10-K
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021
OR
For the transition period from to
Commission File Number: 000-24843
AMERICA FIRST MULTIFAMILY INVESTORS, L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
(402) 952-1235
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
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 Section 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 the 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 emerging growth company. See 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 checkmark 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. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). YES ☐ NO ☒
The aggregate market value of the registrant’s BUCs held by non-affiliates based on the final sales price of the BUCs on the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter was $410,247,213
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
None
INDEX
PART I
Item 1 Business 4
Item 1A Risk Factors 14
Item 1B Unresolved Staff Comments 31
Item 2 Properties 31
Item 3 Legal Proceedings 31
Item 4 Mine Safety Disclosures 31
PART II
Item 6 Selected Financial Data [Reserved]
Item 7A Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 61
Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 64
Item 9A Controls and Procedures 120
Item 9B Other Information 120
Item 9C Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 120
PART III
Item 10 Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 121
Item 11 Executive Compensation 124
Item 12 Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management 126
Item 14 Principal Accountant Fees and Services 128
PART IV
Item 15 Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 129
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PART I
Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report (“Report”) (including, but not limited to, the information contained in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”) contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Report, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy and plans, and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used, statements which are not historical in nature, including those containing words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “should,” “expect,” “believe,” “intend,” and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. This Report also contains estimates and other statistical data made by independent parties and by us relating to market size and growth and other industry data. This data involves several assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to such estimates. We have not independently verified the statistical and other industry data generated by independent parties and contained in this Report, and accordingly, we cannot guarantee their accuracy or completeness. In addition, projections, assumptions and estimates of our future performance and the future performance of the industries in which we operate are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described under the headings “Risk Factors” of Item 1A of this Report.
These forward-looking statements are subject, but not limited to, various risks and uncertainties, including those relating to:
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defaults on the mortgage loans securing our mortgage revenue bonds (“MRBs”) and governmental issuer loans (“GILs”);
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the competitive environment in which we operate;
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risks associated with investing in multifamily, student, senior citizen residential properties and commercial properties;
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changes in business conditions and the general economy, including the current and future impact of the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) on business operations, employment, and government-mandated relief and mitigation measures;
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changes in interest rates;
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our ability to access debt and equity capital to finance our assets;
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current maturities of our financing arrangements and our ability to renew or refinance such financing arrangements;
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potential exercising of redemption rights by the holders of the Series A Preferred Units;
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local, regional, national, and international economic and credit market conditions;
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recapture of previously issued Low Income Housing Tax Credits (“LIHTCs”) in accordance with Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”);
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geographic concentration of properties related to our investments; and
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changes in the U.S. corporate tax code and other government regulations affecting our business.
Other risks, uncertainties and factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements we make. We are not obligated to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise.
All references to “we,” “us,” “our” and the “Partnership” in this Report mean America First Multifamily Investors, L.P. (“ATAX”), its wholly owned subsidiaries and its consolidated variable interest entities. See Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” of this Report for additional details.
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Item 1. Business.
Organization
The Partnership was formed in 1998 for the primary purpose of acquiring a portfolio of mortgage revenue bonds (“MRBs”) that are issued by state and local housing authorities to provide construction and/or permanent financing for affordable multifamily housing, seniors housing and commercial properties. We also invest in governmental issuer loans (“GILs”), which are similar to MRBs, to provide construction financing for affordable multifamily properties. We expect and believe the interest received on our MRBs and GILs is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes. We also invest in other types of securities that may or may not be secured by real estate and may make property loans to multifamily properties which may or may not be financed by MRBs or GILs held by the Partnership, to the extent permitted under the terms of the Partnership’s First Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership dated September 15, 2015, as further amended (the “Partnership Agreement”). In addition, we may acquire interests in multifamily, student, and seniors residential properties (“MF Properties”).
Our general partner is America First Capital Associates Limited Partnership Two (“AFCA 2” or the “General Partner”). The general partner of AFCA 2 is Greystone AF Manager LLC (“Greystone Manager”), which is an affiliate of Greystone & Co. II LLC (“Greystone & Co.”). Greystone & Co., together with its affiliated companies (collectively “Greystone”), is a real estate lending, investment, and advisory company with an established reputation as a leader in multifamily and healthcare finance, having ranked as a top Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”), Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) lender in these sectors.
The Partnership has issued Beneficial Unit Certificates (“BUCs”) representing assigned limited partnership interests to investors (“BUC holders”). Our BUCs are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “ATAX.” The Partnership has designated three series of non-cumulative, non-voting, non-convertible preferred units (collectively, the “Preferred Units”) that represent limited partnership interests in the Partnership consisting of the Series A Preferred Units, the Series A-1 Preferred Units, and the Series B Preferred Units. There are currently no Series A-1 Preferred Units or Series B Preferred Units issued and outstanding. The holders of the BUCs and Preferred Units are referred to herein as “Unitholders.” Our Unitholders will incur tax liability if any interest earned on our MRBs or GILs is determined to be taxable, for gains related to our MRBs or GILs and for income and gains related to our taxable investments such as our investments in unconsolidated entities and property loans. See Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in this Report for additional details.
Investment Types
Mortgage Revenue Bonds (“MRBs”)
We invest in MRBs that are issued by state and local governments, their agencies, and authorities to finance the construction or acquisition and rehabilitation of income-producing multifamily rental properties. An MRB does not constitute an obligation of any state or local government, agency or authority and no state or local government, agency or authority is liable on them, nor is the taxing power of any state or local government pledged to the payment of principal or interest on an MRB. An MRB is a non-recourse obligation of the property owner. Each MRB is collateralized by a mortgage on all real and personal property of the secured property. The sole source of the funds to pay principal and interest on an MRB is the net cash flow or the sale or refinancing proceeds from the secured property. We may commit to provide funding for MRBs on a draw-down basis during construction and/or rehabilitation of secured property.
We expect and believe that the interest received on our MRBs is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes. We primarily invest in MRBs that are senior obligations of the secured properties, though we may also invest in subordinate MRBs. The MRBs predominantly bear interest at fixed interest rates and require regular principal and interest payments on either a monthly or semi-annual basis. The majority of our MRBs have initial contractual terms of 15 years or more. MRBs may have optional call dates that may be exercised by the borrower or the Partnership that are earlier than the contractual maturity at either par or premiums to par.
As of December 31, 2021, we own 75 MRBs with an aggregate outstanding principal amount of approximately $697.7 million. Our MRBs are owned either directly by the Partnership or by consolidated variable interest entities (“VIEs”) associated with our debt financing facilities. Our 75 MRBs are secured by 68 multifamily residential properties containing a total of 10,906 rental units located in 14 states in the United States. One MRB is secured by a mortgage on the ground, facilities, and equipment of a commercial ancillary health care facility in Tennessee. One MRB is secured by a mortgage on the ground, facilities, and equipment of a to-be-constructed seniors housing property in Michigan.
