NIC

The senior housing sector posted a 0.71% total investment return in the fourth quarter, marking the second consecutive quarter of positive returns since the COVID-19 pandemic pushed returns into negative territory. That’s according to the latest quarterly highlight report from the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries. In the second quarter of 2020, total returns were –1%, which marked the first negative total return since 2012 and, prior to that, 2009.

The occupancy rate within majority independent living organizations fell just 0.2% last month. It was a new low of 82.5%, but the drop was the smallest month-over-month decline since March 2020, when the pandemic began and independent living occupancy sat at 89.7%.

Many senior living and care operators have plans to continue offering virtual marketing events and tours, remote visits and other meetings and programs via technology even as in-person events continue to take place post-pandemic, according to data collected from the most recent Executive Survey conducted by the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care.

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the share of senior living and skilled nursing organizations reporting an acceleration in the pace of move-ins over the past month is higher than those reporting a deceleration.

As the effects of the pandemic continue to take a toll on long-term care, occupancy rates within majority assisted living properties fell below 80% in January, according to the latest intra-quarterly snapshot released Thursday by the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care’s NIC MAP Data Service.