The federal environmental site assessment standard codified into law two decades ago to protect commercial property buyers from costly Superfund cleanup liability has been significantly updated in the last year. Here's what you need to know.

Thanks to numerous incentives and better technology, installing a solar photovoltaics (PV) system on your multifamily apartment building is more affordable than ever. It may also be a smart investment. Going solar can help you lower your greenhouse gas emissions, increase your property’s value, and hedge against utility rate hikes. Perhaps more important, a solar PV system can lower your electric bill, helping you better manage your operating costs, which can help keep your rents stable. 

David Oates is the kind of professional you hope you never need. A former U.S. Navy public affairs officer, Dave runs Public Relations Security Service, a San Diego-based crisis communications firm. Dave spends his days helping his clients prepare for, and communicate through, all kinds of crises, including employee and executive misconduct, cybersecurity attacks, product recalls, mass layoffs, large-scale accidents, criminal investigations, civil litigation, and more. A sought-after speaker, Dave taught a semester-long public relations program at San Diego State University, published three books, and co-produced two LinkedIn Learning courses, Crisis Communication for HR, and HR Communication in Today’s Fluid Workplace. In between clients, he gave HAI Group’s Amy Hourigan a crash course on how affordable housing organizations can plan for, and ace, crisis communications.                                                     

If you’re a high-achieving housing agency looking to continuously improve your operations, getting accredited with the Affordable Housing Accreditation Board (AHAB) is a great next step. AHAB, an independent organization, has been accrediting affordable housing providers nationwide since 2018 based on eight standards developed by the housing industry. To help you learn more about the benefits of accreditation, along with the process, HAI Group’s Staci Canny sat down with Jeff Weslow, assistant director of AHAB, to get a closer look.

Odds are, if you’re in the multifamily affordable housing industry, your to-do list is already frighteningly long. Even so, if you aren’t yet testing for radon, you may want to consider it. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking—long-term exposure to the odorless, colorless gas is responsible for around 21,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency—and can expose property owners to liability in certain circumstances. 

Energy costs can contribute substantially to the overall financial burden of housing. Inefficient buildings—those with poor insulation, leaky windows, outdated HVAC equipment, and the like—are of particular concern, since they drive up utility costs more than their efficient peers.

Affordable housing provides stability and security—along with a springboard to success—to our country's most vulnerable populations. Here's how to help protect the properties and people who make this essential service possible.

If you’re considering replacing your shingles—you’ve been hit by a storm, say, or your shingles are curling or buckling—the choices, from color to shape to material, can be overwhelming. One option you may have heard about is impact-resistant shingles. But are they worth the investment? Let’s dive in.

If you run an affordable housing organization, chances are your insurance agent or carrier representative has recommended that you invest in business income insurance, or BII. But what is it, exactly? And do public and affordable housing organizations really need it? Read on for answers.

Cybercriminals continue to target public and affordable housing organizations at an alarming rate. The good news? Protecting yourself doesn’t have to be complicated—or expensive.