CHAM’s 2021 survey took place a year into the COVID-19 pandemic as vaccine rates were rising and restrictions easing around the country. It looks back at an extraordinary year impacted by a global pandemic, economic downturn, racial inequity movement, and climate change pressures.

Are you curious what asset managers earn? What pay inequities we found for women and people of color? How many properties an asset manager is responsible for? How asset managers spend their time, and how did it change in 2020? The quantitative report includes information about workload, salaries, bonuses, functions, procurement needs, roles and much more.

We asked two open-ended questions: 1) How has your organization’s approach to asset management changed in response to 2020? 2) What innovative practices has your organization adopted over the last year? Systematic analysis of the survey responses suggests there are at least 10 questions asset managers should ask themselves and the organizations they represent to facilitate ongoing improvement. 

Here is a 25 minute presentation of the survey results that we shared at our 2021 Conference: 

Thank you to our research partners who conducted the analysis!

A Municipal Asset Manager’s Perspective

Interview with Mike McLoone Senior Asset Manager, Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development San Francisco, CA

Are you an asset manager working for government? Or are you an asset manager who is monitored by government? Either way, Mike McLoone’s interview will give you insights that will elevate your practice. He strives to be an empathetic collaborator and equitable problem-solver; he loathes bureaucratic inefficiencies and appreciates opportunities to inform tenant-centric policy. In this interview, he describes his mission-driven practices at the intersection of policy and implementation.

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An Asset Manager’s Preservation Journey
Interview with Alicia Hoppers, Catholic Housing Services and Catholic Community Services of Western Washington

Alicia Hoppers has worn many hats in the affordable housing industry over the last 15 years but possesses a true passion for asset management. This interview follows her journey developing and executing a 12-year timeline for the preservation and recapitalization strategy of Catholic Housing Services and Catholic Community Services of Western Washington.

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Commercial Asset Management in the Affordable Housing Sector
Shadow Morton, Mercy Housing

Shadow Morton is one of very few commercial asset managers working in the affordable housing sector. He oversees Mercy Housing’s portfolio of commercial spaces across the country. In this detailed conversation, Shadow shares specific lessons he has learned about the unique challenges of commercial space AM within the affordable sector.

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A Lender’s Perspective
Jerri Edwards, Vice President & Director of Credit Administration Community Investment Corporation

Jerri Edwards leads the Credit function at Community Investment Corporation (CIC), a CDFI operating in Chicago. In this role, Jerri helps make lending decisions for the organization’s $300 million+ real estate portfolio. Her team of asset managers also oversees loan performance after closing. In this interview conducted by Elaine Magil, Jerri talks about bringing a portfolio oversight eye into loan underwriting and learning from experience, and sheds light on how lenders assess borrowers in real estate transactions.

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The Asset and Property Management Interface, with Emmanuel Arellano of the San Diego Housing Commission

By Elaine Magil, TCAM/MRI

The San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) has been building its asset management capacity over the last few years. Elaine Magil, Director of TCAM/MRI, recently spoke with Emmanuel Arellano, SDHC’s Vice President of Asset Management, about many aspects of his department’s evolution. Collaboration with property management, pros and cons of locating asset managers by region, data systems technology, and the role of development are all issues faced by asset managers on a regular basis. The interview offers key lessons learned as the department developed and highlights tips that will help asset management teams in any setting.

This is the first in a series of asset manager interviews conducted by Elaine Magil, TCAM/MRI on behalf of CHAM. CHAM is appreciative of Elaine and Emmanuel for sharing their insightful conversation.

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Braving Turbulent Times – The Case for Technology
by Allen Feliz, Industry Principal Affordable and Public Housing, MRI Software

The affordable housing industry faced a variety of headwinds before the COVID-19 outbreak including widespread housing cost-burden, severe lack of supply and unmet capital needs in aging portfolios. The economic downturn introduced by the pandemic has brought greater pain and uncertainty to already vulnerable populations. However, during the early months of the outbreak, the industry dodged (or postponed) a financial catastrophe, as low-income families were afforded the resources to stay in their homes.

To brave these turbulent times operators/owners are turning to new technology. To achieve cost savings and operate more effectively during the new “normal,” they are leveraging a host of software products for property management, compliance monitoring and accounting.

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