ahr-20231231
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023
or
For the transition period from to
Commission File Number:001-41951
AMERICAN HEALTHCARE REIT, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (949) 270-9200
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share AHR New York Stock Exchange
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Class T and Class I Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. ☐ Yes ☒ No
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. ☐ Yes ☒ No
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. ☒ Yes ☐ No
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). ☒ Yes ☐ No
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐ Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☒ Smaller reporting company ☐
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C.7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). ☐ Yes ☒ No
As of June 30, 2023, there was no established market for the registrant’s common stock. On March 15, 2023, the registrant’s board of directors established an updated estimated per share net asset value, or NAV, of the registrant’s common stock of $31.40 as of December 31, 2022. As of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, there were, approximately 19,263,441 shares of Class T common stock and 46,439,950 shares of Class I common stock held by non-affiliates, for an aggregate market value of $604,872,000 and $1,458,214,000, respectively, assuming a market value as of that date of $31.40 per share.
As of March 15, 2024, there were 65,372,222 shares of common stock, 19,552,425 shares of Class T common stock and 46,673,320 shares of Class I common stock of American Healthcare REIT, Inc. outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
None.
Table of Contents
AMERICAN HEALTHCARE REIT, INC.
(A Maryland Corporation)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
PART I
Item 1. Business 3
Item 1A. Risk Factors 15
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 48
Item 1C. Cybersecurity 48
Item 2. Properties 50
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 53
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 53
PART II
Item 6. [Reserved] 55
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 73
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 74
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 75
Item 9B. Other Information 75
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 75
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 76
Item 11. Executive Compensation 87
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 109
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 110
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PART I
Item 1. Business.
The use of the words “we,” “us” or “our” refers to American Healthcare REIT, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including American Healthcare REIT Holdings, LP, except where otherwise noted.
Company
American Healthcare REIT, Inc., a Maryland corporation, is a self-managed real estate investment trust, or REIT, that acquires, owns and operates a diversified portfolio of clinical healthcare real estate properties, focusing primarily on outpatient medical buildings, senior housing, skilled nursing facilities, or SNFs, and other healthcare-related facilities. We have built a fully-integrated management platform, with approximately 110 employees, that operates clinical healthcare properties throughout the United States, the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man. We also operate healthcare-related facilities utilizing the structure permitted by the REIT Investment Diversification and Empowerment Act of 2007, which is commonly referred to as a “RIDEA” structure (the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, authorizing the RIDEA structure were enacted as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008). Our healthcare facilities operated under a RIDEA structure include our senior housing operating properties, or SHOP, and our integrated senior health campuses. We have originated and acquired secured loans and may also originate and acquire other real estate-related investments on an infrequent and opportunistic basis. We generally seek investments that produce current income; however, we have selectively developed, and may continue to selectively develop, healthcare real estate properties. We have elected to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We believe that we have been organized and operated, and we intend to continue to operate, in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code.
On October 1, 2021, Griffin-American Healthcare REIT III, Inc., or GAHR III, merged with and into a wholly-owned subsidiary, or Merger Sub, of Griffin-American Healthcare REIT IV, Inc., or GAHR IV, with Merger Sub being the surviving company, which we refer to as the REIT Merger, and our operating partnership, Griffin-American Healthcare REIT IV Holdings, LP, merged with and into Griffin-American Healthcare REIT III Holdings, LP, or the Surviving Partnership, with the Surviving Partnership being the surviving entity, which we refer to as the Partnership Merger and, together with the REIT Merger, the Merger. Following the Merger on October 1, 2021, our company was renamed American Healthcare REIT, Inc. and the Surviving Partnership was renamed American Healthcare REIT Holdings, LP, or our operating partnership.
Also on October 1, 2021, immediately prior to the consummation of the Merger, GAHR III acquired a newly formed entity, American Healthcare Opps Holdings, LLC, which we refer to as the AHI Acquisition, pursuant to a contribution and exchange agreement dated June 23, 2021. Following the Merger and the AHI Acquisition, our company became self-managed.
See Note 1, Organization and Description of Business, and Note 4, Business Combinations — 2021 Business Combinations, to the Consolidated Financial Statements that are a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for a further discussion of the Merger and the AHI Acquisition.
Operating Partnership
We conduct substantially all of our operations through our operating partnership, and we are the sole general partner of our operating partnership. As of both December 31, 2023 and 2022, we owned approximately 95.0% of the operating partnership units, or OP units, in our operating partnership, and the remaining 5.0% limited OP units were owned by AHI Group Holdings, LLC, which is owned and controlled by Jeffrey T. Hanson, the non-executive Chairman of our board of directors, or our board, Danny Prosky, our Chief Executive Officer, President and director, and Mathieu B. Streiff, one of our directors; Platform Healthcare Investor TII, LLC; Flaherty Trust; and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Griffin Capital Company, LLC. See Note 12, Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests, and Note 13, Equity — Noncontrolling Interests in Total Equity, to the Consolidated Financial Statements that are a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for a further discussion of the ownership in our operating partnership.
Public Offerings
As of December 31, 2023, after taking into consideration the Merger and the impact of the reverse stock split as discussed below, we had issued 65,445,557 shares of common stock for a total of $2,737,716,000 since February 26, 2014 in our initial public offerings and our distribution reinvestment plan, or DRIP, offerings (including historical offering amounts sold by GAHR III and GAHR IV prior to the Merger).
On November 10, 2022, our board approved charter amendments to effect, on November 15, 2022, a one-for-four reverse stock split of our common stock and a corresponding reverse split of the OP units, or the Reverse Splits. All numbers of common shares and per share data, as well as the OP units, in this Annual Report on Form 10-K have been retroactively adjusted for all periods presented to give effect to the Reverse Splits.
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On February 9, 2024, pursuant to a Registration Statement filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, on Form S-11 (File No. 333-267464), as amended, we closed our underwritten public offering, or the 2024 Offering, through which we issued 64,400,000 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, for a total of $772,800,000 in gross offering proceeds. Such amounts include the exercise in full of the underwriters’ overallotment option to purchase up to an additional 8,400,000 shares of common stock. These shares are listed on New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, under the trading symbol “AHR” and began trading on February 7, 2024. See Note 13, Equity, to the Consolidated Financial Statements that are a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for a further discussion of our public offerings.
Key Developments
•During 2023, we, through our majority-owned subsidiary, Trilogy Investors, LLC, or Trilogy, entered into further amendments to an amended and restated loan agreement, or the 2019 Trilogy Credit Agreement, to: (i) extend the maturity date of the 2019 Trilogy Credit Agreement to June 5, 2025; and (ii) update the definition of Implied Debt Service (as defined in such agreement), which is used to calculate the Real Estate Borrowing Base Availability (as defined in such agreement), for interest rate changes and to add an annual interest-only payment calculation option.
•During 2023, we entered into interest rate swap agreements to hedge an aggregate of $750,000,000 of our variable-rate debt.
•During 2023, we expanded our integrated senior health campuses segment by $49,531,000 primarily through the acquisition and expansion of campuses.
•During 2023, we disposed of properties within our outpatient medical, or OM, and SHOP segments for an aggregate contract sales price of $194,640,000.
•On November 3, 2023, we entered into a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement with subsidiaries of NorthStar Healthcare Income, Inc., or NHI, which provides us with the option to purchase their 24.0% minority membership interest in Trilogy REIT Holdings, LLC. If we exercise this purchase option, we will own 100% of Trilogy REIT Holdings, LLC, which will in turn cause us to indirectly own approximately 97.5% of Trilogy.
•On February 9, 2024, we completed our underwritten public offering through which we issued 64,400,000 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, for a total of $772,800,000 in gross offering proceeds. These shares are listed on the NYSE under the trading symbol “AHR” and began trading on February 7, 2024.
•On February 14, 2024, we, through our operating partnership, entered into an amendment, or the 2024 Credit Agreement, to our existing credit agreement, to increase the aggregate maximum borrowing capacity to up to $1,150,000,000 and extend the maturity date of the senior unsecured revolving credit facility portion of the 2024 Credit Agreement to February 14, 2028. The 2024 Credit Agreement replaced our existing credit agreement that had an aggregate maximum principal amount of up to $1,050,000,000.
•As of March 22, 2024, we owned and/or operated 318 buildings and integrated senior health campuses, or approximately 19,451,000 square feet of gross leasable area, or GLA, for an aggregate contract purchase price of $4,566,829,000. In addition, as of March 22, 2024, we also owned a real estate-related debt investment purchased for $60,429,000.
Our principal executive offices are located at 18191 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 300, Irvine, California 92612, and our telephone number is (949) 270-9200. We maintain a web site at www.americanhealthcarereit.com, at which there is additional information about us. The contents of that site are not incorporated by reference in, or otherwise a part of, this filing. We make our periodic and current reports and all amendments to those reports available at www.americanhealthcarereit.com as soon as reasonably practicable after such materials are electronically filed with the SEC. They also are available for printing by any stockholder upon request. In addition, copies of our filings with the SEC may be obtained from the SEC’s website, http://www.sec.gov. Access to these filings is free of charge.
Business Objectives and Growth Strategies
Our business objectives are to grow our earnings and cash flows, maintain financial flexibility, increase the value of our portfolio, make regular cash distributions to our stockholders and generate attractive risk-adjusted returns through the following growth strategies:
•external growth through disciplined and targeted acquisitions to expand our diversified portfolio;
•continue to develop integrated senior health campuses through experienced development partners (i.e., Trilogy);
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•provide sustained stability through consistent outpatient medical building performance with the opportunity for revenue growth driven by occupancy gains and improving lease spreads; and
•actively position our balance sheet for growth.
Investment Strategy
We have acquired, and may continue to acquire, properties either directly or jointly with third parties and may also consider disposing of, non-corepropertiesfromtimeto time outright or in joint ventures. We also have originated and acquired, and may continue to originate or acquire, secured loans and other real estate-related investments on an infrequent and opportunistic basis.
We generally seek investments that produce current income; however, we have selectively developed, are currently developing (through Trilogy), and may continue to selectively develop, real estate properties. Our portfolio may include properties in various stages of development other than those producing current income. These stages include unimproved land both with and without entitlements and permits, property to be redeveloped and repositioned, newly constructed properties and properties in lease-up or other stabilization stages, all of which have limited or no relevant operating histories and current income. We make such investment determinations based upon a variety of factors, including the anticipated risk-adjusted returns for such properties when compared with other available properties, the appropriate diversification of our portfolio and our objectives of realizing both current income and capital appreciation.
We seek to grow our earnings and cash flows, maintain financial flexibility, increase the value of our portfolio, make regular cash distributions and generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for our stockholders through the business objectives and growth strategies discussed above. In order to achieve these objectives, we may invest using a number of investment structures, which may include direct acquisitions, joint ventures, leveraged investments, issuing securities for property and direct and indirect investments in real estate. In order to maintain our exemption from regulation as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act, we may be required to limit our investments in certain types of real estate-related investments. See “Investment Company Act Considerations” below for a further discussion.
For each of our investments, regardless of property type, we seek to invest in properties with the following attributes:
•Strong Local Health Systems and Operating Partners. We seek to invest in properties that are associated with strong health systems and operators, provide exceptional care, have dominant market share and/or are critical to the healthcare delivery system in the communities that they serve.
•Quality. We seek to acquire properties that are suitable for their intended use with a quality of construction that is capable of sustaining the property’s long-term investment potential, assuming funding of budgeted maintenance, repairs and capital improvements.
•Location. We seek to acquire properties that are located in established or otherwise appropriate markets, with access and visibility suitable to meet the needs of their occupants. In addition to United States properties, we also may seek to acquire international properties that meet our investment criteria.
•Market; Supply and Demand. We focus on local or regional markets that have potential for stable and growing property level cash flows in the long term. These determinations are based in part on an evaluation of local and regional economic, demographic and regulatory factors affecting the property. For instance, we favor markets that indicate a growing population and employment base and markets that exhibit potential limitations on additions to supply, such as barriers to new construction. Barriers to new construction include lack of available land, stringent zoning restrictions and states where certificates of need are required. Conversely, we generally seek to limit our investments in areas that have limited potential for growth.
•Predictable Capital Needs. We seek to acquire properties where the future expected capital needs can be reasonably projected in a manner that would enable us to meet our objectives.
•Cash Flows. We seek to acquire properties where the current and projected cash flows, including the potential for appreciation in value, would enable us to maximize long-term stockholder value. We evaluate cash flows as well as expected growth and the potential for appreciation.
We are not limited as to the geographic areas where we may acquire properties. We are not specifically limited in the number or size of properties we may acquire or on the percentage of our assets that we may invest in a single property or investment. The number and mix of properties and real estate-related investments we will acquire will depend upon real estate and market conditions and other circumstances existing at the time we are acquiring our properties and making our investments and the amount of debt financing available.
