Author: Bob

Lincoln Land Institute Report on Duties to Serve

In recent years, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been required to expand access to affordable housing finance for low- and moderate-income households through the Duty to Serve Program (DTS) that commenced in 2018. The purpose of this paper is to assess progress and to inform external stakeholders; the Enterprises; their regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA); and the Biden Administration on what has worked and what has not worked in the program’s initial three-year planning cycle.

The Big Reach – 7 Year Report on Environmental Impact in Affordable Housing Properties

In 2013, the Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future and their 13 affordable non-profit developer members began a project to achieve a 20% reduction in energy and water consumption across their portfolios by 2020. Not only did they exceed their goal, they far surpassed it.

Freddie Mac – 2021 Impact Report

As investors increasingly look add social impact to their portfolio mix, Freddie Mac Multifamily has increased their focus and leadership in the Impact Investing space – as detailed in this new report.

2021 State of the Nation’s Housing Report from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies

This annual report from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies specifically addresses housing concerns arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to outlining various enduring housing challenges.  Read the full report here

2020 Fannie Mae Green Bond Impact Report

Fannie Mae recently published it’s 2020 Green Bond Impact Report that provides an overview of the environmental impact of green initiatives in the Single Family and Multifamily business as well as an introduction to their expanded focus on social impact investing and ESG initiatives.

A New Investor Consensus on Healthy Buildings

A 2021 report from BentallGreenOak, The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative and the Center for Active Design that details the growing demand for healthy building and design features in today’s real estate market.

Building a Better Ladder of Housing Opportunity in the United States

From the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley, a comprehensive framework for a holistic, equitable and sustainable approach to Federal housing policy.

Freddie Mac Report on the Impact of Expanded Benefits During the Pandemic

A 2021 analysis from Freddie Mac that examines how expanded unemployment benefits and federal stimulus payments affected unemployed renters’ income during COVID-19 and its potential impact on the ability to pay rent.

Seven Guiding Principles for a Lasting Impact Framework

At Simpson Impact Capital, we work with real estate owners, operators and investors to develop impact frameworks that meet the unique needs and return expectations of each organization. In so doing, we have found that the strongest Impact Frameworks adhere to seven guiding principles.

First Principles of Impact for the Multifamily Industry Chapter 1: Affordability

As impact investing and Environmental, Social and Governance principles begin to take root in the multifamily industry, more and more business leaders are looking for guidance on how to build sustainable impact frameworks within their own companies.

While each organization is unique in the value it creates, there are some key “first principles” that all organizations should adhere to in order to raise the standard of impact and ensure the industry is prepared to withstand the additional scrutiny that is sure to come from investors and the public sector.