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The four types of MRBs which we may acquire as investments are as follows:
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Private activity bonds issued under Section 142(d) of the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”);
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Bonds issued under Section 145 of the IRC on behalf of not-for-profit entities qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRC;
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Essential function bonds issued by a public instrumentality to finance a multifamily residential property owned by such instrumentality; and
•
Existing “80/20 bonds” that were issued under Section 103(b)(4)(A) of the IRC.
Each of these structures permit the issuance of MRBs under the IRC to finance the construction or acquisition and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing or other not-for-profit commercial property. Under applicable Treasury Regulations, any affordable multifamily residential project financed with tax-exempt MRBs (other than essential function bonds as described in the third bullet above) must set aside a percentage of its total rental units for occupancy by tenants whose incomes do not exceed stated percentages of the median income in the local area. Those rental units of the multifamily residential project not subject to tenant income restrictions may be rented at market rates (unless there are restrictions otherwise imposed by the bond issuer or a governmental entity). With respect to private activity bonds issued under Section 142(d) of the IRC, the owner of the multifamily residential project may elect, at the time the MRBs are issued, whether to set aside a minimum of 20% of the units for tenants making less than 50% of area median income (as adjusted for household size) or 40% of the units for tenants making less than 60% of the area median income (as adjusted for household size). State and local housing authorities may require additional tenant income or rent restrictions more restrictive than those required by Treasury Regulations. There are no Treasury Regulations related to MRBs that are secured by a commercial property owned by a non-profit sponsor.
The borrowers associated with our MRBs are either syndicated partnerships formed to receive allocations of LIHTCs or not-for-profit entities. LIHTC eligible projects are attractive to developers of affordable housing because it helps them raise equity and debt financing. Under the LIHTC program, developers that receive an allocation of private activity bonds will also receive an allocation of federal LIHTCs as a method to encourage the development of affordable multifamily housing. We do not invest in LIHTCs but are attracted to MRBs that are issued in association with federal LIHTC allocations because they bear interest that we expect and believe is exempt from federal income taxes. To be eligible for federal LIHTCs, a property must either be newly constructed or substantially rehabilitated, and therefore, may be less likely to become functionally obsolete in the near term as compared to an older property. There are various requirements to be eligible for federal LIHTCs, including rent and tenant income restrictions, which vary by property. Our borrowers that are owned by not-for-profit entities typically have missions to provide affordable multifamily rental units to underserved populations in their market areas. The affordable housing properties securing 501(c)(3) bonds also must comply with the IRS safe harbors for tenant incomes and rents.
Governmental Issuer Loans (“GILs”)
We invest in GILs that are issued by state or local governmental authorities to finance the construction of affordable multifamily properties. A GIL does not constitute an obligation of any state or local government, agency or authority and no state or local government, agency or authority is liable for them, nor is the taxing power of any state or local government pledged to the payment of principal or interest on a GIL. Each GIL is secured by a mortgage on all real and personal property of the secured property. The GILs may share first mortgage lien positions with taxable property loans and/or taxable GILs also owned by the Partnership. Sources of the funds to pay principal and interest on a GIL consist of the net cash flow or the sale or refinancing proceeds from the secured property and limited-to-full payment guarantees provided by affiliates of the GIL’s borrower. We may commit to provide funding for GILs on a draw-down basis during construction of the secured properties.
We expect and believe the interest received on our GILs is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes. The GILs are senior obligations of the secured properties and bear interest at variable interest rates. The GILs have initial terms of two to four years, though the borrower may prepay all amounts due at any time without penalty. At the closing of each GIL, Freddie Mac, through a servicer, has forward committed to purchase the GIL at maturity at par if the property has reached stabilization and other conditions are met. As of December 31, 2021, an affiliate of Greystone, Greystone Servicing Company LLC, has provided a forward commitment to purchase seven of the Partnership’s GILs. Greystone Servicing Company LLC will then immediately sell the GILs to Freddie Mac pursuant to a financing commitment between Greystone Servicing Company LLC and Freddie Mac.
As of December 31, 2021, we own nine GILs with an aggregate outstanding principal amount of approximately $184.8 million. Our GILs are owned by our consolidated VIEs associated with our debt financing facilities. Such GILs are related to nine affordable multifamily properties containing a total of 1,832 rental units located in six states in the United States.
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The GILs have been issued under Section 142(d) of the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) and are subject to the same set aside and tenant income restrictions noted in the “Mortgage Revenue Bonds” description above. The borrowers associated with our GILs are syndicated partnerships formed to receive allocations of LIHTCs.
Investments in Unconsolidated Entities
We invest in membership interests in unconsolidated entities (“JV Equity Investments”) for the construction of market-rate multifamily real estate properties. We do not have controlling interests in the JV Equity Investments and account for the membership interests using the equity method of accounting. The Partnership earns a return on its membership interests accruing immediately on its contributed capital, which is guaranteed by an unrelated third party through the fifth anniversary of construction commencement. The membership interests entitle the Partnership to shares of certain cash flows generated by the JV Equity Investments from operations and upon the occurrence of certain capital transactions, such as a refinancing or sale. As of December 31, 2021, we owned membership interests in 12 unconsolidated entities located in four states in the United States. Eight of the 12 JV Equity Investments are located in Texas. In addition, one JV Equity Investment in San Marcos, Texas is reported as a consolidated VIE.
MF Properties
We have and may acquire controlling interests in multifamily, student or senior citizen residential properties. We plan to operate the MF Properties in order to position ourselves for a future investment in MRBs issued to finance the acquisition and/or rehabilitation of the properties by new owners or until the opportunity arises to sell the MF Properties at what we believe is their optimal fair value.
As of December 31, 2021, we owned two MF Properties containing a total of 859 rental units located in Nebraska and California.
Property Loans
We have made and may make in the future, property loans to finance capital improvements, otherwise support property operations, or fund the construction of properties securing our MRBs and GILs or other property. We may also make taxable property loans that are unsecured.
PHC Certificates
We previously invested in three Public Housing Capital Fund Trusts’ Certificates (“PHC Certificates”). The PHC Certificates consisted of custodial receipts evidencing loans made to numerous public housing authorities, with principal and interest on these loans payable by the respective public housing authorities out of annual appropriations to the public housing authorities by HUD under HUD’s Capital Fund Program established under the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 (the “Capital Fund Program”). In January 2020, we sold the PHC Certificates to an unrelated third party and paid off all amounts due on the related debt financing facilities.
General Investment Matters
Our investments in unconsolidated entities and MF Properties are considered “Other Investments” under the terms of our Partnership Agreement. Property loans to properties not securing our MRBs and GILs are also considered Other Investments. We may invest in other types of securities and investments that may or may not be secured by real estate that are also considered Other Investments. We may also invest in “Tax Exempt Investments,” other than our MRBs and GILs, such as the PHC Certificates, under the terms of our Partnership Agreement. Such Tax Exempt Investments must be rated in one of the four highest rating categories by at least one nationally recognized securities rating agency. Under the terms of the Partnership Agreement, the aggregate value of our Other Investments and Tax-Exempt Investments cannot exceed 25% of our assets at the time of acquisition.
