NAHRO Capitol Hill Day
NAHRO’s Capitol Hill Day is an opportunity for NAHRO members to go to Capitol Hill and meet with lawmakers to discuss affordable housing and community development issues in their communities. This is a critical opportunity for members to make a personal connection with Washington, DC-based Congressional offices and their staff.
Registering for Hill Day
Hill Day will occur as part of the Washington Conference on Wednesday, March 12. NAHRO has partnered with Advocacy Associates, a logistics firm that specializes in Advocacy Day project management. Advocacy Associates will schedule congressional meetings on behalf of NAHRO conference registrants who opt-in to participate. This is a free, optional service.
Your conference registration confirmation will contain a link for an online registration form to participate in Hill Day and to have congressional meetings scheduled on your behalf. You must register for Hill Day by Monday, March 3. If you do not want congressional meetings scheduled for you, do not register for Hill Day. Can’t find the registration link in your confirmation email? Reach out to Gabriel Smith, Legislative Affairs Analyst (gsmith@nahro.org).
Meetings will be scheduled on Wednesday, March 12, between 9:00 am ET and 5:00 pm ET. Please do not make any other arrangements during this time. While our preference is to schedule in-person visits, some Congressional offices are scheduling virtual meetings. We appreciate your understanding and your flexibility.
Preparing for Hill Day
Initial meeting schedules will be e-mailed to attendees from Advocacy Associates about a week out. Please be aware that meeting times frequently change, even at the last minute. Schedules will also be accessible via the Advocacy Associates app/website.
Advocacy Associates has provided the following resources to help Hill Day participants navigate their app:
- How to Download the AdvocacyDay App
- Sample App Logins and Training Videos
- App Schedule and Logistics Overview (slides)
NAHRO is still working on 2025 Hill Day preparation materials, which will be available closer to the conference! For reference, check out the 2024 materials, linked below.
2024 “What to Know Before You Go” Hill Day Preparation Webinar
Advocacy Associates joined NAHRO staff for a Hill Day preparation webinar on Thursday, March 14, 2024. You can view the webinar recording to learn how to access schedules and how to plan for successful meetings. (Passcode: H@^4y+x6)
2024 Hill Day Tool Kit
NAHRO has developed a tool kit you can use to prepare for a successful office visit. The tool kit outlines steps you can take to prepare for your meetings, including:
- Things to know about member offices and the U.S. Capitol campus
- Researching your members of Congress
- Crafting your message
- Considering your team
- Structuring your visit
- Following up after Hill Day
At the Conference
Representatives from Advocacy Associates will be on-site at the hotel on Tuesday, March 11, 1:00pm – 5:00pm, in the NAHRO registration area, to assist with questions about congressional meeting schedules.
While at the conference, be sure to attend the Opening Plenary Session on Monday, March 10, for the The Washington Report panel discussion for an examination of the current environment in Washington, as well as a review of NAHRO’s 2025 legislative and regulatory priorities and funding recommendations.
Accessibility
The Office of Congressional Accessibility Services (OCAS) provides a variety of services for individuals with disabilities visiting Capitol Hill, including:
- Accessible Pathway & Entrances
- Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs)
- Sign Language Services
- Wheelchairs
- and more
For additional information, please visit the Accessibility Services site, linked below.
Hill Day Transportation
The hotel is located a little under 2 miles from the U.S. Capitol.
- NAHRO will offer shuttle transportation to the Hill continuously 8:00am – 12:00pm, halting service during the lunch hour, 12:00pm – 2:00pm. Attendees will still have to walk several blocks upon drop-off (especially to the Senate office buildings) as buses are only permitted to the perimeter of the Hill at Garfield Circle (First Street and Maryland Avenue, SW) for security reasons. Return shuttle trips will run 2:00pm – 6:00pm. Meet the return shuttle at Peace Circle (First Street and Pennsylvania Avenue).
- For those with mobility challenges, cabs or rideshares (Uber, Lyft, etc.) can drop passengers directly at all House and Senate office buildings.