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Real Estate Investments
We generally seek investments that produce current income. We expect our real estate investments to include:
•outpatient medical buildings;
•integrated senior health campuses;
•senior housing;
•SNFs; and
•healthcare-related facilities operated utilizing a RIDEA structure.
Our real estate investments may also include:
•hospitals;
•long-term acute care facilities;
•surgery centers;
•memory care facilities;
•specialty medical and diagnostic service facilities;
•laboratories and research facilities;
•pharmaceutical and medical supply manufacturing facilities; and
•offices leased to tenants in healthcare-related industries, including life sciences.
We generally seek to acquire real estate of the types described above that will best enable us to meet our investment objectives, taking into account, among other things, the diversification of our portfolio at the time, relevant real estate and financial factors, location, income-producing capacity and the prospects for long-term appreciation of a particular property. As a result, we may acquire properties other than the types described above. In addition, we may acquire properties that vary from the parameters described above for a particular property type.
Our real estate investments generally take the form of holding fee title or long-term leasehold interests. Our investments may be made either directly through our operating partnership or indirectly through investments in joint ventures, limited liability companies, general partnerships or other co-ownership arrangements with the developers of the properties or other persons. See “Joint Ventures” below for a further discussion.
We have exercised, and may continue to exercise, our purchase options to acquire properties that we currently lease. In addition, we have participated in sale-leaseback transactions, in which we purchase real estate investments and lease them back to the sellers of such properties. We seek to structure any such sale-leaseback transaction such that the lease will be characterized as a “true lease” and we will be treated as the owner of the property for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Our obligation to close a transaction involving the purchase of real estate is generally conditioned upon the delivery and verification of certain documents, including, where appropriate: (i) plans and specifications; (ii) environmental reports (generally a minimum of a Phase I investigation); (iii) building condition reports; (iv) surveys; (v) evidence of marketable title subject to such liens and encumbrances; (vi) audited financial statements covering recent operations of real properties having operating histories unless such statements are not required to be filed with the SEC and delivered to stockholders; (vii) title insurance policies; and (viii) the availability of property and liability insurance policies.
In determining whether to purchase a particular real estate investment, we may obtain an option on such property, including land suitable for development. The amount paid for an option is normally surrendered if the real estate is not purchased and is normally credited against the purchase price if the real estate is purchased. We also may enter into arrangements with the seller or developer of a real estate investment whereby the seller or developer agrees that if, during a stated period, the real estate investment does not generate specified cash flows, the seller or developer will pay us cash in an amount necessary to reach the specified cash flows level, subject in some cases to negotiated dollar limitations.
We have obtained, and we intend to continue to obtain, adequate insurance coverage for all real estate investments in which we invest.
We have acquired, and we intend to continue to acquire, leased properties with long-term leases and we generally do not intend to operate any healthcare-related facilities directly. As a REIT, we are prohibited from operating healthcare-related facilities directly; however, we have leased, and may continue to lease, healthcare-related facilities that we acquire to wholly- owned taxable REIT subsidiaries, or TRS, utilizing a RIDEA structure permitted by the Code. In such an event, our TRS will
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engage a third party in the business of operating healthcare-related facilities to manage the property. Through our TRS, we bear operational risks and liabilities associated with the operation of such healthcare-related facilities unlike our triple-net leased properties. Such operational risks and liabilities might include, but are not limited to, resident quality of care claims and governmental reimbursement matters.
Development and Construction Activities
On an opportunistic basis, we have selectively developed, are currently developing (through Trilogy), and may continue to selectively develop, real estate assets within our integrated senior health campuses segment and other segments of our portfolio when market conditions warrant, which may be funded through capital that we, and in certain circumstances, our joint venture partners, provide. In doing so, we may be able to reduce overall purchase costs by developing property versus purchasing an existing property. We retain and will continue to retain independent contractors to perform the actual construction work on tenant improvements, as well as property development.
Terms of Leases
The terms and conditions of any lease we enter into with our tenants may vary substantially. However, we expect that a majority of our tenant leases will require the tenant to pay or reimburse us for some or all of the operating expenses of the building based on the tenant’s proportionate share of rentable space within the building. Operating expenses typically include, but are not limited to, real estate and other taxes, utilities, insurance and building repairs, and other building operation and management costs. For our multi-tenanted properties, we generally expect to be responsible for the replacement of certain capital improvements affecting a property, including structural components of a property such as the roof of a building and other capital improvements such as parking facilities. We expect that many of our tenant leases will have terms of five or more years, some of which may have renewal options.
Substantially all of our leases with residents at our SHOP and integrated senior health campuses are for a term of one year or less, which creates the opportunity for operators to adjust rents to reflect current market conditions.
Joint Ventures
We have entered into, and we may continue to enter into, joint ventures, general partnerships and other arrangements with one or more institutions or individuals, including real estate developers, operators, owners, investors and others, for the purpose of acquiring real estate. Our investment in Trilogy is an example of a joint venture into which we have entered. Such joint ventures may be leveraged with debt financing or unleveraged. We have entered into, and may continue to enter into, joint ventures to further diversify our investments or to access investments which meet our investment criteria that would otherwise be unavailable to us. In determining whether to invest in a particular joint venture, we will evaluate the real estate that such joint venture owns or is being formed to own under the same criteria described elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the selection of our other properties. However, we will not participate in tenant-in-common syndications or transactions.
Joint ventures with unaffiliated third parties may be structured such that the investment made by us and the other joint venture party are on substantially different terms and conditions. This type of investment structure may result in the other joint venture party receiving more of the cash flows, including appreciation, of an investment than we would receive, or may result in certain conflict of interest. See Item 1A, Risk Factors — Risks Related to Joint Ventures, for a further discussion.
Real Estate-Related Investments
In addition to our acquisition of properties, we have invested on an infrequent and opportunistic basis, and may continue to invest, in real estate-related investments, including loans and securities investments.
Investments in Real Estate Mortgages
We have invested, and we may continue to invest, in first and second mortgage loans, mezzanine loans and bridge loans. However, we will not make or invest in any loans that are subordinate to any mortgage or equity interest of any of our directors or affiliates. We also may invest in participations in mortgage loans. Second mortgage loans are secured by second deeds of trust on real property that is already subject to prior mortgage indebtedness. A mezzanine loan is a loan made in respect of certain real property but is secured by a lien on the ownership interests of the entity that, directly or indirectly, owns the real property. A bridge loan is short-term financing for an individual or business, until the next stage of financing can be obtained. Mortgage participation investments are investments in partial interests of mortgages of the type described above that are made and administered by third-party mortgage lenders. We may also make seller financing loans in connection with the disposition of our properties. In evaluating prospective loan investments, we consider factors, including, but not limited to: (i) the ratio of the investment amount to the underlying property’s value; (ii) current and projected cash flows of the property; (iii) the degree of liquidity of the investment; (iv) the quality, experience and creditworthiness of the borrower; and (v) in the case of mezzanine loans, the ability to acquire the underlying real property.
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Our criteria for making or investing in loans are substantially the same as those involved in our investment in properties. We do not intend to make loans to other persons, to underwrite securities of other issuers or to engage in the purchase and sale of any types of investments other than those relating to real estate. We generally will not make or invest in mortgage loans on any one property if the aggregate amount of all mortgage loans outstanding on the property, including our loan, would exceed an amount equal to 85.0% of the appraised value of the property, as determined by an appraiser, unless we find substantial justification due to other underwriting criteria; however, our policy generally will be that the aggregate amount of all mortgage loans outstanding on the property, including our loan, would not exceed 75.0% of the appraised value of the property. We may find such justification in connection with the purchase of loans in cases in which we believe there is a high probability of our foreclosure upon the property in order to acquire the underlying assets and in which the cost of the loan investment does not exceed the fair market value of the underlying property. We will not invest in or make loans unless an appraisal has been obtained concerning the underlying property, except for those loans insured or guaranteed by a government or government agency or in connection with seller financing loans. In the event the transaction is with any of our directors or their respective affiliates, the appraisal will be obtained from a certified independent appraiser to support its determination of fair market value. In addition, we will seek to obtain a customary lender’s title insurance policy or commitment as to the priority of the mortgage or condition of the title. Because the factors considered, including the specific weight we place on each factor, will vary for each prospective loan investment, we do not, and are not able to, assign a specific weight or level of importance to any particular factor.
We will evaluate all potential loan investments to determine if the security for the loan and the loan-to-value ratio meets our investment criteria and objectives. Most loans that we will consider for investment would provide for monthly payments of interest, and some may also provide for principal amortization, although many loans of the nature that we will consider provide for payments of interest only and a payment of principal in full at the end of the loan term. We will not originate loans with negative amortization provisions.
We are not limited as to the amount of our assets that may be invested in mezzanine loans, bridge loans and second mortgage loans. However, we recognize that these types of loans are riskier than first deeds of trust or first priority mortgages on income-producing, fee-simple properties, and we expect to minimize the amount of these types of loans in our portfolio. We will evaluate the fact that these types of loans are riskier in determining the rate of interest on the loans. We do not have any policy that limits the amount that we may invest in any single loan or the amount we may invest in loans to any one borrower. We have not established a portfolio turnover policy with respect to loans we invest in or originate.
Investment in Other Securities
We have invested, and may continue to invest, in debt securities such as commercial mortgage-backed securities issued by other unaffiliated real estate companies. We may also invest in equity securities of public or private real estate companies. Commercial mortgage-backed securities are securities that evidence interests in, or are secured by, a single commercial mortgage loan or a pool of commercial mortgage loans. Commercial mortgage-backed securities generally are pass-through certificates that represent beneficial ownership interests in common law trusts whose assets consist of defined portfolios of one or more commercial mortgage loans. They typically are issued in multiple tranches whereby the more senior classes are entitled to priority distributions from the trust’s income. Losses and other shortfalls from expected amounts to be received in the mortgage pool are borne by the most subordinate classes, which receive payments only after the more senior classes have received all principal and/or interest to which they are entitled. Commercial mortgage-backed securities are subject to all of the risks of the underlying mortgage loans. We may invest in investment grade and non-investment grade commercial mortgage-backed securities.
The specific number and mix of securities in which we invest will depend upon real estate market conditions, other circumstances existing at the time we are investing in securities and the amount of any future indebtedness that we may incur. We will not invest in securities of other issuers for the purpose of exercising control, and the first or second mortgages in which we intend to invest will likely not be insured by the Federal Housing Administration or guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs or otherwise guaranteed or insured. Real estate-related equity securities are generally unsecured and also may be subordinated to other obligations of the issuer. Our investments in real estate-related equity securities will involve special risks relating to the particular issuer of the equity securities, including the financial condition and business outlook of the issuer.
Financing Policies
We have used, and intend to continue to use, secured and unsecured debt as a means of providing additional funds for the acquisition of properties and real estate-related investments. Our ability to enhance our investment returns and to increase our diversification by acquiring assets using additional funds provided through borrowing could be adversely impacted if banks and other lending institutions reduce the amount of funds available for the types of loans we seek. When interest rates are high or financing is otherwise unavailable on a timely basis, we may purchase certain assets for cash with the intention of obtaining
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debt financing at a later time. We have also used, and may continue to use, derivative financial instruments such as fixed interest rate swaps and caps to add stability to interest expense and to manage our exposure to interest rate movements.
We seek to obtain financing on the most favorable terms available to us and refinance assets during the term of a loan only in limited circumstances, such as when a decline in interest rates makes it beneficial to prepay an existing loan, when an existing loan matures or if an attractive investment becomes available and the proceeds from the refinancing can be used to purchase such investment. The benefits of refinancing may include increased cash flows resulting from reduced debt service requirements, an increase in distributions from proceeds of the refinancing and an increase in diversification and assets owned if all or a portion of the refinancing proceeds are reinvested.
If we incur mortgage indebtedness, we will endeavor to obtain level payment financing, meaning that the amount of debt service payable would be substantially the same each year, although some mortgages are likely to provide for one large payment and we may incur floating or adjustable rate financing when our board determines it to be in our best interest.
Dispositions
We have disposed, and may continue to dispose, of assets. We will determine whether a particular property or real estate-related investment should be sold or otherwise disposed of after consideration of the relevant factors, including prevailing economic conditions, with a view toward maximizing our investment objectives. We intend to hold each property or real estate-related investment we acquire for an extended period. However, circumstances might arise which could result in a shortened holding period for certain investments. A property or real estate-related investment may be sold before the end of the expected holding period if: (i) diversification benefits exist associated with disposing of the investment and rebalancing our investment portfolio; (ii) an opportunity arises to pursue a more attractive investment; (iii) the value of the investment might decline; (iv) with respect to properties, a major tenant involuntarily liquidates or is in default under its lease; (v) the investment was acquired as part of a portfolio acquisition and does not meet our general acquisition criteria; (vi) an opportunity exists to enhance overall investment returns by raising capital through sale of the investment; or (vii) the sale of the investment is in our best interest and the best interests of our stockholders.