We rely on an exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which has certain restrictions on the types and amounts of securities owned by the Partnership. See the “Regulatory Matters” section included within Item 1 below for further information.
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Business Objectives and Strategy
Investment Strategy
Our primary business objective is to manage our portfolio of investment to achieve the following:
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Generate attractive, risk-adjusted total returns for our Unitholders;
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Create streams of recurring income to support regular cash distributions to Unitholders;
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Pass through tax-advantaged income to Unitholders;
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Generate income from capital gains on asset dispositions;
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Use leverage effectively to increase returns on debt investments; and
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Preserve and protect partnership assets.
We are pursuing a business strategy of acquiring additional MRBs, GILs and other investments, as permitted by the Partnership Agreement, on a leveraged basis to achieve our objective. In allocating our capital and executing our strategy, we seek to balance the risks of owning specific investments with the earnings opportunity on the investment.
We believe there continues to be a significant unmet demand for affordable multifamily and senior citizen residential housing in the United States. Government programs that provide direct rental support to residents have not kept up with demand. Therefore, investment programs such as those pursued by the Partnership, which promote private sector development and support for affordable housing through MRBs, GILs, tax credits and grant funding to developers, have become more prominent. The types of MRBs and GILs in which we invest offer developers of affordable housing a low-cost source of construction and/or permanent debt financing. We plan to continue to invest in additional MRBs and GILs issued to finance affordable multifamily and senior residential rental housing properties.
We continue to evaluate opportunities for MRB investments to fund senior citizen housing projects or skilled nursing properties issued as private activity or 501(c)(3) bonds similar in legal structure to those issued for traditional affordable multifamily housing projects. We will continue to leverage the expertise of Greystone and other reputable third parties in evaluating independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing properties prior to our MRB acquisitions. During 2021, we acquired our first senior citizen housing MRB, Meadow Valley, that will finance the construction and stabilization of a combined independent living, assisted living and memory care facility in Traverse City, MI. Furthermore, in 2021 we fundeda property loan secured by a 128-bed skilled nursing facility, Magnolia Crossing in Houston, TX, to a 501(c)(3) in order to position ourselves for a future MRB investment.
We continually assess opportunities to expand and/or reposition our existing portfolio of MRBs and GILs. Our principal objective is to improve the quality and performance of our portfolio of MRBs and GILs and, ultimately, increase the amount of cash available for distribution to our Unitholders. In certain circumstances, we may allow the borrowers of our MRBs to redeem the MRBs prior to the final maturity date. Such MRB redemptions will usually require a sale or refinancing of the underlying property. We may also elect to sell MRBs that have experienced significant appreciation in value. In other cases, we may elect to sell MRBs on properties that are in stagnant or declining real estate markets. The proceeds received from these transactions would be redeployed into other investments consistent with our investment objectives. We anticipate holding our GILs until maturity as the terms are typically for two to four years and have defined forward purchase commitments from Freddie Mac, acting through a servicer.
We will also continue to make strategic equity investments in market-rate multifamily residential properties, such as the JV Equity Investments, through noncontrolling membership interests in unconsolidated entities. We believe such equity investments diversify our investment portfolio while also providing attractive risk-adjusted returns for our Unitholders.
Financing Strategy
We finance our assets with what we believe to be a prudent amount of leverage, the level of which varies from time to time based upon the characteristics of our portfolio, availability of financing, and market conditions. This leverage strategy allows us to generate enhanced returns and lowers our net capital investment, allowing us to make additional investments. We currently obtain leverage on our investments and assets through:
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Advances on our secured line of credit facilities with BankUnited, N.A. and Bankers Trust Company;
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Tax-Exempt Bond Securitization (“TEBS”) programs with Freddie Mac;
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Tender Option Bond (“TOB”) Trust securitizations with Mizuho Capital Markets (“Mizuho”) and Barclays Bank PLC (“Barclays”);
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A Term TOB Trust securitization with Morgan Stanley;
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Secured notes (“Secured Notes”) issued to Mizuho; and
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Mortgages payable associated with our MF Properties.
We may utilize other types of secured or unsecured borrowings in the future, including more complex financing structures and diversification of our leverage sources and counterparties.
We refer to our TEBS, TOB Trust, and Term TOB Trust securitizations and our Secured Notes as our debt financings. The TEBS, TOB Trust and Term TOB Trust securitizations are consolidated VIEs for financial reporting purposes. These arrangements are structured such that we transfer our assets to an entity, such as a trust or special purpose entity, which then issues senior and residual beneficial interests. The senior beneficial interests are sold to third-party investors in exchange for debt proceeds. We retain the residual beneficial interest which entitles us to certain rights to the securitized assets and to residual cash proceeds. We generally structure our debt financings such that principal, interest, and any trust expenses are payable from the cash flows of the secured assets and we are generally entitled to all residual cash flows for our general use. As the residual interest holder, we may be required to make certain payments or contribute certain assets to the VIEs if certain events occur. Such events include, but are not limited to, a downgrade in the investment rating of the senior securities issued by the VIEs, a ratings downgrade of the liquidity provider for the VIEs, increases in short term interest rates beyond pre-set maximums, an inability to re-market the senior securities or an inability to obtain liquidity support for the senior securities. If such an event occurs in an individual VIE, we may be required to deleverage the VIE by repurchasing some or all of the senior securities. Otherwise, the underlying collateral will be sold and, if the proceeds are not sufficient to pay the principal amount of the senior securities plus accrued interest and other trust expenses, the Partnership will be required to fund any such shortfall. If we do not fund the shortfall, the default and liquidation provisions will be invoked against us. For each TEBS securitization, our shortfall funding is limited to the stated amount of our residual interest.
The TOB Trusts with Mizuho and Barclays are subject to covenants and requirements under the respective master agreements, primarily related to maintenance of certain levels of partners’ capital, maximum leverage, and remaining listed on the NASDAQ. The TOB Trusts are also subject to margin collateral requirements. We may also be required to post collateral, typically in cash, related to the TOB Trusts with Mizuho and Barclays. The amount of collateral posting required is dependent on the aggregate valuation of the underlying MRBs, taxable MRB, GILs, taxable GIL and property loans in relation to thresholds set by Mizuho and Barclays.
The willingness of leverage providers to extend financing is dependent on various factors such as their underwriting standards, regulatory requirements, available lending capacity, and existing credit exposure to the Partnership. An inability to access debt financing at an acceptable cost may result in adverse effects on our financial condition and results of operations. There can be no assurance that we will be able to finance additional acquisitions of MRBs, GILs or other investments through additional debt financings. Although the consequences of market and economic conditions and their impact on our ability to pursue our plan to grow through investments in additional MRBs and GILs are not fully known, we do not anticipate that our existing assets will be adversely affected in the long-term.
