


Are More Capital Senior Living Problems Coming Due?
Capital Senior Living released its first quarter earnings this week, and the results were sort of a mixed bag. Of course, the occupancy results were great news, with April average census rising 140 basis points from the Q1 average to 76.95%. And spot occupancy increased from 75.3% at the end of February to 78.5% by the end of April, for a 320-basis point increase. We’re not sure if we’ve seen a steeper increase. About 93% of residents are now vaccinated, COVID cases fell to zero across the 60 owned communities, and 100% of communities are open to new residents, so the runway to recovery is smoother. Looking forward, CSU will also not be encumbered by the 39... Read More »
Celebrating 30 Years
The American Seniors Housing Association has been supporting the senior living industry for 30 years now, with David Schless at the helm throughout. I fondly remember going to my first annual meeting of the American Seniors Housing Association, back when it was part of the National Multifamily Housing Council. Let’s just say it was quite smaller than it is today, and I have to say, a bit more intimate. If you attended one of those early meetings, you may remember my question to Murry Gunty of Lazard Freres, when in the 1990s he was in the middle of patching together a company that seemed very disorganized, as I outlined his various, unconnected acquisitions. I asked, “So Murry, what’s the... Read More »
National Health Investors Stabilizing
National Health Investors (NHI) was the last of the healthcare REITs to report earnings in what was a very informative earnings season. We have already reported that the REITs and their SHOP portfolios have begun the long-anticipated turnaround as occupancy begins to rebound. Operating costs will be another matter, and it will take a few years to return to normal, whatever that is. NHI’s three major seniors housing tenants have appeared to stabilize, at least from an occupancy perspective. Bickford Senior Living, which has been responsible for the majority of cash rent deferrals during the pandemic, boosted sequential occupancy by 180 basis points in April to 76.3%. That... Read More »
Ventas Recovery Begins
Like most companies, average occupancy for the seniors housing operating portfolio (SHOP) of Ventas declined in the first quarter of 2021. Same-community census average 76.5%, a decline of 260 basis points from the fourth quarter, but a little better than predicted by management. This represents the U.S. and Canadian portfolio combined. Net move-in trends started improving during the quarter as well, and move-ins during April totaled 1,880 residents, the highest number since June 2019. Average weekly spot occupancy for the U.S. portfolio hit bottom in the week ended March 11 at 69.9% and then steadily rose 170 basis points to average 71.6% during the last week of April. But from the... Read More »