The determination of whether a particular property or real estate-related investment should be sold or otherwise disposed of will be made after consideration of the relevant factors, including prevailing economic conditions, with a view toward maximizing our investment objectives.
Tax Status and Distribution Policy
We have elected to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2016. We believe that we have been organized and operated, and we intend to continue to operate, in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code. Our qualification as a REIT, and maintenance of such qualification, will depend on our ability to meet, on a continuing basis, various complex requirements under the Code relating to, among other things, the sources of our gross income, the composition and values of our assets, our distribution levels and the concentration of ownership of our stock.
As a REIT, we generally are not subject to U.S. federal income tax on the REIT taxable income that we currently distribute to our stockholders. Under the Code, REITs are subject to numerous organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement that they distribute annually at least 90.0% of their REIT taxable income to their stockholders. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any calendar year and do not qualify for certain statutory relief provisions, our REIT taxable income would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular corporate rate, and we would likely be precluded from qualifying for treatment as a REIT until the fifth calendar year following the year in which we fail to qualify. Accordingly, our failure to qualify as a REIT could have a material adverse effect on us. Even if we qualify as a REIT, we may still be subject to certain U.S. federal, state and local taxes on our income and assets and to U.S. federal income and excise taxes on our undistributed REIT taxable income. In addition, subject to maintaining our qualification as a REIT, a portion of our business has been, and is likely to continue to be, conducted through, and a portion of our income may be earned in, one or more TRSs that are themselves subject to regular corporate income taxation.
We cannot predict if we will generate sufficient cash flows to continue to pay cash distributions to our stockholders on an ongoing basis or at all. The amount of any cash distributions is determined by our board and depends on the amount of distributable funds, current and projected cash requirements, tax considerations, any limitations imposed by the terms of indebtedness we may incur, as well as other factors. If our investments produce sufficient cash flows, we expect to continue paying distributions to our stockholders as determined at the discretion of our board. Because our cash available for distribution in any year may be less than 90.0% of our annual taxable income, excluding net capital gains, for the year, we may be required to borrow money, use proceeds from the issuance of securities (in subsequent offerings, if any) or sell assets to pay out enough of our taxable income to satisfy the distribution requirement. These methods of obtaining funds could affect future distributions by increasing operating costs. We did not establish any limit on the amount of net proceeds from the initial offering or
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borrowings that may be used to fund distributions, except that, in accordance with our organizational documents and Maryland law, we may not make distributions that would: (i) cause us to be unable to pay our debts as they become due in the usual course of business; or (ii) cause our total assets to be less than the sum of our total liabilities plus senior liquidation preferences.
To the extent that any distributions to our stockholders are paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, such distributions are taxable as ordinary income. To the extent that any of our distributions exceed our current and accumulated earnings and profits, such amounts constitute a return of capital to our stockholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes and thereafter will constitute capital gain. Any portion of distributions to our stockholders paid from net offering proceeds or borrowings will be treated in the same manner.
Our board shall authorize distributions, if any, on a quarterly basis. The amount of distributions we pay to our stockholders is determined by our board and is dependent on a number of factors, including funds available for the payment of distributions, our financial condition, capital expenditure requirements, annual distribution requirements needed to maintain our status as a REIT under the Code and restrictions imposed by our organizational documents and Maryland Law.
See Part II, Item 5, Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities — Distributions, for a further discussion of distributions approved by our board.
Competition
We compete with many other entities engaged in real estate investment activities for acquisitions and dispositions of OM buildings, SNFs, senior housing and other healthcare-related facilities. Our ability to successfully compete is impacted by economic trends, availability of acceptable investment opportunities, our ability to negotiate beneficial investment terms, availability and cost of capital, construction and development costs and applicable laws and regulations.
Income from our investments is dependent on the ability of our tenants and operators to compete with other healthcare operators. These operators compete on a local and regional basis for patients and residents, and the operators’ ability to successfully attract and retain patients and residents depends on key factors such as the number of properties in the local market, the quality of the affiliated health system, proximity to hospital campuses, the price and range of services available, the scope and quality of care, reputation, age and appearance of each property, demographic trends and the cost of care in each locality. Additionally, referral sources, including physicians and managed care organizations, may change their lists of hospitals or physicians to which they refer patients or that are permitted to participate in a payor program. As a result, we may have to provide rent concessions, incur charges for tenant improvements or offer other inducements, or we may be unable to timely lease vacant space in our properties, all of which may have an adverse impact on our results of operations. Private, federal and state payment programs and the effect of other laws and regulations may also have a significant impact on the ability of our tenants and operators to compete successfully for patients and residents at our properties. For additional information on the risks associated with our business, please see Item 1A, Risk Factors.
Government Regulations
Our properties are subject to various federal, state and local regulatory requirements, and changes in these laws and regulations, or their interpretation by agencies, occur frequently. Further, our tenants and our healthcare facility operators, including our TRS entities that own and operate our properties under a RIDEA structure, are typically subject to extensive and complex federal, state and local healthcare laws and regulations relating to quality of care, government reimbursement, fraud and abuse practices and similar laws governing the operation of healthcare facilities, and we expect the healthcare industry, in general, will continue to face increased regulation and pressure in the areas of healthcare management, fraud and provision of services, among others. If we fail to comply with these various requirements, we may incur governmental fines or private damage awards. While we believe that our properties are and will be in substantial compliance with all of these regulatory requirements, we do not know whether existing requirements will change or whether future requirements will require us to make significant unanticipated capital expenditures that will adversely affect our ability to make distributions to our stockholders. We believe, based in part on third-party due diligence reports which are generally obtained at the time we acquire the properties, that all of our properties comply in all material respects with current regulations. However, if we were required to make significant expenditures under applicable regulations, we could be materially and adversely affected.
Privacy and Security Laws and Regulations
There are various federal and state privacy laws and regulations that provide for consumer protection of personal health information, particularly electronic security and privacy. Compliance with such laws and regulations may require us to, among other things, conduct additional risk analysis, modify our risk management plan, implement new policies and procedures and conduct additional training. We are generally dependent on our tenants and management companies to fulfill our compliance obligations, and we have in certain circumstances developed a program to periodically monitor compliance with such obligations. However, there can be no assurance we would not be required to alter one or more of our systems and data security
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procedures to be in compliance with these laws. If we fail to adequately protect health information, we could be subject to civil or criminal liability and adverse publicity, which could harm our business and impact our ability to attract new tenants and residents. We may be required to notify individuals, as well as government agencies and the media, if we experience a data breach. See Item 1C, Cybersecurity, below for a further discussion.
Healthcare Licensure and Certification
Generally, certain properties in our portfolio are subject to licensure, may require a certificate of need, or CON, or other certification through regulatory agencies in order to operate and participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs. Requirements pertaining to such licensure and certification relate to the quality of care provided by the operator, qualifications of the operator’s staff and continuing compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, CON laws and regulations may place restrictions on certain activities such as the addition of beds/units at our facilities and changes in ownership. Failure to obtain a license, CON or other certification, or revocation, suspension or restriction of such required license, CON or other certification, could adversely impact our properties’ operations and their ability to generate revenue from services provided. State CON laws are not uniform throughout the United States and are subject to change. We cannot predict the impact of state CON laws on our facilities or the operations of our tenants.
Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, or the ADA, all public accommodations must meet federal requirements for access and use by disabled persons. Additional federal, state and local laws also may require modifications to our properties or restrict our ability to renovate our properties. We cannot predict the cost of compliance with the ADA or other legislation. We may incur substantial costs to comply with the ADA or any other legislation.
Government Environmental Regulation and Private Litigation
Environmental laws and regulations hold us liable for the costs of removal or remediation of certain hazardous or toxic substances which may be on our properties. These laws could impose liability without regard to whether we are responsible for the presence or release of the hazardous materials. Government investigations and remediation actions may have substantial costs, and the presence of hazardous substances on a property could result in personal injury or similar claims by private plaintiffs. Various laws also impose liability on a person who arranges for the disposal or treatment of hazardous or toxic substances, and such person often must incur the cost of removal or remediation of hazardous substances at the disposal or treatment facility. These laws often impose liability whether or not the person arranging for the disposal ever owned or operated the disposal facility. As the owner of our properties, we may be deemed to have arranged for the disposal or treatment of hazardous or toxic substances.
Geographic Concentration
For a discussion of our geographic information, see Item 2, Properties — Geographic Diversification/Concentration Table, as well as Note 18, Segment Reporting, and Note 19, Concentration of Credit Risk, to the Consolidated Financial Statements that are a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Corporate Responsibility — Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
We are committed to conducting our business in a manner that benefits all of our stakeholders and ensures a lasting and positive impact from our operations. As a result, we measure our success not only by our ability to generate profits but also our ability to reduce our impact on the environment, affect positive social change in our community and conduct our operations in accordance with the highest ethical standards. To achieve this, we are developing a comprehensive ESG strategy and related ESG policy, to which we intend to adhere. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has been delegated the authority to provide oversight and guidance to our board regarding ESG trends and best practices. In particular, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall, as it deems appropriate, recommend changes to our company’s ESG practices as necessary to comply with existing legal requirements or emerging trends and best practices. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also shall periodically receive reports from management regarding our company’s ESG strategy, initiatives and policies. This ESG policy, which we intend to update regularly as applicable, is briefly summarized below and will be posted on our website, www.AmericanHealthcareREIT.com, and will contain more detailed information once available. Information contained on, or accessible through, our website is not incorporated by reference into and does not constitute a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Environmental Responsibility
Protecting the environment and pursuing strong environmental initiatives are integral to our company’s business. In 2022, we launched our ESG program and began conducting a materiality assessment to assist us in prioritizing our efforts and maximizing the efficacy of our program. We strive to consciously manage our operations in a way that minimizes our impact
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on the environment and promotes sustainability. At our headquarters, we leverage the latest technology to minimize our energy use, such as efficient and automated lighting systems, moderation, and monitoring of heating and air conditioning, and recycling paper, plastics, metals, and electronics. In addition, we encourage all of our employees to adopt sustainable best practices. For example, we promote the use of electronic communication over printing whenever possible and have implemented electronic approval systems. Our corporate office in California is located in a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (known as LEED) certified building. Within our portfolio, we work with tenants and operators to implement energy efficiency wherever possible, including light-emitting diode (known as LED) retrofitting and water conservation efforts.
In addition, we follow a policy of monitoring our properties for the presence of hazardous or toxic substances. While there can be no assurance that a material environmental liability does not exist at our properties, we are not currently aware of any environmental liability with respect to our properties that would have a material adverse effect on us. Further, we are not aware of any material environmental liability or any unasserted claim or assessment with respect to an environmental liability that we believe would require additional disclosure or the recording of a loss contingency.
Social
Our People
As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately 110 employees, including 68 in Accounting and Finance, 15 in Asset Management, eight in Investments, four in Information Technology and three in Legal.
We believe our employees are our greatest asset, and we pride ourselves on the diversity they bring to our company. Because of this, we have implemented a number of programs to foster not only their professional growth, but also their growth as global citizens. All of our employees are provided with a comprehensive benefits and wellness package, which may include high-quality medical, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, 401(k) matching, long-term incentive plans, educational grants, fitness programs and other benefits. We provide our employees, consultants and executive officers with competitive compensation and, where applicable, opportunities for equity ownership through our Second Amended and Restated 2015 Incentive Plan, or the AHR Incentive Plan. See Note 13, Equity — Equity Compensation Plans — AHR Incentive Plan, to the Consolidated Financial Statements that are part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, for a further discussion.
We also believe that one of the keys to our success is our ability to benefit from a wide range of opinions and experiences. We believe the best way to accomplish this is through promoting racial, gender and generational diversity across all layers of our organization. As of December 31, 2023, 72.7% of our employees were minorities and 58.2% were female. Generationally, our organization was composed of 10.0% Generation Z, 37.3% Millennials, 48.2% Generation X and 4.5% Baby Boomers. To further assist us in establishing a work environment that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, for our employees, we have completed a DEI assessment of our organization and created a DEI action plan. We provided and will continue to provide DEI education, beginning with a virtual privilege walk for all employees and leadership training for executives. Additionally, as a part of our commitment to DEI, our board and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee actively seek out qualified women and individuals from underrepresented communities as director nominees.