We set target constraints for each type of financing utilized by us. Those constraints are dependent upon several factors, including the assets being leveraged, the tenor of the leverage program, whether the financing is subject to margin or collateral calls, and the liquidity and marketability of the financed collateral. We use target constraints for each type of financing to manage to an overall maximum 75% leverage level (the “Leverage Ratio”), as established by the Board of Managers of Greystone Manager. The Board of Managers of Greystone Manager retains the right to change the Leverage Ratio in the future based on the consideration of factors the Board of Managers considers relevant. We calculate our Leverage Ratio as total outstanding debt divided by total assets using cost adjusted for paydowns for MRBs, GILs, property loans, taxable MRBs and taxable GILs, and initial cost for deferred financing costs and real estate assets. As of December 31, 2021, our overall Leverage Ratio was approximately 69%.
We actively manage both our fixed and variable rate debt financings and our exposure to changes in market interest rates. Certain leverage sources, such as our TOB Trusts, Secured Notes and one TEBS financing, currently bear interest at variable rates. We may enter into derivative instruments in connection with our risk management activities to guard against rising interest rates, which may include interest rate caps, interest rate swaps, total return swaps, swaptions, futures, options or other available hedging instruments. When possible, we will obtain variable-rate debt financing for our variable-rate investment assets such that we are at least partially hedged against rising interest rates without the need for separate derivative instruments.
Preferred Units and BUCs Issuances
In addition to leverage, we may obtain additional capital through the issuance of Series A-1 Preferred Units, Series B Preferred Units or other Partnership securities which may be issued in, among other things, one or more additional series of preferred units, and/or BUCs. We filed a registration statement on Form S-3 for the registration of up to 3,500,000 of Series A-1 Preferred Units, which was
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declared effective by the SEC on September 9, 2021. The Series A-1 Preferred Units are subject to optional redemption by the holder upon the sixth anniversary of the closing of the sale of Series A-1 Preferred Units and the holders are entitled to distributions at a fixed rate of 3.0% per annum. The Partnership is able to issue Series A-1 Preferred Units so long as the aggregate market capitalization of the BUCs, based on the closing price on the trading day prior to issuance of the Series A-1 Preferred Units, is no less than three times the aggregate book value of all Series A Preferred Units and Series A-1 Preferred Units, inclusive of the amount to be issued. We have not yet issued any Series A-1 Preferred Units as of December 31, 2021.
In addition, we filed a registration statement on Form S-3 for the registration of up to 10,000,000 of Series B Preferred Units, which was declared effective by the SEC on September 9, 2021. The Series B Preferred Units are subject to optional redemption by the holder upon the eighth anniversary of the closing of the sale of Series B Preferred Units and the holders are entitled to distributions at a fixed rate of 3.4% per annum. The Partnership is able to issue Series B Preferred Units so long as the aggregate market capitalization of the BUCs, based on the closing price on the trading day prior to issuance of the Series B Preferred Units, is no less than two times the aggregate book value of all Series A Preferred Units, Series A-1 Preferred Units and Series B Preferred Units, inclusive of the amount to be issued. We have not yet issued any Series B Preferred Units as of December 31, 2021.
We have previously issued Series A Preferred Units totaling $94.5 million. The Series A Preferred Units are subject to optional redemption by the holder upon the sixth anniversary of the closing of the sale of Series A Preferred Units and the holders are entitled to distributions at a fixed rate of 3.0% per annum. We filed a registration statement on Form S-4 to register the offering and issuance of up to 9,450,000 of Series A-1 Preferred Units under a shelf registration process that was declared effective by the SEC on July 6, 2021. Under this offering, the Partnership may issue up to 9,450,000 Series A-1 Preferred Units in exchange for the Partnership’s outstanding Series A Preferred Units. If unitholders elect to exchange Series A Preferred Units for Series A-1 Preferred Units, the new Series A-1 Preferred Units will not be eligible for redemption until the sixth anniversary of the date of the exchange, except in certain limited circumstances.
We may also obtain capital through the issuance of additional BUCs pursuant to our Registration Statement on Form S-3 (“Registration Statement”), which was declared effective by the SEC in December 2019. Under the Registration Statement we may offer up to $225.0 million of BUCs for sale from time to time. The Registration Statement will expire in December 2022.
In September 2021, we completed an underwritten public offering of 5,462,500 BUCs for gross proceeds of $33.3 million. In July 2021, the Partnership entered into a Capital on DemandTM Sales Agreement to offer and sell, from time to time at market prices on the date of sale, BUCs up to an aggregate offering price of $30 million via an “at the market offering.” As of December 31, 2021, we have not sold any BUCs under this program. We will continue to assess if and when to issue BUCs under this program going forward.
Reportable Segments
Historically, we operated in four reportable segments: (1) Mortgage Revenue Bond Investments, (2) MF Properties, (3) Other Investments, and (4) Public Housing Capital Fund Trusts. However, effective as of December 1, 2021 we established a new reportable segment designated as Seniors and Skilled Nursing MRB Investments, which provides acquisition, construction and/or permanent financing for seniors housing and skilled nursing properties. Seniors housing consists of a combination of the independent living, assisted living and memory care units. In addition, as of December 1, 2021, we renamed our Mortgage Revenue Bond Investments segment as “Affordable Multifamily MRB Investments”, and our Other Investments segment was renamed to “Market-Rate Joint Venture Investments”. Therefore, as of December 31, 2021, we had five reportable segments: (1) Affordable Multifamily MRB Investments, (2) Seniors and Skilled Nursing MRB Investments, (3) MF Properties, (4) Market-Rate Joint Venture Investments, and (5) Public Housing Capital Fund Trusts. All activity in the Public Housing Capital Fund Trusts segment ceased with the sale of the PHC Certificates in January 2020, as described further below. The Partnership separately reports its consolidation and elimination information because it does not allocate certain items to the segments. All comparisons and discussion throughout “Item 1. Business” and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are based on the new segment presentation implemented during the fourth quarter of 2021, as discussed above.
Competition
We compete with private investors, lending institutions, trust funds, investment partnerships, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and other entities with objectives similar to ours for the acquisition of MRBs, GILs and other investments. These competitors often have greater access to capital and can originate investments with interest rates and terms that do not meet our return requirements. This competition may reduce the availability of investments to the Partnership for acquisition and reduce the interest rate that issuers are willing to pay on our future investments.
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Through our various investments, we may be in competition with other real estate investments in the same geographic areas. Multifamily residential rental properties also compete with single-family housing that is either owned or leased by potential tenants. To compete effectively, the properties underlying our investments must offer quality rental units at competitive rental rates. To maintain occupancy rates and attract quality tenants, the properties may offer rental concessions, such as reduced rent to new tenants for a stated period. These properties also compete by offering quality apartments in attractive locations and provide tenants with amenities such as recreational facilities, garages, services and pleasant landscaping.
