Conference Coverage

ATLANTA — The seniors housing business is beset with labor concerns, and developers and operators are convinced that the solution lies in upping the number of millennials on staff. According to recent data from Pew Research Center and the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 56 million American workers are between the ages of 21 and 36. That means more than one-third of all labor force participants are millennials, a generation that industry experts say generally wants emotionally meaningful careers with fast-tracked advancement. There are challenges in creating and marketing a positive perception of the seniors housing industry to prospective millennial workers, as well as in retaining them. This subject was broached during the “State of the Industry” panel at the InterFace Seniors Housing Southeast conference on Wednesday, Aug. 29. Held at the Westin Buckhead hotel in Atlanta, the event drew nearly 520 developers, lenders, investors and operators in the senior living space. “There’s a lot of talent that’s drawn to hospitality, but it can be hard selling them on seniors housing,” said panelist Eric Mendelsohn, president and CEO of Tennessee-based REIT National Health Investors (NYSE: NHI). “We have to show people that there’s so much more to this business than serving Jell-O …

CHICAGO — What are the limitations of a market study? In light of overbuilding concerns in some major metros, it’s a salient question. J.P. LoMonaco, president of Valuation & Information Group, moderated a panel discussion on the impact of market studies on new development during the InterFace Seniors Housing Midwest conference in June. The textbook definition of a market study is a comparison of supply and demand within a defined geographic area. It is a risk-assessment tool. Rick Banas, vice president of development and positioning at Gardant Management Solutions, considers a market study to be a snapshot in time that can help an owner or operator formulate strategies for developing a community. “[A market study] helps you identify red flags, caution flags. It may provide a green light, but it is not the only element that can give you an indication whether a project is a go, no go, or whether it is going to be successful,” said Banas. Dave Erickson, vice president of real estate development for the Ryan Cos., said one step he takes early on in the market study process is to mesh the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) data on supply and …

Billy Meyer, managing director of Seattle-based Columbia Pacific Advisors, doesn’t mince words when talking about the bridge lender’s cautious approach to financing seniors housing product today. “We don’t underwrite hope as a strategy anymore. It’s just not a good execution strategy, we believe.” Against the backdrop of elevated levels of construction, rising interest rates and operational challenges in seniors housing, Columbia Pacific Advisors is scrutinizing operators heavily before providing funding. “We’re bridge lenders. That is all that we do. Our average loan is 19 months. It’s a short horizon of how far away our exit is, so we need to make sure that [pathway] is very real and clear,” said Meyer. Meyer’s insights on the loan underwriting process came during InterFace Seniors Housing Midwest on Thursday, June 7. The one-day event, which took place at the recently opened four-star Marriott Marquis Chicago at McCormick Place, drew 372 professionals from across the region. Panel discussions focused on everything from design to development to growth strategies for operators, in addition to the state of the capital markets. Moderated by Mike Taylor, senior vice president and group manager for healthcare lending at First Midwest Bank, the capital markets panel also included Ari Adlerstein, …