New Affordable Housing Policies Expected to Expand Capital Access

The latest report in Arbor Realty Trust’s Affordable Housing Trends series, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, explores lingering challenges and new opportunities in this critically important multifamily real estate sector. In a new video, Dr. Sam Chandan, one of the commercial real estate industry’s leading scholars, shares his take on the new research report and what its findings could mean for the future of affordable housing finance.

He highlights that the U.S. continues to face a significant workforce housing shortfall, with approximately 11 million renters challenged by affordability. Dr. Chandan points out that although the national rental housing shortage has narrowed slightly, the gap is not expected to close any time soon. Part of the reason, he says, is the ongoing chronic underbuilding of affordable units in many regions.

While renters’ affordability challenges remain persistent, recent political shifts could alter the affordability landscape by encouraging new development. Dr. Chandan notes that recently enacted federal policies, such as the expansion of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and Opportunity Zone programs, are expected to expand capital access for new affordable housing development in the years ahead.

About Dr. Sam Chandan

Sam Chandan, PhD, is Founding Director of the Chen Institute for Global Real Estate Finance at the NYU Stern School of Business, a member of Stern’s finance faculty, and Founder and Non-Executive Chairman of Chandan Economics. He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Medicine, The Royal Society for Public Health, and The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.  Prior to joining Stern, Dr. Chandan was the Silverstein Chair and Dean of the NYU SPS Schack Institute. His current research is focused on innovation in real estate capital markets, urban epidemiology, and the preparedness of cities in managing novel public health threats.