Paul Connolly Author Archives

The legendary American humorist sure hit the nail on the head with that quip. Even though he spoke those words about 100 years ago, they still ring true today.

I talked to a handful of leading affordable housing developers for an article in this month’s issue on what challenges and opportunities they are facing in 2021. While not a comprehensive survey, I think it represents a good sampling of larger developers.

After a year living through the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve heard all the platitudes. This is the new normal. We’re all in the same storm, but not necessarily in the same boat. We’ve developed new vocabulary words, like “quarantini” and “doomscrolling.” We’ve become at-home information technology specialists, setting up mesh wi-fi networks to support parents working from home and kids learning from home.

When the 117th Congress convenes January 3, bipartisan support will be required to pass any legislation as neither party will have a strong majority in the Senate, panelists at an NH&RA town hall said December 3.

Seems like we’ve been waiting for 2021 to arrive for much longer than a year, doesn’t it? I mean, who can blame us? COVID-19. Economic crash. Disruptions to work and school routines. Restaurants closed. Curfews in some cities and states. Budget impasses. Election drama. And to make matters worse, 2020 was a leap year. We had one whole extra day to wallow in our collective misery.

There’s no question our country is divided, as evidenced by the rancorous 2020 presidential campaign and heated down-ballot contests in many states. We’re all entitled to our political opinions, of course. And debating those opinions from the kitchen table to the town square is part of what makes America who we are. We are opinionated. We are strong-headed. And we are capable of getting anything done when we really need to.

I like to joke with other parents that we need to treat our children well, because someday they’ll be choosing our senior living arrangements and I’d like to live someplace nice.

Thanks for picking up this month’s copy of Tax Credit Advisor. I’m the new executive editor, taking over from Marty Bell who is enjoying a well-earned retirement after bringing you news about industry innovation. Marty left some big shoes to fill, and it’s my goal to build on his efforts to give you the information and analysis you need to help you identify opportunities in your sector of the market. NH&RA is here to help you build your business, and our team wants to make this magazine and all our other content well worth your memberships and subscriptions.