Recent Developments
Recent Investment Activities
The following table presents information regarding the investment activities of the Partnership for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:
For the Three Months Ended December 31, 2021
Mortgage revenue bond acquisitions and advances 5 $ 56,726 N/A N/A 6
Mortgage revenue bond redemption 1 4,065 $ 3,553 N/A 6
Governmental issuer loan advances 6 18,781 N/A N/A 7
Investments in unconsolidated entities 5 17,548 N/A N/A 9
Property loan acquisition and advances 6 36,537 N/A N/A 10
Taxable mortgage revenue bond advance 1 1,000 N/A N/A 12
For the Three Months Ended September 30, 2021
Mortgage revenue bond advances 2 $ 3,995 N/A N/A 6
Governmental issuer loan advances 6 35,582 N/A N/A 7
Investments in unconsolidated entities 3 6,112 N/A N/A 9
Return of investment in unconsolidated entity upon sale 1 8,600 N/A 73 9
Property loan advances 4 14,420 N/A N/A 10
Taxable mortgage revenue bond advance 1 1,000 N/A N/A 12
For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2021
Mortgage revenue bond acquisition and advance 2 $ 6,880 N/A N/A 6
Governmental issuer loan advances 5 26,474 N/A N/A 7
Land acquisition for future development 1 1,054 N/A N/A 8
Investments in unconsolidated entities 2 11,641 N/A N/A 9
Return of investment in unconsolidated entity upon sale 1 10,736 N/A $ 1,366 9
Property loan advances 2 1,859 N/A N/A 10
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2021
Mortgage revenue bond advance 1 $ 2,072 N/A N/A 6
Mortgage revenue bond redemptions 2 7,385 N/A N/A 6
Governmental issuer loan advances 6 39,068 N/A N/A 7
Investments in unconsolidated entities 1 1,426 N/A N/A 9
Return of investment in unconsolidated entity upon sale 1 10,425 N/A $ 702 9
Property loan advances 3 3,000 N/A N/A 10
Taxable governmental issuer loan advance 1 1,000 N/A N/A 12
For the Three Months Ended December 31, 2020
Governmental issuer loan advances 2 $ 2,779 N/A N/A 7
Investments in unconsolidated entities 3 6,717 N/A N/A 9
Property loan advance 1 100 N/A N/A 10
For the Three Months Ended September 30, 2020
Mortgage revenue bond acquisition 1 $ 2,024 N/A N/A 6
Mortgage revenue bond redemption 1 6,480 N/A N/A 6
Governmental issuer loan advances 2 22,085 N/A N/A 7
Investment in an unconsolidated entity 1 6,379 N/A N/A 9
Property loan advances 3 4,066 N/A N/A 10
For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2020
Mortgage revenue bond acquisitions 2 $ 7,475 N/A N/A 6
Governmental issuer loan advance 1 40,000 N/A N/A 7
Investment in an unconsolidated entity 1 893 N/A N/A 9
Return of investment in unconsolidated entity upon sale 1 7,762 N/A N/A 9
Property loan advance 1 1,668 N/A N/A 10
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2020
Mortgage revenue bond redemption 1 $ 3,103 N/A N/A 6
Investments in unconsolidated entities 3 10,270 N/A N/A 9
(1)
See “Cash Available for Distribution” in Item 7 of this Report.
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Recent Financing Activities
The following table presents information regarding the debt financing, derivatives, Series A Preferred Units and partners’ capital activities of the Partnership for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, exclusive of retired debt amounts listed in the recent investment activities table above:
For the Three Months Ended December 31, 2021
Net borrowing on secured LOC 1 $ 39,214 Yes N/A 15
Proceeds from TOB financings with Mizuho 6 61,419 Yes N/A 16
Proceeds from TOB financing with Barclays 1 3,175 Yes N/A 16
For the Three Months Ended September 30, 2021
Proceeds from TOB financings with Mizuho 7 $ 46,223 Yes N/A 16
Proceeds on issuance of BUCs, net of issuance costs 1 31,243 N/A N/A 21
For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2021
Net borrowing on secured LOC 1 $ 6,500 Yes N/A 15
Proceeds from TOB financings with Mizuho 5 30,983 Yes N/A 16
Termination of unsecured operating LOC 1 - No N/A 14
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2021
Net repayment on unsecured LOCs 5 $ 7,475 No N/A 14
Proceeds from TOB financings with Mizuho 5 39,594 Yes N/A 16
For the Three Months Ended December 31, 2020
Net repayment on unsecured LOCs 1 $ 4,368 No N/A 14
Proceeds from TOB Financings with Mizuho 2 8,207 Yes N/A 16
For the Three Months Ended September 30, 2020
Net repayment on unsecured LOCs 1 $ 6,852 No N/A 14
Extension of TOB Financings with Mizuho 10 - Yes N/A 16
Proceeds from new TOB Financings with Mizuho 5 82,345 Yes N/A 16
Repayment of TOB Financings with Mizuho 3 55,867 Yes N/A 16
Proceeds from new Secured Financings with Mizuho 1 103,500 Yes N/A 16
Total return swaps executed 2 - N/A N/A 18
For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2020
Net borrowing on unsecured LOCs 1 $ 6,155 No N/A 14
Proceeds from new TOB Financings with Mizuho 6 91,386 Yes N/A 16
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2020
Net repayment on unsecured LOCs 1 $ 660 No N/A 14
Refinancing of The 50/50 Mortgage and TIF loans 2 - Yes N/A 17
(1)
See “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” in Item 7A of this Report.
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Regulatory Matters
We conduct our operations in reliance on an exemption from registration as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). In this regard, we believe that we and our wholly owned subsidiaries will not be considered investment companies under either Section 3(a)(1)(A) or Section 3(a)(1)(C) of the Investment Company Act. Under Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act, a company is not deemed to be an “investment company” if it neither is, nor holds itself out as being, engaged primarily, nor proposes to engage primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities. Under Section 3(a)(1)(C) of the Investment Company Act, a company is not deemed to be an “investment company” if it neither is engaged, nor proposes to engage, in the business of investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading in securities and does not own or propose to acquire “investment securities” having a value exceeding 40% of the value of its total assets (exclusive of government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. For these purposes, “investment securities” excludes U.S. government securities and securities of majority-owned subsidiaries that are not themselves investment companies and are not relying on the exception from the definition of investment company for private funds under Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act. In addition, we and our wholly owned subsidiaries operate our business under an exclusion from the definition of investment company pursuant to Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act. Under Section 3(c)(5)(C), as interpreted by the SEC staff, a company is required to invest at least 55% of its assets in mortgages and other liens on and interests in real estate, and other real estate-related interests, which are deemed to be “qualifying interests,” and at least 80% of its assets in qualifying interests plus a broader category of “real estate-related assets” in order to qualify for this exception. We monitor our compliance with the foregoing provisions and the holdings of our subsidiaries to ensure that we and each of our subsidiaries are in compliance with an applicable exemption or exclusion from registration as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.
