SHHA: Collective power will take us forward
Ron van Bloois, co-founder and chair, SHHA.
After a year of ‘wait and hold’ and refinancing, it is time to continue our journey to a futureproof system of later living and healthcare real estate. SHHA has become a voice for the industry and is having a significant impact, creating a collective energy and helping align the value chain – we do need this collective power and cross-border inspirations.
We are reframing the markets with a focus on consumer behaviour among older adults, liveability in senior living environments with a focus on independence and empowerment, and affordability in the context of longevity.
The rise of integrated retirement communities and build-to-rent for individual seniors is key. They require investment managers to run individual leases instead of working on long-term master leases with operators. The residential side of senior living needs a variety of offerings, from cities to rural areas and from social housing to high-end formulas with additional services.
Next to the ‘active-older-adults’ approach, we should speed up development of state-of-the-art operational real estate for specific target groups, such as people with dementia.
Another generally positive influence on our asset class is the demand to perform in terms of ESG, particularly the social aspects. This appetite will grow because of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the value-chain approach. The inclusivity of workers in the value chain, one’s own workforce, consumers/end-users and communities, will be at the forefront and increase the focus on operational property assets.
With all of this in mind, I am looking forward to meeting our members and peers in 2024, first at Mipim, then at the second SHHA summit in Brussels.