Health and Safety
We are committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace. We continuously strive to meet or exceed compliance with all laws, regulations and accepted practices pertaining to workplace safety. All employees and contractors are required to comply with established safety policies, standards and procedures. Our focus is on promoting employee health and safety and ensuring business continuity. As part of such efforts, we have maintained a telecommuting policy, providing our people with valued flexibility.
For our healthcare-related facilities operated pursuant to a RIDEA structure, which include our SHOP and integrated senior health campuses, we rely on each management company to attract and retain skilled personnel to provide services at our healthcare-related facilities.
Governance
We believe maintaining a rigorous corporate governance framework is essential to the success of our organization, and we seek to adhere to policies and procedures that ensure transparency, accountability, oversight and risk minimization across all levels of our company. This includes numerous committees of our board, comprised solely of independent directors, which oversee a wide range of matters such as investment activities, executive compensation, ESG policies and conflict of interest related matters.
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We have structured our corporate governance in a manner we believe closely aligns our interests with those of our stockholders. Notable features of our corporate governance structure include the following:
•our board is not classified and each of our directors is subject to election annually. Additionally, our charter provides that we may not elect to be subject to the provision of the MGCL that would permit us to classify our board, unless we receive prior approval from stockholders;
•we have fully independent audit, compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees;
•at least one of our directors qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” under applicable SEC regulations, and all members of the Audit Committee are financially literate in accordance with the NYSE listing rules and requirements;
•our board has opted out of the business combination statute in the MGCL (provided that such business combination is first approved by our board), and, pursuant to our bylaws, we have opted out of the control share acquisition statute in the MGCL;
•we do not have a stockholder rights plan and do not intend to adopt a stockholder rights plan in the future without (i) the approval of our stockholders or (ii) seeking ratification from our stockholders within 12 months of adoption of the plan if our board determines, in the exercise of the directors’ duties under applicable law, that it is in our best interests to adopt a rights plan without the delay of seeking prior stockholder approval; and
•our Corporate Governance Guidelines adopted by our board require our directors and officers to own certain minimum amounts of our common stock.
Investment Company Act Considerations
We conduct, and intend to continue to conduct, our operations, and the operations of our operating partnership and any other subsidiaries, so that no such entity meets the definition of an “investment company” under Section 3(a)(1) of the Investment Company Act. We primarily engage in the business of investing in real estate assets; however, our portfolio does include, to a much lesser extent, other real estate-related investments. We have also acquired, and may continue to acquire, real estate assets through investments in joint venture entities, including joint venture entities in which we may not own a controlling interest. We anticipate that our assets generally will be held in our wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries, each formed to hold a particular asset. We monitor our operations and our assets on an ongoing basis in order to ensure that neither we, nor any of our subsidiaries, meet the definition of “investment company” under Section 3(a)(1) of the Investment Company Act. Among other things, we monitor the proportion of our portfolio that is placed in investments in securities.
Information About Industry Segments
We segregate our operations into reporting segments in order to assess the performance of our business in the same way that management reviews our performance and makes operating decisions. During the quarter ended December 31, 2023, we modified how we evaluate our business and make resource allocations, and therefore determined that we operate through four reportable business segments: integrated senior health campuses, outpatient medical, or OM, (which was formerly known as medical office buildings, or MOBs), triple-net leased properties and SHOP. All segment information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K has been recast for all periods presented to reflect four reportable business segments and the change in segment name from MOBs to OM.
Integrated Senior Health Campuses
Integrated senior health campuses are a valuable component of our portfolio because of their ability to provide a continuum of care as residents require increasing levels of care. As of December 31, 2023, we owned and/or operated 125 integrated senior health campuses. These facilities allow residents to “age-in-place” by providing independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and certain ancillary services, all within a single campus setting. Integrated senior health campuses predominantly focus on need-driven segments of senior care (i.e., assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing) and charge market rents in lieu of entry fees, as is commonly the case with continuing care retirement communities. Predominantly all of our integrated senior health campuses are operated utilizing a RIDEA structure, allowing us to participate in the upside from any improved operational performance while bearing the risk of any decline in operating performance.
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Outpatient Medical
We value the stable and reliable cash flows our OM buildings provide our company, which we believe are particularly valuable during market disruptions and recessionary periods. As of December 31, 2023, we owned 88 OM buildings that we lease to third parties. These properties are similar to commercial office buildings, but typically require specialized infrastructure to accommodate physicians’ offices and examination rooms, as well as some ancillary uses, including pharmacies, hospital ancillary service space and outpatient services, such as diagnostic centers, rehabilitation clinics and outpatient-surgery operating rooms. Our OM buildings are typically multi-tenant properties leased to healthcare providers (hospitals and physician practices) under leases that generally provide for recovery of certain operating expenses and certain capital expenditures and have initial terms of five to 10 years with fixed annual rent escalations (historically ranging from 2% to 3% per year).
Senior Housing Operating Properties
Our SHOP segment has the potential for embedded growth through the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and demand growth from an aging U.S. population. As of December 31, 2023, we owned and operated an aggregate 55 senior housing and skilled nursing facilities in our SHOP segment. Such facilities cater to different segments of the elderly population based upon their personal needs and include independent living, assisted living, memory care or skilled nursing services. Residents of assisted living facilities typically require limited medical care but need assistance with eating, bathing, dressing and/or medication management. Services provided by operators at these facilities are primarily paid for by the residents directly or through private insurance and are therefore less reliant on government reimbursement programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare. The facilities in our SHOP segment are operated utilizing RIDEA structures, allowing us to participate in the upside from any improved operational performance while bearing the risk of any decline in operating performance.
Triple-Net Leased Properties
Our triple-net leased properties segment includes senior housing, skilled nursing facilities and hospitals. We lease such properties to tenants under triple-net or absolute-net leases that obligate the tenants to pay all property-related expenses, including maintenance, utilities, repairs, taxes, insurance and capital expenditures.
As of December 31, 2023, we owned 15 SNFs within our triple-net leased properties segment that we lease to third parties. SNF residents are generally higher acuity and need assistance with eating, bathing, dressing and/or medication management and also require available 24-hour nursing care. SNFs offer restorative, rehabilitative and custodial nursing care for people who cannot live independently but do not require the more extensive and sophisticated treatment available at hospitals. Skilled nursing services provided by our tenants in SNFs are paid for either by private sources or through the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Each SNF is leased to a single tenant under a triple-net lease, with an initial term typically ranging from 12 to 15 years, fixed annual rent escalations (historically ranging from 2% to 3% per year) and requiring minimum lease coverage ratios. We commonly structure SNFs under a master lease with multiple facilities in order to diversify our master tenant’s sources of rent and mitigate risk. We typically focus on SNF investments in states that require a CON in order to develop new SNFs, which we believe reduces the risk of over-supply.
As of December 31, 2023, we owned 11 senior housing facilities within our triple-net leased properties segment that we lease to third parties. Each facility is leased to a single tenant under a triple-net lease structure with an initial term typically ranging from approximately 12 to 15 years, fixed annual rent escalations (historically ranging from 2% to 3% per year) and requiring minimum lease coverage ratios. Such assets are commonly leased under a single master lease covering multiple facilities in order to diversify a master tenant’s sources of rent and mitigate risk.
As of December 31, 2023, we have one wholly-owned hospital and one hospital in which we own an approximately 90.6% interest within our triple-net leased properties segment. Services provided by operators and tenants in our hospitals are paid for by private sources, third-party payors (e.g., insurance and health maintenance organizations) or through the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Our hospital properties include acute care, long-term acute care, specialty and rehabilitation services that are leased to single tenants or operators under triple-net lease structures with an initial term ranging from 21 to 29 years and fixed annual rent escalations (historically ranging from 2% to 6% per year).
For a further discussion of our segment reporting for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, see Item 2, Properties, Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and Note 18, Segment Reporting, to the Consolidated Financial Statements that are a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Item 1A. Risk Factors
Investing in our common stock involves risks. Our stockholders should carefully consider the risk factors below, together with all of the other information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our Consolidated Financial Statements and the notes thereto included herein. If any of these risks were to occur, our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and prospects and our ability to service our debt and make distributions to our stockholders at a particular rate, or at all, could be materially and adversely affected (which we refer to collectively as “materially and adversely affecting us” or having “a material adverse effect on us” and comparable phrases).
Risk Factor Summary
Below is a summary of the principal factors that make an investment in our common stock speculative or risky. This summary should be read in conjunction with the full risk factors contained below.
Risks Related to Our Business and Financial Results
•We are dependent on tenants for our revenue, and lease terminations could reduce our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
•The financial deterioration, insolvency or bankruptcy of one or more of our major tenants, operators, borrowers or other obligors could have a material adverse effect on us.
•We have experienced net losses in the past and we may experience additional losses in the future.
•Our prior performance may not be an accurate predictor of our ability to achieve our business objectives or of our future results.
•Our success is dependent on the performance and continued contributions of certain of our key personnel, and, in the event they are no longer employed by us, we could be materially and adversely affected.
•All of our integrated senior health campuses are managed by Trilogy Management Services, LLC, or the Trilogy Manager, and account for a significant portion of our revenues and operating income. Adverse developments in the Trilogy Manager’s business or financial strength could have a material adverse effect on us.
Risks Related to Investments in Real Estate
•Uncertain market conditions could lead our real estate investments to decrease in value or may cause us to sell our properties at a loss in the future.
•Most of our costs, such as operating and general and administrative expenses, interest expense and real estate acquisition and construction costs, are subject to inflation and may not be recoverable.
•Our high concentrations of properties in particular geographic areas magnify the effects of negative conditions affecting those geographic areas.
•Our real estate investments may be concentrated in OM buildings, senior housing, SNFs or other healthcare-related facilities, making us more vulnerable to negative factors affecting these classes than if our investments were diversified beyond the healthcare industry.
•Our business, tenants, residents and operators may face litigation and experience rising liability and insurance costs, which may materially and adversely affect us.
Risks Related to Real Estate-Related Investments
•Unfavorable real estate market conditions and delays in liquidating defaulted mortgage loan investments may negatively impact mortgage loans in which we have invested and may invest, which could result in losses to us.
•We expect a portion of our real estate-related investments to be illiquid, and we may not be able to adjust our portfolio in a timely manner in response to changes in economic and other conditions.
Risks Related to the Healthcare Industry
•The healthcare industry is heavily regulated, and new laws or regulations, changes to existing laws or regulations, loss of licensure or failure to obtain licensure could result in the inability of our tenants to make rent payments to us or adversely affect our operators’ ability to operate facilities held in RIDEA structures.
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•Reimbursement rates from third-party payors, including Medicare and Medicaid, that do not rise as quickly, or at all, compared to the rate of inflation, could adversely affect our tenants’ operations and ability to make rental payments to us or our profitability from operating facilities held in RIDEA structures.
•If seniors delay moving to senior housing facilities until they require greater care or forgo moving to senior housing facilities altogether, such action could have a material adverse effect on us.
•We, our tenants and our operators for our senior housing facilities and SNFs may be subject to various government reviews, audits and investigations that could materially and adversely affect us, including an obligation to refund amounts previously paid to us, potential criminal charges, the imposition of fines and/or the loss of the right to participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Risks Related to Joint Ventures
•Property ownership through joint ventures could limit our control of those investments or our decisions with respect to other investments, restrict our ability to operate and finance properties on our terms, and reduce their expected return.
Risks Related to Debt Financing
•We have substantial indebtedness and may incur additional indebtedness in the future, which could materially and adversely affect us.
•To the extent we borrow funds at floating interest rates, we will be adversely affected by rising interest rates unless fully hedged. Rising interest rates will also increase our interest expense on future fixed-rate debt.
•Lenders may require us to enter into restrictive covenants that could adversely affect our business.
Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure and Organization
•Our charter imposes a limit on the percentage of shares of our common stock or capital stock that any person may own, and such limit may discourage a takeover or business combination that may have benefited our stockholders.
Risks Related to Taxes and Our REIT Status
•Failure to maintain our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes would subject us to U.S. federal income tax on our REIT taxable income at the regular corporate rate, which would substantially increase our income tax expenses and reduce our distributions to our stockholders.
•We may be subject to adverse legislative or regulatory tax changes that could increase our tax liability or reduce our operating flexibility.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
•An active trading market for our common stock may not be maintained.
•The market price and trading volume of shares of our common stock may be volatile.
•Because we have a large number of stockholders and shares of our common stock have not been listed on a national securities exchange until recently, there may be significant pent-up demand to sell shares of our common stock (including our Class T common stock and Class I common stock). Significant sales of shares of our common stock, or the perception that significant sales of such shares could occur, may cause the price of shares of our common stock to decline significantly.
