicative federal oversight; and 2) the purpose of the Advisory Commission, which is to create best practices, is already underway by an industry and regulatory stakeholder community through the Quality in Assisted Living Collaborative (QALC). Click Here for Letter

November 22, 2024

ASHA and its long-term care coalition partners sent a letter to leaders of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT) and Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-KS), urging them to seek a Unanimous Consent (UC) agreement on H.R. 8371, The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. H.R. 8371 passed the U.S. House with a favorable vote of 389-9 on November 18, 2024. Specific to the interests of the coalition is Subtitle B, Section 127, which reflects key provisions of S. 495, the Expanding Veterans’ Options for Long Term Care Act. This section authorizes the VA to offer assisted living settings for aging and disabled veterans who would otherwise require more costly nursing home care. Click Here for Letter

November 19, 2024

The Quality in Assisted Living Collaborative (QALC) today released its Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Guidelines for Assisted Living Communities. The guidelines were developed to ensure assisted living providers and other stakeholders have access to a vetted resource that can be used to develop and maintain IPC plans that are appropriate for assisted living communities. One goal of these Guidelines is to avoid any perceived need by the federal government to potentially consider a “one-size-fits-all” approach. The guidelines focus on essential measures that have been updated and widely implemented by assisted living communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidelines recommend establishing an IPC leader and an IPC Plan that addresses staff training, standard precautions, transmission-based precautions, and other important elements. The Guidelines outline a comprehensive approach to IPC planning for assisted living communities and are intended to be customized to meet the unique needs of the various populations being served throughout the sector as well as serve as a resource for on-site self-assessment and continual improvement. The QALC is a collaborative effort involving Argentum, the American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA), LeadingAge, the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), and the National Association for Regulatory Administration (NARA). Since its launch in 2023, the Collaborative has prioritized developing IPC guidelines for assisted living providers. Click Here for QALC Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Guidelines

November 13, 2024

ASHA along with long-term care partners, Argentum, LeadingAge and NCAL, as well as the Alzheimer’s Association, wrote to House Veterans' Affairs Committee leaders urging them to advance H.R. 8371, The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act during the year-end Lame Duck session. This legislation includes a provision to create a pilot program within the Veterans Administration (VA) to allow veterans access to assisted living as an alternative to a nursing home. The letter references the over 40 organizations that support H.R. 8371, including 20 Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs), and asks Congress to take action to advance this legislation this year by placing it on the Suspension calendar. Click Here for Letter

October 2, 2024

On September 25-26, 20 ASHA advocates delivered important industry policy messages to Capitol Hill where they met with 18 congressional offices in a fast-paced day-and-a-half of lobbying. It was a busy time in Washington D.C. as policymakers scrambled to finish up a spending bill to keep the government open past the September 30, 2024, fiscal year deadline. The high stakes pressure didn’t deter our efforts to discuss our senior living policy priorities. Among the topics discussed were: 1) the value proposition of senior living, 2) the workforce shortage and the need for immigration reform, and 3) urging final action on veterans assisted living legislation. These meetings were instrumental in raising awareness about the significant benefits of senior living to residents and families and to the overall health care system. It is important to promote the positive narrative of this industry that is sometimes overlooked or lost by policymakers, and our ASHA members did just that. While Congress is now in recess until after the November elections, we were encouraged to learn in our meetings that the ASHA-led veterans bill, the Expanding Veterans Options for Long Term Care Act, has a high chance of moving during the lame duck session. We will call on ASHA members to weigh in on this with their Members of Congress to push this over the finish line. We also advanced our message relative to the need for immigration reform to address some of the workforce shortages. The politics of the issue remain an obstacle to getting anything done but we must continue to raise our collective voices to be prepared for the time when the stars align, and meaningful reform is on the agenda. There is much work to do in the years ahead as the aging population escalates the demand for our product and services. These fly-ins are a necessary component of our advocacy efforts. The importance of sharing your individual experiences and expertise with congressional offices cannot be overstated and we are grateful for those who spent valuable and in short supply time, to be with us. Please click here for a more expansive report of our day.

August 13, 2024

ASHA Joins Coalition in Letter to HUD on Section 232-Loan Program Click Here for Coalition Letter

July 22, 2024

ASHA Joins Broad Coalition of Housing Providers in Letter to President Biden Opposing National Rent Cap Click Here for Coalition Letter  

July 11, 2024

ASHA continues to work in coalition with our long-term care partners, Argentum, LeadingAge and NCAL as well as the Alzheimer’s Association to advance legislation to create a pilot program within the Veterans Administration (VA) to allow veterans access to assisted living as an alternative to a nursing home. Included in a larger package of veteran’s health care proposals, H.R. 8371, The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, has broad support in both Chambers but is currently being held up in the House over some provisions unrelated to the assisted living piece of the package. We sent a letter to House leadership urging them to advance this bill by placing it on the Suspension Calendar, a means of moving non-controversial legislation, directly to the House floor, thereby “suspending the rules.” Passage requires a two-thirds vote of the House members present. Our letter references the over 40 organizations that support H.R. 8371, including 20 Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs), and urges action before the August recess. Click Here for Letter

June 29, 2024

In a letter to Congress, ASHA joined 16 of our real estate industry partners encouraging support for the soon to be introduced, the Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act. This legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) and Rep. Mike Carey (R-OH), will create jobs and reduce housing costs by encouraging the private sector to convert vacant and underutilized commercial properties to housing. By establishing a temporary tax credit for commercial-to-residential property conversions, the bill will spur the development of affordable housing, save energy, and reduce the number of outdated office and other commercial buildings that are weighing heavily on the wellbeing of real estate markets and local tax bases. The bill would create a new and temporary 20 percent tax credit for qualified property conversion expenditures. The credit is modeled on the historic rehabilitation credit. Total credit authority would be limited to $15 billion and state housing finance agencies would distribute the credit based on allocation plans that take into account factors such as financial feasibility and the extent to which the conversion will create affordable housing and support economic revitalization and small businesses in the surrounding area. While this tax incentive may not appeal to all, it will be an important tool for those who wish to serve a more affordable market and presents options that can help meet the growing demand of the aging population for seniors housing. Click Here for Letter

June 10, 2024

ASHA and Real Estate Coalition Send Letter to Congress and Administration Outlining Bipartisan Policies to Address the Causes of Rising Insurance Premiums Click Here for Letter