Environmental Matters
We believe each of the MF Properties, the properties securing our MRBs and GILs, and properties owned by unconsolidated entities comply, in all material respects, with federal, state and local regulations regarding hazardous waste and other environmental matters. We are not aware of any environmental contamination at any of these properties that would require any material capital expenditure by the underlying properties, and therefore the Partnership, for the remediation thereof.
Management
We are managed by our General Partner, AFCA 2, which is controlled by its general partner, Greystone Manager. The members of the Board of Managers of Greystone Manager act as the managers (and effectively as the directors) of the Partnership, in compliance with all NASDAQ listing rules and SEC rules applicable to the Partnership. In addition, certain employees of Greystone Manager act as executive officers of the Partnership. Certain services are provided to the Partnership by employees of Greystone Manager and the Partnership reimburses Greystone Manager for its allocated share of their salaries and benefits. The Partnership’s initial limited partner, which has the obligation to perform certain actions on behalf of the BUC holders under the Partnership Agreement, is Greystone ILP, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
AFCA 2 is entitled to an administrative fee equal to 0.45% per annum of the average outstanding principal balance of any MRBs, GILs, property loans, tax-exempt investments or other investments for which an unaffiliated party is not obligated to pay. When the administrative fee is payable by a property owner, it is subordinated to the payment of all interest due to the Partnership for the MRB, GIL or property loan associated with the property. Our Partnership Agreement provides that the administrative fee will be paid directly by us with respect to any investments for which the administrative fee is not payable by the property owner or a third party. In addition, our Partnership Agreement provides that we will pay the administrative fee to the General Partner with respect to any foreclosed MRBs.
AFCA 2 may also earn mortgage placement fees resulting from the identification and evaluation of additional investments that we acquire. Any fees related to the origination of financing facilities are paid by the property owner out of the gross proceeds of the financing. The fees, if any, will be subject to negotiation between AFCA 2 and such property owners.
Human Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2021, the Partnership had no employees. Thirteen employees of Greystone Manager are responsible for the Partnership’s operations, inclusive of the Partnership’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Such employees are subject to the policies and compensation practices of Greystone.
Greystone has implemented evaluation and compensation policies designed to attract, retain, and motivate employees that provide services to the Partnership to achieve superior results. Such policies are designed to balance both short-term and long-term performance of the Partnership. Annual incentive compensation is based on defined performance metrics and certain employees earn discretionary bonuses based upon various quantitative and qualitative metrics. Employees providing services to the Partnership are eligible for awards under the America First Multifamily Investors, L.P. 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), which is designed to provide incentive compensation awards that encourage superior performance. The Plan is also intended to attract and retain the services of individuals
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who are essential for the Partnership’s growth and profitability and to encourage those individuals to devote their best efforts to advancing the Partnership’s business. Greystone also supports employees with an annual confidential employee survey, Employee Assistance Program and ethics hotline.
Greystone provides formal and informal training programs to enhance the skills of employees providing services to the Partnership and to instill Greystone’s corporate policies and practices. The Partnership also reimburses the cost of formal training for those programs that are directly related to the tasks and responsibilities of the employees related to operations of the Partnership.
Greystone and the Partnership are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”). Specific Greystone DEI initiatives include formal diversity training and employee resources groups to support a diverse workforce as well as a formal DEI committee and DEI Leadership Council to lead and advise all DEI related work, events, and learning. Of the 13 employees of Greystone Manager responsible for the Partnership’s operations, two are women and one employee identifies as ethnically diverse.
Greystone Manager is responsible for filling open positions as it relates to the Partnership and considers both internal and external candidates. Greystone Manager may contract with third party search firms to identify candidates for open positions as needed.
Tax Status
We are a partnership for federal income tax purposes. This means that we do not pay federal income taxes on our income. Instead, our profits and losses are allocated to our partners, including the holders of Preferred Units, under the terms of the Partnership Agreement. The distributive share of our income, deductions and credits is reported to our Unitholders on Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Schedule K-1 and Unitholders should include such amount in their respective federal and state income tax returns.
We hold interests in The 50/50 MF Property and certain property loans through a wholly owned subsidiary that is a “C” corporation for income tax purposes. This subsidiary files separate federal and state income tax returnsand is subject to federal and state income taxes.
We consolidate separate legal entities that record and report income taxes based upon their individual legal structure which may include corporations, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies. We do not believe the consolidation of these entities for reporting under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) will impact our tax status, amounts reported to Unitholders on IRS Schedule K-1, our ability to distribute income to Unitholders that we believe is tax-exempt or the current level of quarterly distributions.
All financial information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K is presented on the basis of Accounting Principles Generally Accepted in the United States of America, with the exception of identified Non-GAAP information disclosed in Item 7 of this Report.
General Information
The Partnership is a Delaware limited partnership. The affairs of the Partnership and the conduct of its business are governed by the Partnership Agreement. The Partnership maintains its principal corporate office at 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 211, Omaha, NE 68154, and its telephone number is (402) 952-1235.
Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other reports are filed with the SEC. Copies of our filings with the SEC may be obtained from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or from our website at www.ataxfund.com as soon as reasonably practical after filed with the SEC. Access to these filings is free of charge. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Report.
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Item 1A. Risk Factors
Set forth below are the risks that we believe are material to Unitholders and prospective investors. You should carefully consider the following risk factors and the various other factors identified in or incorporated by reference into any other documents filed by us with the SEC in evaluating our company and our business. The risks discussed herein can materially adversely affect our business, liquidity, operating results, prospects, financial condition and ability to make distributions to our Unitholders, and may cause the market price of our securities to decline. The risk factors described below are not the only risks that may affect us. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or not presently deemed material by us, also may materially adversely affect our business, liquidity, operating results, prospects, financial condition and ability to make distributions to our Unitholders.
Summary Risk Factors
These risks are discussed more fully below and include, but are not limited to, risks related to:
Risks Related to our Business and Investments
•
Our MRBs, GILs, property loans and investments in unconsolidated entities are illiquid assets and our valuation estimates are subject to inherent uncertainty.
•
The receipt of contractual interest and principal payments on our MRBs, GILs and property loans will be affected by the economic results of the secured properties.
•
The rent restrictions and occupant income limitations imposed on properties securing our MRBs and GILs may limit the revenues of such properties.
•
There are risks related to the lease-up of newly constructed or renovated properties that may affect the MRBs, GILs and property loans secured by these properties.
•
Changes in market interest rates pose various risks to our MRBs, GILs and property loans.
•
The repayment of principal of our MRBs, GILs, and property loans is principally dependent upon proceeds from the sale or refinancing of the secured properties.
•
We are subject to various risks associated with our MRB and property loan investments secured by seniors housing and skilled nursing properties.
•
There are various risks associated with our investments in unconsolidated entities.
•
There are risks related to the construction of properties securing our MRBs, GILs and property loans and the multifamily properties that underlie our equity investments in unconsolidated entities.