•Future offerings of debt securities, which would be senior to our common stock, or equity securities, which would dilute our existing stockholders and may be senior to our common stock, may adversely affect our stockholders.
•We may be unable to raise additional capital on favorable terms, or at all, needed to grow our business.
•Prior to our recent NYSE listing, we had no operating history as a publicly traded company and may not be able to successfully operate as a publicly traded company.
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Risks Related to Our Business and Financial Results
We are dependent on tenants for our revenue, and lease terminations could reduce our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
The successful performance of our real estate investments is materially dependent on the financial stability of our tenants. Lease payment defaults by tenants would cause us to lose the revenue associated with such leases and could reduce our ability to make distributions to our stockholders. If a property is subject to a mortgage, a default by a significant tenant on its lease payments to us may result in a foreclosure on the property if we are unable to find an alternative source of revenue to meet our mortgage payments. In the event of a tenant default, we may experience delays in enforcing our rights as landlord and may incur substantial costs in protecting our investment and re-leasing our property. Further, we cannot assure our stockholders that we will be able to re-lease the property for the rent previously received, if at all, or that lease terminations will not cause us to sell the property at a loss.
The financial deterioration, insolvency or bankruptcy of one or more of our major tenants, operators, borrowers or other obligors could have a material adverse effect on us.
A downturn in any of our tenants’, operators’, borrowers’ or other obligors’ businesses could ultimately lead to voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy or similar insolvency proceedings, including but not limited to assignment for the benefit of creditors, reorganization, liquidation or winding-up. Bankruptcy and insolvency laws afford certain rights to a defaulting tenant, operator or borrower that has filed for bankruptcy or reorganization that may render certain of our remedies unenforceable or, at the least, delay our ability to pursue such remedies and realize any related recoveries. A debtor has the right to assume, or to assume and assign to a third party, or to reject its executory contracts and unexpired leases in a bankruptcy proceeding. If a debtor were to reject its leases with us, obligations under such rejected leases would cease. The claim against the rejecting debtor would be an unsecured claim, which would be limited by the statutory cap set forth in the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, and there may be insufficient assets to satisfy all unsecured claims, even ones limited by the statutory cap. This statutory cap may be substantially less than the remaining rent actually owed under the lease. In addition, a debtor may also assert in bankruptcy proceedings that leases should be re-characterized as financing agreements, which could result in our being deemed a lender instead of a landlord. A lender’s rights and remedies, as compared to a landlord’s, generally are materially less favorable, and our rights as a lender may be subordinated to other creditors’ rights.
Furthermore, the automatic stay provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code would preclude us from enforcing our remedies unless we first obtain relief from the court having jurisdiction over the bankruptcy case. This would effectively limit or delay our ability to collect unpaid rent or interest payments, and we may ultimately not receive any payment at all. In addition, we would likely be required to fund certain expenses and obligations to preserve the value of our properties, avoid the imposition of liens on our properties or transition our properties to a new tenant or operator. Additionally, we lease many of our properties to healthcare providers who provide long-term custodial care to the elderly. Evicting operators for failure to pay rent while the property is occupied typically involves specific procedural or regulatory requirements and may not be successful. Even if eviction is possible, we may determine not to do so due to reputational or other risks. Bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings typically also result in increased costs to the operator, significant management distraction and performance declines. If we are unable to transition affected properties, they would likely experience prolonged operational disruption, leading to lower occupancy rates and further depressed revenues. Publicity about the operator’s financial troubles and bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings may also negatively impact their and our reputations, decreasing customer demand and revenues. Any or all of these risks could have a material adverse effect on us.
We have experienced net losses in the past and we may experience additional losses in the future.
Historically, we have experienced net losses (calculated in accordance with GAAP), and we may not be profitable or realize growth in the value of our investments. Many of our losses can be attributed to general and administrative expenses, depreciation and amortization, as well as acquisition expenses incurred in connection with purchasing properties or making other investments. For a further discussion of our operational history and the factors affecting our net losses, see Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and our Consolidated Financial Statements and the notes thereto that are a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Our prior performance may not be an accurate predictor of our ability to achieve our business objectives or of our future results.
Our stockholders should not rely on our past performance to predict our future results. Our stockholders should review our prospects in light of the risks, uncertainties and difficulties frequently encountered by companies that have a limited operating history, many of which may be beyond our control. For example, due to challenging economic conditions in the past, distributions to stockholders were reduced. Therefore, to be successful in this market, we must, among other things:
•successfully manage our assets;
•attract, integrate, motivate and retain qualified personnel to manage our day-to-day operations; and
•respond to competition both for investment opportunities and potential investors’ investment in us.
We cannot guarantee that we will succeed in achieving these goals, and our failure to do so could materially and adversely affect us and the market price of our common stock could be highly volatile and decline significantly and our stockholders could lose all or a portion of their investment.
Our success is dependent on the performance and continued contributions of certain of our key personnel, and, in the event they are no longer employed by us, we could be materially and adversely affected.
Our success depends, to a significant degree, upon the continued contributions of our executives and key officers. In particular, Danny Prosky would be difficult to replace. Mr. Prosky currently serves as our Chief Executive Officer and one of our directors. In the event that Mr. Prosky or one of our other executives or key executive officers are no longer employed by us, for any reason, it could have a material adverse effect on us, and we may not be able to attract and hire equally capable individuals to replace them. If we were to lose the benefit of the experience, efforts and abilities of one or more of our executives or other key officers, we could be materially and adversely affected.
Our financial results and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders are subject to international, national and local market conditions we cannot control or predict.
We are subject to the risks of an international or national economic slowdown or downturn and other changes in international, national and local market conditions. The following factors may have affected, and may continue to affect, income from our properties, our ability to acquire and develop properties, and our overall financial results and ability to make distributions to our stockholders:
•poor economic times may result in defaults by tenants of our properties due to bankruptcy, lack of liquidity or operational failures. We may provide rent concessions, tenant improvement expenditures or reduced rental rates to maintain or increase occupancy levels;
•fluctuations as a result of supply and demand imbalances and reduced occupancies and rental rates may cause the properties that we own to decrease in value. Consequently, we may not be able to recover the carrying amount of our properties, which may require us to recognize an impairment charge or record a loss on sale in our financial results;
•reduced values of our properties may limit our ability to obtain or maintain debt financing secured by our properties and may reduce the availability of unsecured loans;
•constricted access to credit may result in tenant defaults or non-renewals under leases;
•layoffs may lead to a lower demand for medical services and cause vacancies to increase and a lack of future population and job growth may make it difficult to maintain or increase occupancy levels;
•disruptions in the financial markets, deterioration in economic conditions or a public health crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have resulted in the past, and may result in the future, in lower occupancy in our facilities, increased vacancy rates for commercial real estate due to generally lower demand for rentable space, as well as an oversupply of rentable space;
•governmental actions and initiatives, including risks associated with the impact of a prolonged government shutdown or budgetary reductions or impasses; and
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•increased insurance premiums, real estate taxes or utilities or other expenses, such as inflation costs, will decrease our financial results and may reduce funds available for distribution to our stockholders or, to the extent such increases are passed through to tenants, may lead to tenant defaults. Also, any such increased expenses may not coincide with our ability to increase rents to tenants on turnover, which would adversely impact our financial results.
The length and severity of any economic slowdown or downturn cannot be predicted with confidence at this time. We have been, and we expect may continue to be, negatively impacted to the extent an economic slowdown or downturn is prolonged or becomes more severe.
We face significant competition for the acquisition and disposition of OM buildings, senior housing, SNFs and other healthcare-related facilities, which may impede our ability to take, and increase the cost of, such actions, which may materially and adversely affect us.
We face significant competition from other entities engaged in real estate investment activities for acquisitions and dispositions of OM buildings, senior housing, SNFs and other healthcare-related facilities, some of whom may have greater resources, lower costs of capital and higher risk tolerances than we do. Increased competition makes it more challenging for us to identify and successfully capitalize on opportunities that meet our business objectives and could improve the bargaining power of our counterparties, thereby impeding our investment, acquisition and disposition activities. If we pay higher prices per property or receive lower prices for dispositions of our OM buildings, senior housing, SNFs or other healthcare-related facilities as a result of such competition, we may be materially and adversely affected.
Our investments in, and acquisitions of, OM buildings, senior housing, SNFs and other healthcare-related facilities may be unsuccessful or fail to meet our expectations.
Some of our acquisitions may not prove to be successful. We could encounter unanticipated difficulties and expenditures relating to any acquired properties, including contingent liabilities, and acquired properties might require significant management attention that would otherwise be devoted to our ongoing business. Such expenditures may negatively affect our results of operations. Investments in and acquisitions of OM buildings, senior housing, SNFs and other healthcare-related facilities entail risks associated with real estate investments generally, including risks that the investment will not achieve expected returns, that the cost estimates for necessary property improvements will prove inaccurate or that the tenant or operator will fail to meet performance expectations. In addition, we may not be able to identify off-market or other investment opportunities or investment opportunities that are strategically marketed to a limited number of investors at the rate that we anticipate or at all. We may be unable to obtain or assume financing for acquisitions on favorable terms or at all. Healthcare properties are often highly customizable and the development or redevelopment of such properties may require costly tenant-specific improvements. We may experience delays and disruptions to property redevelopment as a result of supply chain issues and construction material and labor shortages. We also may be unable to quickly and efficiently integrate new acquisitions, particularly acquisitions of portfolios of properties, into our existing operations, and this could have a material adverse effect on us. Acquired properties may be located in new markets, either within or outside the United States, where we may face risks associated with a lack of market knowledge or understanding of the local economy, lack of business relationships in the area, costs associated with opening a new regional office, and unfamiliarity with local governmental and permitting procedures. As a result, we cannot assure our stockholders that we will achieve the economic benefit we expect from acquisitions, investment, development and redevelopment opportunities and may lead to impairment of such assets.
We are uncertain of all of our sources of debt or equity for funding our capital needs. If we cannot obtain funding on favorable terms, our ability to acquire, and make necessary capital improvements to, properties may be impaired or delayed, which could have a material adverse effect on us.
We have not identified all of our sources of debt or equity for funding, and such sources of funding may not be available to us on favorable terms or at all. If we do not have access to sufficient funding on favorable terms in the future, we may not be able to acquire new properties, make necessary capital improvements to our existing properties, pay other expenses, exercise our option to purchase the remaining 24.0% minority membership interest held by our joint venture partner in Trilogy REIT Holdings (the purchase price of which must include at least a minimum cash consideration as defined in Note 13, Equity — Noncontrolling Interests in Total Equity — Membership Interest in Trilogy REIT Holdings, or the Minimum Cash Consideration) or expand our business when desired, or at all, which would have a material adverse effect on us.
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All of our integrated senior health campuses are managed by the Trilogy Manager and account for a significant portion of our revenues and operating income. Adverse developments in the Trilogy Manager’s business or financial strength could have a material adverse effect on us.
The Trilogy Manager manages all of the day-to-day operations for all of our integrated senior health campuses pursuant to a long-term management agreement. These integrated senior health campuses accounted for approximately 43.6% of our portfolio (based on aggregate contract purchase price) as of December 31, 2023 and contributed approximately 51.0% of our annualized base rent/annualized net operating income, or NOI, as of such date. Although we have various rights as the joint venture owner of these integrated senior health campuses under our management agreement, we rely on the Trilogy Manager’s personnel, expertise, technical resources and information systems, proprietary information, good faith and judgment to manage our integrated senior health campuses operations efficiently and effectively, and to identify and manage development opportunities for new integrated senior health campuses. We also rely on the Trilogy Manager to provide accurate campus-level financial results for our integrated senior health campuses in a timely manner and to otherwise operate our integrated senior health campuses in compliance with the terms of our management agreement and all applicable laws and regulations. We depend on the Trilogy Manager’s ability to attract and retain skilled personnel to provide these services. A shortage of nurses or other trained personnel or general inflationary pressures may force the Trilogy Manager to enhance its pay and benefits package to compete effectively for such personnel, the cost of which we would bear in proportion to our joint venture interest, but it may not be able to offset these added costs by increasing the rates charged to residents. As such, any adverse developments in the Trilogy Manager’s business or financial strength, including its ability to retain key personnel, could impair its ability to manage our integrated senior health campuses efficiently and effectively and could have a material adverse effect on us. In addition, if the Trilogy Manager experiences any significant financial, legal, accounting or regulatory difficulties due to a weak economy, industry downturn or otherwise, such difficulties could result in, among other adverse events, acceleration of its indebtedness, impairment of its continued access to capital, the enforcement of default remedies by its counterparties or the commencement of insolvency proceedings by or against it under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Any one or a combination of these risks could have a material adverse effect on us. If we exercise our option to purchase the remaining 24.0% minority membership interest held by our joint venture partner in Trilogy REIT Holdings, our indirect ownership of the assets managed by the Trilogy Manager would increase from 74.1% to 97.5% (in all cases assuming that there are no changes in the equity capitalization of Trilogy prior to consummation of the purchase).
