Deidre Crockett has become an influential force at Mack-Cali Realty Corp., now serving as the REIT’s first-ever female chief administrative officer and executive vice president.
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.
Hammer: Eviction moratorium comes with ‘big fear’ for multifamily owners
Alan Hammer is not only a commercial real estate attorney with nearly 50 years of experience, but a self-described “hands-on” apartment operator in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Simply put, he’s all too familiar with the dilemma that landlords in the region will face on the first of the month and beyond, with moratoriums on evictions during the coronavirus crisis.
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.
