New Jersey shopping centers that once buzzed with a steady hum of activity have been quiet since late March, with most retail businesses shut down to contain the spread of COVID-19. Retail landlords are now scrambling to figure out how to deal with tenants who say they can’t pay rent because their revenue streams have stopped cold — even though property owners still have their own financial obligations.
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Leasing teams turn to virtual tours, platforms to lure renters during stay-at-home order
In-person tours have been curtailed and lease numbers are down, but virtual tours are helping luxury apartment buildings bring in renters in this time of social distancing. The virtual elements are so useful, in fact, that building representatives said they’ll keep using them after the coronavirus crisis is over.
The virus that is radically reshaping our world
My original plan for this Earth Day was to report on New Jersey’s sustainability challenge and how commercial real estate is adapting to natural, governmental and market forces. Given the magnitude and velocity of the COVID-19 disruption that is hourly reshaping our economy, industry and very existence, that plan quickly evaporated. Instead, this piece discusses the general impact of COVID-19 on our economy, and how CRE developers, owners, asset managers and affiliated professionals are meeting these challenges, assisting in relief efforts and informing government at all levels on how best to navigate their strategic response.
The domino effect: Without rental assistance, who’s left holding the bag?
When COVID-19 hit the United States, most Americans never imagined the impact it would have on daily life. As the virus spread, states like New Jersey started to implement policies to promote social distancing and to help those impacted by the economic fallout of the crisis, including policies such as an eviction moratorium. While such a policy addresses one specific immediate-term problem, it does not address the systemic need for rent revenue that supports an entire multifamily ecosystem, which is a critical component of New Jersey’s economy and significantly supports the State and municipalities through taxes. Without rental assistance and an understanding that rent is still due, multifamily jobs will be lost, private-sector financial obligations may not be met, utilities will not be paid and municipalities might see shortfalls due to the inability to pay property taxes. That is why we need a rental assistance program immediately.