In the event that our management agreement with the Trilogy Manager is terminated or not renewed, we may be unable to replace the Trilogy Manager with another suitable operator, or, if we were successful in locating such an operator, we cannot guarantee that it would manage the integrated senior health campuses efficiently and effectively or that any such transition would be completed timely, which may have a material adverse effect on us.
In the event we were to contemplate pursuing any existing or future contractual rights or remedies under our management agreement with the Trilogy Manager, including termination rights, we would consider numerous factors, including legal, contractual, regulatory, business and other relevant considerations. In the event that we exercise our rights to terminate the management agreement with the Trilogy Manager for any reason or such agreements are not renewed upon expiration of their terms, we would attempt to reposition the affected integrated senior health campuses with another operator. Although we believe that other qualified national and regional operators would be interested in managing our integrated senior health campuses, we cannot provide any assurance that we would be able to locate another suitable operator or, if we were successful in locating such an operator, that it would manage the integrated senior health campuses efficiently and effectively or that any such transition would be completed timely or would not require substantial capital expenditures. Any such transition would likely result in disruption of the operation of such facilities, including matters relating to staffing and reporting. Moreover, the transition to a replacement operator may require approval by the applicable regulatory authorities and, in most cases, one or more of our lenders, including the mortgage lenders for certain of the integrated senior health campuses, and we cannot provide any assurance that such approvals would be granted on a timely basis, if at all. Any inability to replace or delay in replacing the Trilogy Manager as the operator of our integrated senior health campuses with a highly qualified successor on favorable terms could have a material adverse effect on us.
We may incur additional costs in re-leasing properties with specialized uses, which could materially and adversely affect us.
Some of the properties we have acquired and will seek to acquire are healthcare properties designed or built primarily for a particular tenant of a specific type of use known as a single-user facility. If we or our tenants terminate the leases for these properties or our tenants default on their lease obligations or lose their regulatory authority to operate such properties, we may not be able to locate suitable replacement tenants to lease the properties for their specialized uses. Alternatively, we may be required to spend substantial amounts to adapt the properties to other uses or incur other significant re-leasing costs. Any loss of revenues or additional capital expenditures required as a result may have a material adverse effect on us.
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We may be unable to secure funds for future tenant or other capital improvements, which could limit our ability to attract, replace or retain tenants, pay our expenses and make distributions to our stockholders.
When tenants do not renew their leases or otherwise vacate their space, in order to attract replacement tenants, we have expended, and may be required to expend in the future, substantial funds for tenant improvements and leasing commissions related to the vacated space. Such tenant improvements have required, and may continue to require, us to incur substantial capital expenditures. If we have not established capital reserves for such tenant or other capital improvements, we will have to obtain financing from other sources. We may also have future financing needs for other capital improvements to refurbish or renovate our properties. If we need to secure financing sources for tenant or other capital improvements in the future, but are unable to secure such financing or are unable to secure financing on terms we feel are acceptable, we may be unable to make tenant and other capital improvements, or we may be required to defer such improvements. If this happens, it may cause one or more of our properties to suffer from a greater risk of obsolescence or a decline in value or a greater risk of decreased cash flows as a result of fewer potential tenants being attracted to the property or our existing tenants not renewing their leases. If we do not have access to sufficient funding in the future, we may also not be able to pay our expenses or make distributions to our stockholders.
A breach of information technology systems on which we rely could materially and adversely impact us.
We and our tenants and operators rely on information technology systems, including the internet and networks and systems maintained and controlled by third-party vendors and other third parties, to process, transmit and store information and to manage or support our business processes. Third-party vendors collect and hold personally identifiable information and other confidential information of our tenants, operators, patients, stockholders and employees. We also maintain confidential financial and business information regarding us and persons and entities with which we do business on our information technology systems. While we have enhanced our information technology systems in response to the general cybersecurity threat environment in recent years, we are not aware of any specific cybersecurity threat, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity or information security incident or breach, that has had a material effect on us, including our business strategy, results of operation or financial condition. However, there can be no assurances that a cybersecurity threat or incident that could have a material impact on us has not occurred or will not occur in the future.
While we and our tenants and operators take steps to protect the security of the information maintained in our information technology systems, including the use of commercially available systems, software, tools and monitoring to provide security for processing, transmitting and storing of the information, it is possible that such security measures will not be able to prevent human error or the systems’ improper functioning, or the loss, misappropriation, disclosure or corruption of personally identifiable information or other confidential or sensitive information, including information about our tenants and employees. Cybersecurity breaches, including physical or electronic break-ins, computer viruses, phishing scams, attacks by hackers, breaches due to employee error or misconduct and similar breaches can create and, in some instances in the past, have resulted in, system disruptions, shutdowns or unauthorized access to information maintained on our information technology systems or the information technology systems of our third-party vendors or other third parties or otherwise cause disruption or negative impacts to occur to our business and materially and adversely affect us. While we and, we believe, most of our tenants and operators maintain cyber risk insurance to provide some coverage for certain risks arising out of cybersecurity breaches, there is no assurance that such insurance would cover all or a significant portion of the costs or consequences associated with a cybersecurity breach. As our reliance on technology increases, so will the risks posed to our information systems, both internal and those we outsource. In addition, as the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to information technology systems become more varied and sophisticated and the occurrence of such breaches becomes more frequent, we and our third-party vendors and other third parties may be unable to adequately anticipate these techniques or breaches and implement appropriate preventative measures. There is no guarantee that any processes, procedures and internal controls we have implemented or will implement will prevent cyber intrusions. Any failure to prevent cybersecurity breaches and maintain the proper function, security and availability of our or our third-party vendors’ and other third parties’ information technology systems could interrupt our operations, damage our reputation and brand, damage our competitive position, make it difficult for us to attract and retain tenants and subject us to liability claims or regulatory penalties, which could materially and adversely affect us. Additionally, as increased regulatory compliance for cybersecurity protocols and disclosures, including rules requiring prompt disclosure of any material cybersecurity breaches or incidents, are required by state or federal authorities, the increased amount of resources, both time and expense, could also materially and adversely affect us, and we may be subject to regulatory action and lawsuits, should we fail to comply with such obligations.
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Risks Related to Investments in Real Estate
Uncertain market conditions could lead our real estate investments to decrease in value or may cause us to sell our properties at a loss in the future.
Our management, subject to the oversight of our board, may exercise its discretion as to whether and when to sell a property, and we have no obligation to sell properties at any particular time or at all. We cannot predict with any certainty the various market conditions affecting real estate investments that will exist at any particular time in the future. As such, we may be purchasing our properties at a time when capitalization rates are at historically low levels and purchase prices are high. In addition, we may be required to expend funds to correct defects or to make improvements before a property can be sold. We may not have adequate funds available to correct such defects or to make such improvements. Moreover, in acquiring a property, we may agree to restrictions that prohibit the sale of that property for a period of time or impose other restrictions, such as a limitation on the amount of debt that can be placed or repaid on that property. We cannot predict the length of time needed to find a willing purchaser and to close the sale of a property. The value of our properties may not increase over time, which may restrict our ability to sell our properties, or in the event we are able to sell such properties, may lead to sale prices less than the prices that we paid to purchase the properties or the price at which we value the property. Additionally, we may incur prepayment penalties in the event we sell a property subject to a mortgage earlier than we otherwise had planned. Accordingly, our ability to realize potential appreciation on our real estate investments and make distributions to our stockholders will, among other things, be dependent upon uncertain market conditions.
Most of our costs, such as operating and general and administrative expenses, interest expense and real estate acquisition and construction costs, are subject to inflation and may not be recoverable.
A significant portion of our operating expenses is sensitive to inflation. These include expenses for property-related costs such as insurance, utilities and repairs and maintenance. We also have ground lease expenses in certain of our properties. Ground lease costs are contractual, but in some cases, lease payments reset every few years based on changes on consumer price indexes.
Operating expenses on our non-RIDEA properties, with the exception of ground lease rental expenses, are typically recoverable through our lease arrangements, which allow us to pass through substantially all expenses associated with property taxes, insurance, utilities, repairs and maintenance and other operating expenses (including increases thereto) to our tenants. As of December 31, 2023, the majority of our existing leases were either triple-net leases or leases that allow us to recover certain operating expenses and certain capital expenditures. Our remaining leases are generally modified gross, or base year, leases, which only provide for recoveries of operating expenses above the operating expenses from the initial year within each lease. During inflationary periods such as those prevailing in recent years, we have historically been able to and expect to recover increases in operating expenses from our triple-net leases and our gross leases. For our RIDEA properties, increases in operating expenses, including labor, that are caused by inflationary pressures will generally be passed through to us and may materially and adversely affect us.
Our general and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation costs, as well as professional and legal fees. Annually, our employee compensation is adjusted to reflect merit increases; however, in order for us to maintain our ability to successfully compete for the best talent, rising inflation rates in recent years have required, and may continue to require, us to provide compensation increases beyond historical annual merit increases, which may significantly increase our compensation costs. Similarly, professional and legal fees are also subject to the impact of inflation and expected to increase proportionately with increasing market prices for such services. Consequently, inflation is expected to increase our general and administrative expenses over time and may materially and adversely affect us.
Also, during inflationary periods, interest rates have historically increased, which in recent years have increased the interest expense of our borrowings and could do so again. Our exposure to increases in interest rates is limited to our variable-rate borrowings, which consist of borrowings under our credit facilities and variable-rate mortgage loans payable. During 2023, we entered into interest rate swap contracts to hedge $750,000,000 of our variable-rate credit facilities. As of December 31, 2023, our outstanding debt aggregated to $2,551,036,000, of which 31.8% was unhedged variable-rate debt. The rise in interest rates has also increased our interest expense on future fixed-rate borrowings. Therefore, a significant increase in inflation or interest rates would have a material adverse impact on our financing costs and interest expense.
We have long-term lease agreements with our tenants that contain effective annual rent escalations that were either fixed or indexed based on a consumer price index or other index. We believe our annual lease expirations allow us to reset these leases to market rents upon renewal or re-leasing and that annual rent escalations within our long-term leases are generally sufficient to offset the effect of inflation on non-recoverable costs, such as general and administrative expenses and interest expense. In addition, our leases often obligate the tenants to pay a pro rata share of any increase in operating expenses. However, it is possible that during higher inflationary periods, the impact of inflation will not be adequately offset by the
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resetting of rents from our renewal and re-leasing activities, our annual rent escalations or the tenants’ pro rata payment of the increase in operating expenses. As a result, during periods when the impact of inflation exceeds the annual rent escalation percentages in our current leases and the percentage increase in rents in new leases, our financial results may be impaired.
Additionally, inflationary pricing may have a negative effect on the acquisition and construction costs necessary to complete our development and redevelopment projects, including, but not limited to, costs of construction materials, labor and services from third-party contractors and suppliers. Higher acquisition and construction costs could adversely impact our net investments in real estate and expected yields in our development and redevelopment projects, which may make otherwise lucrative investment opportunities less profitable to us. Any of these matters may materially and adversely affect us over time.
Our high concentrations of properties in particular geographic areas magnify the effects of negative conditions affecting those geographic areas.
We have a concentration of properties in particular geographic areas; therefore, any adverse situation that disproportionately effects one of those areas would have a magnified adverse effect on our portfolio. As of December 31, 2023, properties located in Indiana and Michigan accounted for approximately 35.3% and 10.4%, respectively, of our total property portfolio’s annualized base rent or annualized NOI. Accordingly, there is a geographic concentration of risk subject to fluctuations in each such state’s economy, real estate and other market conditions.
Our real estate investments may be concentrated in OM buildings, senior housing, SNFs or other healthcare-related facilities, making us more vulnerable to negative factors affecting these classes than if our investments were diversified beyond the healthcare industry.
As a REIT, we invest primarily in real estate. Within the real estate industry, we have acquired, developed and owned, and may continue to acquire, or selectively develop and own, OM buildings, senior housing, SNFs and other healthcare-related facilities. As of December 31, 2023, our three major asset class concentrations (based on aggregate contract purchase price) were senior housing 37.6%, SNFs 29.9% and OM buildings 27.5%. We are subject to risks inherent in concentrating investments in real estate. These risks resulting from a lack of diversification become even greater as a result of our business objectives and growth strategies, which involve investing substantially all of our assets in clinical healthcare real estate.