•
Increases in interest rates may make it difficult for us to finance or refinance our debt obligations and could reduce the number of investments we can acquire as well as cash flow from operations.
•
Our variable-rate debt financing and the market value of assets may be adversely impacted by increasing interest rates.
•
Inflation, and its resulting impact on interest rates, could adversely affect the Partnership’s business and financial results.
•
Conditions in the low income housing tax credit markets due to known or potential changes in U.S. corporate tax rates may increase our cost of borrowing, make financing difficult to obtain or restrict our ability to invest in MRBs and other investments, each of which may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and our business.
•
There are various risks associated with our commitments to fund investments on a draw-down or forward basis.
•
If we acquire ownership of properties securing our MRBs, GILs and/or property loans, we will be subject to all the risks normally associated with the ownership of such properties.
•
Properties securing our MRBs and investments in unconsolidated entities are geographically concentrated in certain states.
•
There is a concentration risk for guarantees related to our GILs and property loans.
•
There is a risk that a third-party developer that has provided guarantees of our returns on investments in unconsolidated entities may not perform.
•
There are risks associated with the financial performance of our investments in MF Properties.
•
There are additional risks when we make property loans to properties securing our MRBs.
•
Properties securing our MRBs, GILs, and property loans as our MF Properties and investments in unconsolidated entities, may not be completely insured against damages from natural disasters.
•
The properties securing our MRBs, GILs, and property loans, our MF Properties and our investments in unconsolidated entities may be subject to liability for environmental contamination which could increase the risk of default or loss on our investment.
•
We are subject to reinvestment risk from maturities and prepayments of our investments.
•
We are managed by our general partner and engage in transactions with related parties.
•
The effects of the outbreak and continued spread of the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19"), or an outbreak of another highly infectious or contagious disease, may adversely affect our business activities, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Debt Financings and Derivative Instruments
•
Our investment strategy involves significant leverage, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
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•
There are risks associated with debt financing programs that involve securitization of our investment assets including, but not limited to:
o
Changes in interest rates can adversely affect the cost of the asset securitization financing.
o
Payments on our residual interests are subordinate to payments on the senior securities and to payment of all trust-related fees.
o
Termination of an asset securitization financing can occur for many reasons which could result in the liquidation of the securitized assets and result in additional losses.
o
An insolvency or receivership of the program sponsor could impair our ability to recover the assets and other collateral pledged in connection with a bond securitization financing.
o
We may be required to post additional collateral if the securitized assets experience a decline in value.
o
There is risk that we will not meet financial covenants, non-financial covenants and risk retention requirements.
•
We are subject to various risks associated with our derivative agreements.
•
We are subject to various risks associated with our secured line of credit arrangements.
Risks Related to Ownership of Beneficial Unit Certificates and Preferred Units
•
Cash distributions related to BUCs may change at the discretion of the Partnership’s general partner.
•
Any future issuances of additional BUCs could cause their market value to decline.
•
Certain rights of our BUC holders are limited by and subordinate to the rights of the holders of our Series A Preferred Units and, if issued, our Series A-1 Preferred Units and Series B Preferred Units, and these rights may have a negative effect on the value of the BUCs.
•
Holders of Preferred Units have extremely limited voting rights.
•
The Partnership’s general partner has the authority to declare cash distributions related to the Preferred Units.
•
Holders of Preferred Units may have liability to repay distributions.
•
We may be required to redeem Preferred Units in the future.
•
The assets held by the Partnership may not be considered qualified investments under the Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”) by the bank regulatory authorities.
•
Under certain circumstances, investors may not receive CRA credit for their investment in the Preferred Units.
•
The Partnership’s portfolio investment decisions may create CRA strategy risks.
•
The Preferred Units are subordinated to existing and future debt obligations, and the interests could be diluted by the issuance of additional units, including additional Preferred Units, and by other transactions.
•
Holders of the Preferred Units may be required to bear the risks of an investment for an indefinite period of time.
•
Treatment of distributions on our Preferred Units is uncertain.
•
There is no public market for the Preferred Units, which may prevent an investor from liquidating its investment.
•
Market interest rates may adversely affect the value of the Preferred Units.
Risks Related to Income Taxes
•
Not all the income received by us is exempt from taxation.
•
To the extent we generate taxable income, Unitholders will be subject to income taxes on this income, whether or not they receive cash distributions.
•
There are limits on the ability of our Unitholders to deduct Partnership losses and expenses allocated to them.
•
Unitholders may incur tax liability if any of the interest on our MRBs or GILs is determined to be taxable.
•
If we are determined to be an association taxable as a corporation, it will have adverse economic consequences for us and our Unitholders.
Risks Related to Governmental and Regulatory Matters
•
We are not registered under the Investment Company Act.
•
Any downgrade, or anticipated downgrade, of U.S. sovereign credit ratings or the credit ratings of the U.S. Government-sponsored entities (“GSEs”) by the various credit rating agencies may materially adversely affect our business.
•
The federal conservatorship of Freddie Mac and related efforts, along with any changes in laws and regulations affecting the relationship between Freddie Mac and the U.S. Government, may materially adversely affect our business.
•
The Partnership faces legislative and regulatory risks in connection with its assets and operations, including under the CRA.
•
The replacement of the London Interbank Bank Offering Rate (“LIBOR”) with an alternative reference rate may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
General Risk Factors
•
We face possible risks associated with the effects of climate change and severe weather.
•
We are increasingly dependent on information technology, and potential disruption, cyber-attacks, security problems, and expanding social media vehicles present new risks.
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Risks Related to our Business and Investments
Our MRBs, GILs, property loans and investments in unconsolidated entities are illiquid assets and our valuation estimates are subject to inherent uncertainty.
Our MRBs, GILs, property loans and investments in unconsolidated entities are relatively illiquid, and there is no existing trading market for them. There are no market makers, price quotations, or other indications of a developed trading market for these investments. In addition, no rating has been issued on any of our investment assets. Accordingly, any buyer of these investment assets would need to perform its own due diligence prior to a purchase. The Partnership’s ability to sell its investment assets and the price it may receive upon their sale, will be affected by the number of potential buyers, the number of similar securities on the market at the time and by other market conditions. As a result, a sale of an investment could result in a loss to the Partnership.
We estimate values of MRBs, GILs, property loans, and investments in unconsolidated entities in the preparation of our financial statements. While the determination of the fair value of our investment assets generally takes into consideration data from third-party pricing services or internally developed models using commonly accepted valuation techniques, the final determination of fair values for our investment assets is based on our judgment, and such valuations may differ from those provided by other pricing services and the true exit price for such investments. Due to the illiquid nature of our investments, valuations may be difficult to obtain, may not be reliable, or may be sensitive to assumptions used in our valuation processes. Depending on the complexity and illiquidity of an asset, valuations of the same asset can vary substantially from one market participant to another. Our results of operations, financial condition and business could be materially adversely affected if our fair value determinations of these assets are materially higher than what could actually be realized in the market.
