Amidst an Affordable Housing Crisis Real Estate Investors Have an Opportunity to Shine.

The headline of my post says it all:

Owning and Managing Real Estate is uniquely challenging.

I hear it from my Property Owner/Manager clients. I experience it when I am involved in negotiating in landlord/tenant disputes.

I see the affects of a lack of affordable housing on the most vulnerable in our population.

I see it when mentoring at a local school, or serving at Mel Trotter Ministries.

If you own or manage investment real estate, you are involved in messy business.

And there are many investors who are simply part of the problem.

DOJ Sues Landlord for Sexual Harassment Allegations

Just one week ago in a recent press release the Department of Justice, announced that it filed suit against Owners and Managers related to allegations of sexual harassment in New York..

According to the press release, the owner and manager:

 since at least 1990, Douglas Waterbury has sexually harassed numerous women who have lived in or inquired about the defendants’ residential rental properties. The suit alleges that Waterbury’s conduct has included demanding or pressuring female tenants and potential tenants to engage in sex acts with him in order to obtain or keep rental housing; subjecting female tenants and potential tenants to unwelcome sexual contact and groping; offering to grant tangible housing benefits, such as reduced rent or deposit payments, in exchange for sex acts; refusing needed maintenance services or otherwise taking adverse housing actions against female tenants who refused his harassment; and making unwelcome sexual comments and advances. The conduct alleged in this complaint is egregious, ranging from demands to exchange sex for rent, to unwanted sexual encounters.

I believe that is why, at least in West Michigan, there is an opportunity for real estate investors to stand out. To shine.

“Evicted” – Lack of Affordable Housing

I have written many times about West Michigan’s Affordable Housing Crisis.

Last week the ABAJournal posted an article on extensive research performed by Matthew Desmond, author of “Evicted”

According to the research, evictions are much more prevalent than first believed. This is not surprising to me, given the lack of housing for the most vulnerable population in West Michigan.

As the ABAJournal article notes, the consequences of evictions are many:

“…Schools reroute buses to homeless shelters, job applicants have no answer when a form requires an address, and families who don’t have an address to receive renewal notices lose public lose food stamps and Medicaid benefits. Some people take years to recover, and the eviction remains on their records, causing problems when they look for future housing.”

Shining Brightly as part of the Solution.

West Michigan is attempting to address the Affordable Housing Crisis. This is a community wide problem that will require an entire community to come around it.

At the beginning of this year, Kent County implemented an “Eviction Prevention Program” – to keep vulnerable people in housing. You can learn more about that here.

Local non-profits and churches in partnership with Luis Palau Association are implementing One West Michigan intended to mobilize the community, churches and non-profits to come together to address those issues most pressing – this includes Affordable Housing.

Finally, as I’ve written before – I believe the Affordable Housing Crisis that we find ourselves in provides a unique opportunity for Real Estate Investors to be different.

To shine brightly.

e-mail: Jeshua@dwlawpc.com

Twitter: @JeshuaTLauka

www.dwlawpc.com