AUSTIN, Texas — Seniors Housing Business has earned three awards from the National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) for the magazine’s work in 2023.
The awards were given out Thursday, June 20 during an event at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Austin. It was the 74th annual event for the organization, which “recognizes excellence in reporting, writing, and editing stories about residential and commercial real estate.”
A panel of expert judges from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University selected all winners. Medill’s Karen Springen chaired the panel.
Of the three awards, one was a gold winner — for Best Commercial Real Estate Trade or B-to-B Magazine Story, which was awarded to Jane Adler’s article “The Art of Turning Around Troubled Properties” in the May-June 2023 issue.
“With excellent sourcing and clear writing, Adler sheds light on troubled corners of the seniors housing market, and how rural areas are hardest hit,” the judges wrote. “Numbers help tell the story of loan write-offs and defaults and properties with occupancy rates below 50 percent. Adler gets reluctant operators to talk about the arduous process of reviving a troubled property that needs major renovations, for example, or that can’t staff adequately. Relevant data and graphics add to this stand-out story.”
In the same category — and, in fact, the same issue — Jeff Shaw won the silver award for an article titled “The Affordable Housing Gap”.
“It’s a double whammy for affordable seniors housing development: Inflation has raised construction costs more than 30 percent, while at the same time inflation is shrinking seniors’ savings,” the judges wrote. “The result is more need for such housing, but less incentive to build at slim profit margins. Shaw does a great job explaining the emerging crisis for low-income seniors and laying out potential solutions. Shaw’s clear writing and comprehensive sourcing make this a compelling story.”
The third award was for Best Commercial Real Estate Trade Magazine, a silver-level winner for the August-September 2023 issue, which also comes packaged with the annual ASHA 50 supplement ranking of the industry’s largest owners and operators. The editorial staff, led by Editor Matt Valley, was honored with the award.
“It’s hard to imagine being in the seniors housing business and not wanting to read about the 50 largest seniors housing owners,” wrote the judges. “Seniors Housing Business seems like a must-read for anyone in this business. It’s not just a mouthpiece for the industry. One piece talks about the need for pricing transparency. Another talks about rate increases. Vital news readers can use includes advice on how to retain staff.”