Need A Change? Make A Difference.
By Jessica Hoefer
3 min read
A pandemic. The Russia-Ukraine War. Resultant inflation. Supply chain disruptions. Evictions. It all seems overwhelming. You just want to stay in bed. Or at least stay away from your newsfeed. Morning Joe seems more like Mourning Joe. But we are resilient, and as Plato famously wrote, “our need will be the real creator.” Which I interpret as, positive changes can come from even the worst circumstances.
Like decarbonization, for instance. Pamela Martineau breaks down the argument for decarbonization in her précis of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) report, “Building Decarbonization Solutions for the Affordable Housing Sector” (p. 10). Ravi Malhotra, founder and president of ICAST, advocates for decarbonization and going net zero in both Martineau’s synopsis and Mark Fogarty’s Case Study: Getting Ahead of the Decarbonization Curb (p. 20).
Another idea that should excite our industry is President Biden’s recently announced Housing Supply Action Plan. “The plan is ambitious but also grounded in political reality: it highlights what can be done unilaterally while making the case for a legislative package that, in theory, should garner at least some bipartisan support,” says Thom Amdur in his 150th and final New Developments column (p. 4).
Also, in this asset management issue, we look at strategies for mitigating the negative impacts on our low-income housing supply. Starting with Nushin Huq, who offers guidance in the form of complementary perspectives in Impact of Emergency Rental Assistance in Affordable Housing (p. 16). An asset and property manager shares solutions for maintaining properties while easing the transition as rental assistance expires.
In Breaking Ground (p. 14), Darryl Hicks interviews The Honorable Joseph L. Michaud, Trial Court of Massachusetts, Southeast Housing Court, for an insider’s look at landlord and tenant rights. Judge Michaud says the eviction moratorium and influx of additional funding from federal and state governments “have had tremendous success in stabilizing and preserving the residential housing market by slowing or stopping evictions.”
In this month’s Guru column, David Smith takes us through the impacts of inflation on affordable housing. It may be a discomforting piece for us to read, though the issues he raises are best confronted head-on. But don’t despair; as bleak as things seem, a light is at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Be sure to check in next month when we will look at the other side of the inflation crisis in Part 2 of Inflation for Fun and Profit (p. 6).
It seems changes are afoot everywhere. After 17 years, NH&RA President Thom Amdur is embarking on an exciting new career opportunity. We wish you the best of luck, Thom, and look forward to having you back at TCA for a guest column or two. NH&RA CEO Peter Bell will resume his role as president, and Kaitlyn Snyder has been promoted to managing director.
Chins up, there is much work to be done.
Regards,
Jessica Hoefer
Editor-in-Chief
Tax Credit Advisor welcomes reader comments. Contact the editor-in-chief at [email protected].
