Architects head to Capitol Hill to advocate for affordable housing, design freedom and resilient communities

WASHINGTON – February 25, 2025 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and more than 400 of its architect members will converge on Capitol Hill tomorrow to advocate for pressing legislation that will significantly impact the architecture profession and community needs. Architects will focus on direct engagement with policymakers to advocate for AIA’s legislative goals:

Design Freedom for Federal Architecture
AIA supports legislative efforts to codify the Guiding Principles through the Democracy in Design Act, which received bipartisan support in the 118th Congress and was refiled in the 119th Congress.  AIA is strongly opposed to legislation that seeks to remove control from local communities; mandate official federal design preferences, or otherwise hinder design freedom; and add bureaucratic hurdles for approval of federal building designs.

Update Fee Limitations For Federal Contracts
Fee caps which limit fees in a broad, inconsistent manner hurts competition, particularly among small and mid-sized firms that often cannot afford the resources to navigate or mitigate restrictive caps. To correct this regulatory inconsistency, AIA is asking Congress to direct the FAR Council to update the 6 percent fee limitation that applies only to cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts.

Architects Support More Housing
AIA is asking Congress to reauthorize the HOME program and increase the administrative cap from 10 percent to 15 percent, bringing the administrative fees closer to the 20 percent available under the Community Development Block Grant program. AIA is also asking Congress to increase funding from $3.3 billion to $4.2 billion for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, that supports communities through grants for housing, economic development, and community improvement projects, prioritizing low- and moderate-income populations.

Architects Support Community Resiliency
Federal programs like FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant programs—including the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) programs—play a critical role in addressing the
challenge of community resilience. Despite their importance, the programs are not fully funded, leaving disaster victims with very little – if any – help in rebuilding their lives and communities.  AIA is asking Congress to pass or increase funding for FMA, BRIC, The Resilient AMERICA Act and The Shelter Act.

Tax Incentives for Architects
AIA supports business-friendly tax policies that encourage investment in research and development, incentivize private-sector affordable housing, and ensure tax parity between large and small businesses. If Congress does not act, architecture firms of all sizes will face undue restrictions on their ability to innovate, grow, and attract new talent. AIA is asking Congress to improve and pass the Research and Development (R&D) tax credit, 199A Pass-Through Deduction, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), Workforce Housing Tax Credit, 179D Energy-Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction and Historic Tax Credit (HTC).

Hill Day is part the AIA Leadership Summit, offering attendees a unique platform to engage in critical policy discussions with lawmakers while enhancing their leadership skills as AEC professionals and AIA chapter leaders. Support AIA, by learning more about what architects are discussing with Congress.