A downturn in the commercial real estate industry generally could significantly adversely affect the value of our properties. A downturn in the healthcare industry could negatively affect our lessees’ ability to make lease payments to us and our operators’ ability to manage our properties efficiently and effectively. These matters could materially and adversely affect us and could be more pronounced than if we diversified our investments outside of real estate or if our portfolio did not include a substantial concentration in OM buildings, senior housing, SNFs or healthcare-related facilities.
Our buildings that are subject to ground leases could restrict our use of such facilities.
Our buildings that are subject to ground leases could restrict our use of such facilities. As of December 31, 2023, we own fee simple interests in all of our land, buildings and campuses, except for the following properties that are located on land that is subject to ground leases: (a) 19 OM buildings; (b) five integrated senior health campuses; and (c) one SNF, in each case, for which we own fee simple interests in the building and other improvements on such properties. Additionally, we operate 20 integrated senior health campuses that were leased to Trilogy by third parties. These ground leases contain certain restrictions. These restrictions include limits on our use of the facilities and ability to lease, sell or obtain mortgage financing secured by the facilities. There can be no assurance that the ground leases can be extended beyond the stated terms. These restrictions and term limitations could affect our returns on these facilities, which, in turn, could materially and adversely affect us. As a ground lessee, we are also exposed to the risk of reversion of the property upon expiration of the ground lease term or an earlier breach of the ground lease, which could materially and adversely affect us.
Our use of property-level rent coverages to measure our tenant’s ability to make rent payments may not be accurate.
We evaluate a lease’s property-level rent coverage ratio. Our calculations of rent coverage ratios are unaudited and are based on financial information provided to us by our tenants without independent verification on our part, and we must assume the appropriateness of estimates and judgments that were made by the party preparing the financial information. Our review of rent coverages may not adequately assess the risk of an investment, and, if our calculations are not accurate, we may be unaware that we have tenants that may be unable to make payments under their leases. If our assessment is inaccurate, our revenues could be materially and adversely affected.
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Terrorist attacks, acts of violence or war, political protests and unrest or public health crises have affected and may affect the markets in which we operate and have a material adverse effect on us.
Terrorist attacks, acts of violence or war, political protests and unrest or public health crises (including the COVID-19 pandemic) have negatively affected, and may continue to negatively affect, our operations and our stockholders’ investments. We have acquired, and may continue to acquire, real estate assets located in areas that are susceptible to terrorist attacks, acts of violence or war, political protests or public health crises. These events may directly impact the value of our assets through damage, destruction, loss or increased security costs. Although we may obtain insurance to mitigate such risks, we may not be able to obtain sufficient coverage to fund any losses we may incur. Further, certain losses resulting from these types of events are uninsurable or not insurable at reasonable costs. In addition, other than any reserves we may establish, we have no source of funding to repair or reconstruct any uninsured damaged property, and we cannot assure our stockholders that any such sources of funding will be available to us for such purposes in the future. Also, to the extent we must pay unexpectedly large amounts for uninsured losses, our cash flows could be impaired in a manner that would result in little or no cash being distributed to our stockholders. More generally, any terrorist attack, other act of violence or war, political protest and unrest or public health crisis could result in increased volatility in, or damage to, the United States and worldwide financial markets and economy, all of which could adversely affect our tenants’ ability to pay rent on their leases with us, our operators’ ability to manage our properties efficiently and effectively and our ability to borrow money or issue capital stock on favorable terms, which could have a material adverse effect on us.
Our business, tenants, residents and operators may face litigation and experience rising liability and insurance costs, which may materially and adversely affect us.
With respect to our SHOP and integrated senior health campuses, we are ultimately responsible for operational risks and other liabilities of the facility, other than those arising out of certain actions by our operator, such as gross negligence or willful misconduct. As such, operational risks include, and our resulting revenues therefore depend on, the availability and cost of general and professional liability insurance coverage or increases in insurance policy deductibles.
Inaccuracies in our underwriting assumptions and/or delays in the selection, acquisition, expansion or development of real properties may materially and adversely affect us.
Inaccuracies in our underwriting assumptions and/or delays we encounter in the selection, acquisition, expansion and development of real properties could materially and adversely affect us. In deciding whether to acquire, expand or develop a particular property, we make assumptions regarding the expected future performance of that property. In particular, we estimate the return on our investment based on expected construction costs, lease up velocity, occupancy, rental rates, operating expenses, capital costs and future competition. If our financial projections with respect to a new property are inaccurate, the property may fail to perform as we expected in analyzing our investment. Our development/expansion and construction projects are vulnerable to the impact of material shortages and inflation. For example, shortages and fluctuations in the price of lumber or in other important raw materials could result in delays in the start or completion of, or increase the cost of, developing one or more of our projects. Pricing for labor and raw materials can be affected by various national, regional, local, economic and political factors, including changes to immigration laws that impact the availability of labor or tariffs on imported construction materials.
In connection with our development, expansion and related construction activities, we may be unable to obtain, or suffer delays in obtaining, necessary zoning, land-use, building, occupancy and other required governmental permits and authorizations, or satisfactory tax rates, incentives or abatements. Operators of new facilities we construct may need to obtain Medicare and Medicaid certification and enter into Medicare and Medicaid provider agreements and/or third-party payor contracts. In the event that the operator is unable to obtain the necessary licensure, certification, provider agreements or contracts after the completion of construction, there is a risk that we will not be able to earn any revenues on the facility until either the initial operator obtains a license or certification to operate the new facility and the necessary provider agreements or contracts or we find and contract with a new operator that is able to obtain a license to operate the facility for its intended use and the necessary provider agreements or contracts.
One of our growth strategies is to develop new and expand existing clinical healthcare real estate; we may do this directly or indirectly through joint ventures, including through Trilogy. Expanding and, in particular, developing properties exposes us to increased risks beyond those associated with investing in stabilized, cash flowing real estate. For example, actual costs could significantly exceed estimates (particularly during periods of rapid inflation), construction and stabilization (i.e., substantial lease-up) could take longer than expected, and occupancy and/or rental rates could prove to be lower than expected or property operating expenses could be higher. Any of these events could materially reduce any returns we achieve, or result in losses, on expansion or development projects. For the developments we have completed to date, the time to stabilization has varied, in some cases significantly, and certain developments have not yet stabilized. There can be no assurance that our current
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or any future development or expansion projects will be completed in accordance with our budgeted expectations, that they will achieve our underwritten returns or result in yields on cost similar to those achieved on past investments, that they will be stabilized in accordance with our expectations or at all or that, if stabilization is achieved, such stabilization will be maintained. In addition, development and expansion projects undertaken indirectly through Trilogy are primarily overseen by the Trilogy Manager, and we do not have the same level of day-to-day involvement or control over such projects that we do in a project we undertake directly. Accordingly, with respect to projects undertaken through Trilogy, we rely on the development expertise of the Trilogy Manager.
Where properties are acquired prior to the start of construction or during the early stages of construction or when an existing property is expanded, it will typically take several months to complete construction and lease available space. Development and other construction projects, subject us to uncertainties associated with re-zoning for development, environmental concerns of governmental entities and/or community groups and our builder’s ability to build in conformity with plans, specifications, budgeted costs and timetables. If a builder fails to perform, we may resort to legal action to rescind the purchase or the construction contract or to compel performance. A builder’s performance may also be affected or delayed by conditions beyond the builder’s control. Delays in completion of construction could give tenants the right to terminate preconstruction leases for space at a newly developed project. We may incur additional risks if we make periodic progress payments or other advances to builders prior to completion of construction. These and other such factors can result in increased costs of a project or loss of our investment. In addition, we will be subject to normal lease-up risks relating to newly constructed projects. We also must rely on rental income and expense projections and estimates of the fair market value of property upon completion of construction when agreeing upon a price at the time we acquire the property. If our projections are inaccurate, we may pay too much for a property, and our return on our investment could suffer or result in a loss.
If we contract with a development company for newly developed property, our earnest money deposit made to the development company may not be fully refunded.
We may acquire one or more properties under development. We anticipate that, if we do acquire properties that are under development, we will be obligated to pay a substantial earnest money deposit at the time of contracting to acquire such properties, and that we will be required to close the purchase of the property upon completion of the development of the property. We may enter into such a contract with the development company even if, at the time we enter into the contract, we have not yet secured sufficient financing to enable us to close the purchase of such property. However, we may not be required to close a purchase from the development company, and may be entitled to a refund of our earnest money, generally in any of the following circumstances depending on the contract:
•the development company fails to complete the development of the property according to contractual requirements;
•all or a specified portion of the pre-leased tenants fail to take possession under their leases for any reason; or
•we are unable to secure sufficient financing to pay the purchase price at closing.
The obligation of the development company to refund our earnest money deposit will be unsecured, and we may not be able to obtain a refund of such earnest money deposit from it under these circumstances since the development company may be an entity without substantial assets or operations.
We may not retain any profits resulting from the sale of our properties or receive such profits in a timely manner, because we may provide financing to the purchaser of such property.
When we decide to sell one of our properties, we may provide financing to the purchasers. When we provide financing to purchasers, we will bear the risk that the purchaser may default on its obligations under the financing, which could negatively impact cash flows from operations. Even in the absence of a purchaser default, the distribution of sale proceeds or their reinvestment in other assets will be delayed until the promissory notes or other property we may accept upon the sale are actually paid, sold, refinanced or otherwise disposed of. In some cases, we may receive initial down payments in cash and other property in the year of sale in an amount less than the selling price, and subsequent payments will be spread over a number of years. Additionally, if any purchaser defaults under a financing arrangement with us, it could negatively impact our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.
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Representations and warranties made by us in connection with sales of our properties may subject us to liability that could materially and adversely affect us.
When we sell a property, we have been required, and may continue to be required, to make representations and warranties regarding the property and other customary items. In the event of a breach of such representations or warranties, the purchaser of the property may have claims for damages against us, rights to indemnification from us or otherwise have remedies against us. In any such case, we may incur liabilities that could materially and adversely affect us.
We face possible liability for environmental cleanup costs and damages for contamination related to properties we acquire, which could materially and adversely affect us.
Because we own and operate real estate, we are subject to various international, U.S. federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations. Under these laws, ordinances and regulations, a current or previous owner or operator of real estate may be liable for the cost of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances on, under or in such property. The costs of removal or remediation could be substantial. Such laws often impose liability whether or not the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. Under such laws, a current owner or operator of property can be held liable for contamination on the property caused by the former owner or operator. Environmental laws also may impose restrictions on the manner in which property may be used or businesses may be operated, and these restrictions may require substantial expenditures. Environmental laws provide for sanctions in the event of noncompliance and may be enforced by governmental agencies or, in certain circumstances, by private parties. Certain environmental laws and common law principles could be used to impose liability for release of and exposure to hazardous substances, including the release of asbestos-containing materials into the air, and third parties may seek recovery from owners or operators of real estate for personal injury or property damage associated with exposure to released hazardous substances. In addition, new or more stringent laws or stricter interpretations of existing laws could change the cost of compliance or liabilities and restrictions arising out of such laws. The cost of defending against these claims, complying with environmental regulatory requirements, conducting remediation of any contaminated property, or of paying personal injury claims could be substantial and could materially and adversely affect us. In addition, the presence of hazardous substances on a property or the failure to meet environmental regulatory requirements may materially impair our ability to use, lease or sell a property, or to use the property as collateral for borrowing.
Our current and future properties and our tenants may be unable to compete successfully, which could result in lower rent payments and could materially and adversely affect us.
Our current and future properties often will face competition from nearby properties that provide comparable services. Some of those competing properties are owned by governmental agencies and supported by tax revenues, and others are owned by nonprofit corporations and may be supported to a large extent by endowments and charitable contributions. These types of support are not available to our properties. Operators of competing properties may provide superior services than those provided by our operators, which could reduce the competitiveness of our properties, which could have a material adverse effect on us.
Similarly, our OM building and senior housing — leased tenants face competition from other medical practices in nearby hospitals and other medical facilities, and their failure to compete successfully with these other practices could adversely affect their ability to make rental payments to us, which could materially and adversely affect us. Further, from time to time and for reasons beyond our control, referral sources, including physicians and managed care organizations, may change their lists of hospitals or physicians to which they refer patients or that are permitted to participate in the payor program. This could also adversely affect our tenants’ ability to make rental payments to us, which could materially and adversely affect us.
Ownership of property outside the United States may subject us to different or greater risks than those associated with our domestic operations.
