WASHINGTON, D.C. — Retail sales during the 2020 holiday season — the period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 — grew 8.3 percent year-over-year and beat expectations, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). The association had predicted holiday shopping sales to grow between 3.6 and 5.2 percent year-over-year. “Despite unprecedented challenges, consumers and retailers demonstrated incredible resilience this holiday season,” says NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay. “Faced with rising transmission of the virus, state restrictions on retailers and heightened political and economic uncertainty, consumers chose to spend on gifts that lifted the spirits of their families and friends and provided a sense of normalcy given the challenging year.” In a separate report released Friday, the U.S. Commerce Department reported that retail sales in December totaled $540.9 billion, a 0.7 percent decrease from November 2020’s revised level of $544.6 billion.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — An additional 965,000 Americans filed for first-time unemployment assistance for the week ending Jan. 9, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected the total to reach 800,000, similar to the previous week’s revised total of 784,000. A main reason for the increase in claims is further government restrictions due to the spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths. According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), there have been 384,794 deaths in the United States since the onset of the pandemic, with more than 4,400 recorded Tuesday alone. The four-week moving average increased by 18,250 claims to 834,250 for the week. Continuing claims, for which data is a week behind, totaled 5.3 million for the week ending Jan. 2, an increase of 199,000 claims over the previous week.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) Rent Payment Tracker has found that 76.6 percent of residents made full or partial January rent payments as of Jan. 6. Washington, D.C.-based NMHC surveyed its network of 11.3 million professionally managed apartment units across the country. The most recent figure is a 120-basis point increase over Dec. 6, 2020, when 75.4 percent of households made partial or full payments. January 2021, however, showed a 170-basis point decrease — or 192,613 households — from January 2020. “While there is light at the end of the tunnel with the rollout of vaccines, the country and the multifamily industry continue to face steep challenges,” says Doug Bibby, president of NMHC. “The [U.S. Congress’] recently passed COVID relief package included $25 billion in desperately needed rental assistance, as well as expanded unemployment insurance. Now, it is critical that those funds reach those in need as quickly and efficiently as possible.” The NMHC Rent Payment Tracker is powered by Entrata, MRI Software, RealPage, ResMan and Yardi.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. economy lost 140,000 jobs in December, marking the first overall decrease since May 2020, the Department of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Friday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected the report to show a gain of 50,000 jobs, still a muted expectation compared to November’s gains. The unemployment rate remained unchanged from November at 6.7 percent. The BLS highlighted increased COVID-19 cases and the effort to contain the pandemic as a major reason for the job losses. As of Friday morning, there were a reported 21.6 million confirmed cases in the U.S., according to according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU). The leisure and hospitality sector took the biggest hit, losing 498,000 jobs for the month. A majority of the losses came in food services and drinking places (negative 372,000). Since February, employment in leisure and hospitality is down by 3.9 million jobs, or 23.2 percent. Employment in private education decreased by 63,000 in December. Employment in the industry is down by 450,000 since February. There were some sectors that showed positive growth. Employment in professional and business services increased by 161,000. Retail trade added 121,000 jobs, while the construction sector added 51,000. In December, the …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — An additional 787,000 Americans have filed for first-time unemployment assistance for the week ending Jan. 2. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected the total number of claims to reach 815,000. The most recent figure was a slight decrease from the previous week’s revised number of 790,000, but still about four times higher than the week ending Jan. 4, 2020, when claims totaled approximately 200,000. The four-week moving average decreased by 18,750 claims to 818,750. The continuing claims, data for which trails a week, fell by 126,000 to just under 5.1 million for the week ending Dec. 26, 2020.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA) has provided $17.7 million in tax-exempt bond financing and $7.7 million in 4 percent Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) for the preservation of Ritch Homes Apartments in Washington, D.C. Residents at the property exercised their right under the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) to obtain the property. Affordable housing developers Standard Communities and Housing on Merit will renovate the property’s 42 units and add four units to the building’s lower level. The co-developers expect the renovation project to cost $30.5 million. Of the existing units, 37 will be reserved for those earning 60 percent of the area median income (AMI) and five will be reserved for those earning 30 percent of AMI. The four new units will be for residents earning 80 percent of AMI. Renovations will include updated kitchens and bathrooms, as well as new flooring and appliances. Communal amenities will include a fitness center, business center, new flooring, new lighting and a new key fob entry system. Ritch Homes Apartments was originally built in 1920. It is situated at 1420 R St., in D.C.’s Ward 2 neighborhood and one mile north of downtown D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Bank OZK has provided $174 million in construction financing for Upton Place on Wisconsin, a planned mixed-use development in Washington, D.C., that will feature 689 multifamily units and 100,000 square feet of retail space. Eastdil Secured arranged the loan. The borrowers and developers, Apartment Investment Management Co. (Aimco) and The Donohoe Cos. Inc., expect to break ground in early 2021 and deliver the project in 2024. Donohoe originally developed the site, situated at 4000 Wisconsin Ave., in 1987 as the headquarters for Fannie Mae. The site has sat vacant since Fannie Mae consolidated its headquarters in downtown D.C. in 2014. Upton Place on Wisconsin will comprise a six- and an eight-story building. The multifamily portion is expected to include 65 affordable housing units. SK+I Architecture designed Upton Place to include most of the existing 825 below-grade parking spaces. Communal amenities will include a rooftop pool, three internal courtyards, barbecue areas, fitness center and a yoga studio.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A total of 787,000 Americans filed for first-time unemployment insurance assistance for the week ending Dec. 26, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday, Dec. 31. The most recent figure marks a decrease of 19,000 claims from the previous week, though claims remain historically high compared to pre-pandemic numbers when claims hovered around 200,000 per week. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected the tally to rise to 828,000. The four-week moving average increased by 17,750 claims to 836,750 from the previous week. Continuing claims, for which data lags a week, fell by 103,000 claims to 5.2 million for the week ending Dec. 19.
MCLEAN, VA. AND WASHINGTON, D.C. — McLean-based Freddie Mac and Washington, D.C.-based Fannie Mae have extended their forbearance programs for multifamily borrowers that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the programs, multifamily landlords whose properties are financed with a Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae loan can defer their loan payments by showing hardship as a consequence of COVID-19, and by gaining lender approval. The extension now runs through March 31, 2021. The programs also require landlords to suspend all evictions for renters during the forbearance period. The two government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) had announced in June that the programs would expire at the end of 2020. Other tenant protections through the program include: Landlords must provide rent repayment flexibility and cannot require missed or late rents to be paid in one lump sum; Landlords cannot charge late fees or penalties for nonpayments; and Landlords must provide 30 days’ notice for the tenant to vacate during the repayment period. “We are still in the midst of the pandemic, and to continue to provide support for the multifamily market, we are providing additional time for borrowers to request a new or supplemental forbearance agreement,” says Debby Jenkins, executive vice president and head of …
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Another 803,000 Americans have filed for initial unemployment insurance assistance for the week ending Dec. 19, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Wednesday. The total is a decrease of 89,000 claims from the prior week’s revised level. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected the number to reach 888,000. The four-week moving average increased by 4,000 claims to 818,250. Continuing claims, for which data lags a week, dipped by 200,000 to 5.3 million for the week ending Dec. 12. Prior to the pandemic, weekly first-time unemployment claims hovered around 200,000.