Newton, MA-based real estate investment trust Diversified Healthcare Trust’s senior housing operating portfolio continues its post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery, although occupancy dipped slightly in February, according to a company update released Wednesday.
February SHOP occupancy fell 10 basis points to 78.9% from 79% in January, but it was 190 basis points higher than in February 2023.
Total SHOP revenues decreased slightly in February compared with January, but revenues increased 9.9% year over year, primarily due to increases in resident rent and care rates. Resident fees and services-related revenue fell 0.4% in February compared with January, but it was 9.9% higher than in February 2023.
February total SHOP operating expenses were down 3.4% from January, driven by a decrease in labor costs, but expenses increased year over year, primarily due to higher wage and utility costs, as well as higher property insurance premiums in select markets.
The monthly update indicated that 119 of the 232 senior living communities in DHC’s SHOP were operated by AlerisLife / Five Star Senior Living. Occupancy in those communities stayed stagnant at 78.8% in January and February.
Occupancy in the SHOP’s other operator-managed communities dipped from 79.5% in January to 79.1% in February.
Other operators in the SHOP listed in a fourth-quarter supplemental report included Cedarhurst Senior Living, Charter Senior Living, IntegraCare Senior Living, Life Care Services, Navian Senior Solutions, Northstar Senior Living, Oaks-Caravita Senior Care, Oaks Senior Living, Omega Senior Living, Phoenix Senior Living, the RMR Group and Stellar Senior Living. In December, DHC provided a notice of termination to Cedarhurst, expecting to transition those 13 properties to Charter Senior Living in n the first half of the year.
Net operating income for February increased 38.7% compared with January and was 12.9% higher than one year ago. NOI margin of 9.9% was 280 basis points above January and 30 basis points above February 2023 figures.
During a fourth-quarter earnings call in February, President and CEO Christopher Bilotto said that DHC had made “significant progress” in operational performance across its portfolio in 2023, setting 2024 up for the pursuit of capital investment opportunities. Bilotto, the former president and CEO of Office Properties Income Trust, succeeded Jennifer Francis after DHC’s planned merger with OPI was called off last summer.
DHC said it expected to end 2024 with 300 to 400 basis points of occupancy growth after investing $56 million in its SHOP segment in the fourth quarter, with 25 refresh projects underway this year.
DHC is managed by The RMR Group, which also manages AlerisLife / Five Star.