International development, ownership and operating activities involve risks that are different from those we face with respect to our domestic development, ownership and operating activities. For example, we have limited investing experience in international markets. As of December 31, 2023, we have investments in the United Kingdom, or the UK, and the Isle of Man that represent 1.4% of our portfolio, based on our aggregate purchase price of real estate investments. If we are unable to successfully manage the risks associated with international expansion and operations, we may be adversely affected.
Additionally, our ownership of properties in the UK and the Isle of Man currently subjects us to fluctuations in the exchange rates between U.S. dollars and the UK Pound Sterling, which may, from time to time, impact our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. Revenues generated from any properties or other real estate-related investments we acquire or ventures we enter into relating to transactions involving assets located in markets outside the United States likely will be denominated in the local currency. Therefore, any investments we make outside the United States will subject us to foreign currency risk due to potential fluctuations in exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar, and there can be no
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assurance that any attempt to mitigate foreign currency risk through hedging transactions or otherwise will be successful. As a result, changes in exchange rates of any such foreign currency to U.S. dollars may materially and adversely affect us and the book value of our assets. In addition, changes in foreign currency exchange rates used to value a REIT’s foreign assets may be considered changes in the value of the REIT’s assets. These changes may adversely affect our status as a REIT. Further, bank accounts in a foreign currency which are not considered cash or cash equivalents may adversely affect our status as a REIT.
Acquired properties may expose us to unknown liability.
We may acquire properties or invest in joint ventures that own properties subject to liabilities and without any recourse, or with only limited recourse, against the prior owners or other third parties with respect to unknown liabilities. As a result, if a liability were asserted against us based upon ownership of those properties, we might have to pay substantial sums to settle or contest it, which could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flow. Unknown liabilities with respect to acquired properties might include liabilities for clean-up of undisclosed environmental contamination, claims by tenants, vendors or other persons against the former owners of the properties, liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business, and claims for indemnification by general partners, directors and others indemnified by the former owners of the properties.
Severe weather events, natural disasters and the effects of climate change and regulatory and societal responses thereto could materially and adversely affect us.
Natural disasters and severe weather events, including earthquakes, fires, storms, tornados, floods, hurricanes, snow and freezing temperatures could cause significant damage to our properties and the surrounding environment or area. Climate change is causing such events to become more frequent and increasingly severe in their effects, which could increase the costs to and impact on us and our operators over time. The effects of such events on our properties may include increased operational costs, including energy costs, delays and cost increases in our construction projects, damage to our facilities and periods when impacted facilities may be partially or wholly unoccupied, power outages and reputational damage.
Additionally, we are subject to transition risk from international, governmental and societal responses to climate change that may materially and adversely affect us or our operators, including through shifts in fuel sources leading to short- or long-term increases in energy costs and new and more stringent building codes pertaining to energy efficiency, reduced emissions or weather resistance that may be more costly to comply with, any of which could increase our building costs and our and our operators’ capital expenditures, maintenance and operating costs. Also, we are or may become subject to new laws and market expectations with respect to disclosure requirements, and this may result in additional investments and implementation of new practices and reporting processes, all entailing additional compliance costs and risk. For example, the EU recently adopted the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive that will impose disclosure of the risks and opportunities arising from social and environmental issues and of the impact of companies’ activities on people and the environment. Similarly, the State of California recently passed the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act and the Climate-Related Financial Risk Act that will impose broad climate-related disclosure obligations on companies doing business in California. The SEC has included in its regulatory agenda potential rulemaking on climate change disclosures that, if adopted, could significantly increase compliance burdens and associated regulatory costs and complexity. These and other changes in international, federal, state, or local regulation or in societal expectations could materially and adversely affect us directly or indirectly through the impact on our operators.
Risks Related to Real Estate-Related Investments
Unfavorable real estate market conditions and delays in liquidating defaulted mortgage loan investments may negatively impact mortgage loans in which we have invested and may invest, which could result in losses to us.
The investment in mortgage loans or mortgage-backed securities we have made, and may continue to make, involve special risks relating to the particular borrower or issuer of the mortgage-backed securities and we will be at risk of loss on those investments, including losses as a result of defaults on our mortgage loan investments. These losses may be caused by many conditions beyond our control, including economic conditions affecting real estate values, tenant defaults and lease expirations, interest rate levels, and the other economic and liability risks associated with real estate. If we acquire property by foreclosure following defaults under our mortgage loan investments, we will have the economic and liability risks as the owner described above. We do not know whether the values of the property securing any of our mortgage loan investments will remain at the levels existing on the dates we initially make the related investment. If the values of the underlying properties drop, our risk will increase and the values of our interests may decrease. Furthermore, if there are defaults under our mortgage loan investments, we may not be able to foreclose on or obtain a suitable remedy with respect to such investments. Specifically, we may not be able to repossess and sell the underlying properties quickly, which could reduce the value of our investment. For example, an action to foreclose on a property securing a mortgage loan is regulated by state statutes and rules and is subject to many of the delays and expenses of lawsuits if the defendant raises defenses or counterclaims. Additionally, in the event of
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default by a mortgagor, these restrictions, among other things, may impede our ability to foreclose on or sell the mortgaged property or to obtain proceeds sufficient to repay all amounts due to us on the mortgage loan.
The commercial mortgage-backed securities in which we have invested, and may continue to invest, are subject to several types of risks.
Commercial mortgage-backed securities are securities which evidence interests in, or are secured by, a single commercial mortgage loan or a pool of commercial mortgage loans. Accordingly, the commercial mortgage-backed securities in which we have invested, and may continue to invest, are subject to all the risks of the underlying mortgage loans.
In a rising interest rate environment like the one that has prevailed in recent years, the value of commercial mortgage-backed securities may be adversely affected when payments on underlying mortgages loan(s) do not occur as anticipated, resulting in the extension of the security’s effective maturity and the related increase in interest rate sensitivity of a longer-term instrument. The value of commercial mortgage-backed securities may also change due to shifts in the market’s perception of securitization sponsors and borrower sponsors and regulatory or tax changes adversely affecting the mortgage securities markets as a whole. In addition, commercial mortgage-backed securities are subject to the credit risk associated with the performance of the underlying mortgage properties.
Commercial mortgage-backed securities are also subject to several risks created through the securitization structuring process. Subordinate commercial mortgage-backed securities are paid to the extent that there are funds available to make payments. To the extent the collateral pool includes a large percentage of delinquent loans, there is a risk that payments on subordinate commercial mortgage-backed securities will not be fully paid. In addition, commercial mortgage-backed securities are also subject to greater credit risk than those commercial mortgage-backed securities of the same series that are more highly rated.
The mezzanine loans in which we have invested in the past, and may continue to invest, involve greater risks of loss than senior loans secured by income-producing real estate.
We have in the past, and may in the future, invest in mezzanine loans that take the form of subordinated loans secured by second mortgages on the underlying real estate or loans secured by a pledge of the ownership interests of either the entity owning the real estate or the entity that owns the interest in the entity owning the real estate. These types of investments involve a higher degree of risk than long-term senior mortgage lending secured by income-producing real estate because the investment may become unsecured as a result of foreclosure by the senior lender. In the event of a bankruptcy of the entity providing the pledge of its ownership interests as security, we may not have full recourse to the assets of such entity or the assets of the entity may not be sufficient to satisfy our mezzanine loan. If a borrower defaults on our mezzanine loan or debt senior to our loan or in the event of a borrower bankruptcy, our mezzanine loan will be satisfied only after the senior debt. As a result, we may not recover some or all of our investment. In addition, mezzanine loans may have higher loan-to-value ratios than conventional mortgage loans, resulting in less equity in the real estate and increasing the risk of loss of principal.
We expect a portion of our real estate-related investments to be illiquid, and we may not be able to adjust our portfolio in a timely manner in response to changes in economic and other conditions.
We may acquire real estate-related investments in connection with privately negotiated transactions which are not registered under the relevant securities laws, resulting in a prohibition against their transfer, sale, pledge or other disposition except in a transaction that is exempt from the registration requirements of, or is otherwise not subject to, those laws. As a result, our ability to vary our portfolio in response to changes in economic and other conditions may be relatively limited. The mezzanine and bridge loans we may purchase will be particularly illiquid investments due to their short life, their unsuitability for securitization and the greater difficulty of recoupment in the event of a borrower’s default.
Bridge loans involve a greater risk of loss than traditional investment-grade mortgage loans with fully insured borrowers.
We have in the past, and may in the future, acquire bridge loans secured by first lien mortgages on a property to borrowers who are typically seeking short-term capital to be used in an acquisition, construction or rehabilitation of a property, or other short-term liquidity needs. The typical borrower under a bridge loan has usually identified an undervalued asset that has been under-managed and/or is located in a recovering market. If the market in which the asset is located fails to recover according to the borrower’s projections, or if the borrower fails to improve the quality of the asset’s management and/or the value of the asset, the borrower may not receive a sufficient return on the asset to satisfy the bridge loan, and we bear the risk that we may not recover some or all of our initial expenditure.
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In addition, borrowers usually use the proceeds of a conventional mortgage to repay a bridge loan. A bridge loan therefore is subject to the risk of a borrower’s inability to obtain permanent financing to repay the bridge loan. Bridge loans are also subject to risks of borrower defaults, bankruptcies, fraud, losses and special hazard losses that are not covered by standard hazard insurance. In the event of any default under bridge loans held by us, we bear the risk of loss of principal and non-payment of interest and fees to the extent of any deficiency between the value of the mortgage collateral and the principal amount and unpaid interest of the bridge loan. To the extent we suffer such losses with respect to our bridge loans, we may be materially and adversely affected.
If we sell real estate-related investments prior to their maturity, we may be forced to sell those investments on unfavorable terms or at a loss.
Our board may choose to sell certain of our assets from time to time, including our real estate-related investments. If we plan to sell those investments prior to their maturity, we may be forced to do so at undesirable times and on unfavorable terms, which may result in losses. For instance, if we sell mortgage loans at a time when prevailing interest rates are higher than the interest rates of such mortgage loans, we would likely sell such loans at a discount to their stated principal values.
Risks Related to the Healthcare Industry
The healthcare industry is heavily regulated and new laws or regulations, changes to existing laws or regulations, loss of licensure or failure to obtain licensure could result in the inability of our tenants to make rent payments to us or adversely affect our operators’ ability to operate facilities held in RIDEA structures.
The healthcare industry is heavily regulated by federal, state and local governmental bodies. The tenants and operators of our healthcare facilities generally will be subject to laws and regulations covering, among other things, licensure, certification for participation in government programs and relationships with physicians and other referral sources. Changes in these laws and regulations, or a tenant’s or operator’s failure to comply with these laws and regulations, could adversely affect us. For example, such non-compliance could materially and adversely affect a tenant’s ability to make rent payments to us. Similarly, were an operator of a facility held in a RIDEA structure (where we benefit from positive operating performance, if any, at such facilities) to fail to comply with a regulatory obligation, it could adversely affect the operating performance of the facility and our participation therein.
Many of our healthcare facilities and their tenants and operators require a license or CON. Failure to obtain a license or CON, or the loss of a required license or CON, would prevent a facility from operating in the manner intended by the tenant or operator. These events could materially and adversely affect a tenant’s ability to make rent payments to us or for an operator to operate a facility held in a RIDEA structure efficiently, either of which could have a material adverse effect on us. Similarly, state and local laws also may regulate expansion, including the addition of new beds/units or services or the acquisition of medical equipment at a facility, and the construction of healthcare-related facilities, by requiring a CON or other similar approval. State CON laws and other similar laws are not uniform throughout the United States and are subject to change. Restrictions on the expansion of our facilities could materially and adversely affect a tenant’s ability to make rent payments to us or for an operator to operate a facility held in a RIDEA structure efficiently, either of which could have a material adverse effect on us. We cannot predict the impact of state CON laws or similar laws on our development or expansion of facilities or the operations of our tenants or operators.
In addition, in certain areas, state CON laws materially limit the ability of competitors to enter into the markets served by our facilities, thereby limiting competition. The repeal of CON laws could allow competitors to freely operate in previously closed markets. Any such increased competition could materially and adversely affect a tenant’s ability to make rent payments to us or for an operator to operate a facility held in a RIDEA structure efficiently, either of which could have a material adverse effect on us. These CON laws could also restrict our ability to expand in new markets.
In certain circumstances, loss of state licensure or certification or closure of a facility could ultimately result in loss of authority to operate the facility or provide services at the facility and require new CON authorization licensure and/or authorization or potential authorization from CMS to re-institute operations. As a result, the value of the facility may be reduced, which could materially and adversely affect us.
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Reimbursement rates from third-party payors, including Medicare and Medicaid, that do not rise as quickly, or at all, compared to the rate of inflation, could adversely affect our tenants’ operations and ability to make rental payments to us or our profitability from operating facilities held in RIDEA structures.