The receipt of contractual interest and principal payments on our MRBs, GILs and property loans will be affected by the economic results of the secured properties.
Our MRBs require the borrower to make regular principal and interest payments during their contractual term. Although our MRBs are issued by state or local governments, their agencies, and authorities, they are not general obligations of these governmental entities and are not backed by any taxing authority. Instead, each MRB is backed by a non-recourse obligation of the owner of the secured property. Because of the non-recourse nature, the sole source of cash to make regular principal and interest on the MRB is the net cash flow generated by the operation of the secured property and the net proceeds from the ultimate sale or refinancing of the property (except in cases where a property owner or its affiliates has provided a limited guarantee of certain payments). This makes our investments in these MRBs subject to risks usually associated with direct investments in such properties. If a property is unable to sustain net cash flow at a level necessary to pay its debt service obligations on our MRB, a default may occur. Net cash flow and net sale proceeds from a property are applied only to debt service payments of the MRB secured by that property and are not available to satisfy debt service obligations on other MRBs that we hold. In addition, the value of a property at the time of its sale or refinancing will be a direct function of its perceived future profitability. Therefore, the amount of interest that we earn on our MRBs, and whether or not we will receive the entire principal balance of the MRBs as and when due, will depend to a large degree on the economic results of the secured properties.
Our GILs and related property loans require regular interest payments during their contractual term. Although our GILs are issued by state or local governments, their agencies, and authorities, they are not general obligations of these governmental entities and are not backed by any taxing authority. Instead, each GIL is a non-recourse obligation of the owner of the secured property. In addition, the property loans related to properties securing our GILs are on parity with the related GILs and share a first mortgage lien position on all real and personal property. Contractual interest payments during the contractual term are initially paid using capitalized interest in the property’s development budget. However, once the capitalized interest has been exhausted for each property, interest is payable from net operating cash flows of the secured property, which is dependent to a large degree on the property’s operating results.
The net cash flow from the operation of a multifamily property may be affected by many things, such as the number of tenants, rental and fee rates, payroll costs, operating expenses, the cost of repairs and maintenance, taxes, government regulation, competition from other similar multifamily or student residential properties, mortgage rates for single-family housing, adverse developments or conditions resulting from or associated with climate change, and general and local economic conditions. In most of the markets in which the properties securing our MRBs and GILs are located, there is significant competition from other multifamily and single-family housing that is either owned or leased by potential tenants. Low mortgage interest rates and federal tax deductions for interest and real estate taxes make single-family home ownership more accessible to persons who may otherwise rent apartments.
The rent restrictions and occupant income limitations imposed on properties securing our MRBs and GILs may limit the revenues of such properties.
Properties securing our MRBs and GILs are subject to certain federal, state and/or local requirements with respect to the permissible income of their tenants. Since federal rent subsidies are not generally available on these properties, tenant rents are limited in the LIHTC properties to 30% of the related tenant income for the designated portion of the property’s units. The issuing state or local government, agency or authority may also impose additional rent restrictions as a condition to the allocation of LIHTCs and private activity bond volume cap. As a result, the income from these restricted rents in combination with rents on market rate units may not be sufficient to cover all operating costs of the property and debt service on the applicable MRB or GIL.
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There are risks related to the lease-up of newly constructed or renovated properties that may affect the MRBs, GILs and property loans secured by these properties.
We acquire MRBs, GILs and property loans to finance properties in various stages of construction or renovation. As construction or renovation is completed, these properties will move into the lease-up phase. The lease-up of these properties may not be completed on schedule or at anticipated rent levels, resulting in a greater risk of default versus investments secured by mortgages on properties that are stabilized or fully leased. The properties may not achieve expected occupancy or debt service coverage levels. While we may require owners and their affiliates to provide certain payment guarantees during the construction and lease-up phases, we may not be able to do so in all cases or such guarantees may not fully protect us in the event a property is not leased to an adequate level of rents or economic occupancy as anticipated.
Changes in market interest rates pose various risks to our MRBs, GILs and property loans.
Our GILs and certain MRBs and property loans bear interest at variable rates based on various market indices. Certain investments have interest floors which set a minimum interest rate such that if market interest rates fall below the floor rate, we will not experience further decline in interest received. However, in situations in which floors are not in place, decreases in market interest rates will cause a decrease in our interest income and will reduce our operating cash flows.
Furthermore, increases in market interest rates will increase the interest rate of our GILs and certain MRBs and property loans and may increase the cost of construction of the secured properties. Each secured property has established capitalized interest reserves as part of the construction financing structure, but such reserves may be insufficient if the interest rate is significantly higher than anticipated and may cause cost overruns, which could negatively impact the borrower’s ability to make contractual debt service payments.
The repayment of principal of our MRBs, GILs, and property loans is principally dependent upon proceeds from the sale or refinancing of the secured properties.
The principal of most of our MRBs does not fully amortize by their stated maturity dates such that there is a lump-sum “balloon” payment due at maturity. The ability of the property owners to repay the MRBs with balloon payments is dependent upon their ability to sell the properties securing our MRBs or obtain adequate refinancing. The MRBs are not personal obligations of the property owners, and we rely solely on the value of the properties securing these MRBs for collection. Accordingly, if an MRB goes into default, our only recourse is to foreclose on the underlying property. If the value of the underlying property securing the MRB is less than the outstanding principal balance plus accrued interest on the MRB, we will incur a loss.
Our GILs and property loans only require interest payments during their contractual term and do not require the borrower to make principal payments, so all principal will be repaid at the end of their term. The GILs are primarily repaid through a conversion to permanent financing pursuant to a forward commitment from Freddie Mac. Through a Freddie Mac-approved seller/servicer, Freddie Mac will purchase each of the Partnership’s GILs once certain conditions are met, at a price equal to the outstanding principal plus accrued interest and convert the GIL into a Freddie Mac Tax Exemption Loan (“TEL”) financing. The execution of Freddie Mac’s forward commitments is dependent on completion of construction and various other conditions that each property must meet. If such conditions are not met, then Freddie Mac is not required to purchase the GIL and we will pursue collection via other means. The property loans related to our GILs are primarily to be repaid from future equity contributions by investors and other forward financing commitments provided by various parties. If Freddie Mac is not required to purchase the GIL and payment of the property loans from available sources is not made, the GIL and property loan will have defaulted and our recourse is to foreclose on the underlying property and enforce the guarantee provisions against affiliates of the individual property borrower. If the value of the secured property is less than the outstanding principal balance plus accrued interest on the GIL and related property loan, and we are unable to recoup any shortfall through enforcement of guarantees against affiliates of the borrower, then we will incur a loss.
We are subject to various risks associated with our MRB and property loan investments secured by seniors housing and skilled nursing properties.
We have begun acquiring MRBs and properties secured by seniors housing and skilled nursing properties. By their nature, such properties have different operational and financial risks than traditional affordable multifamily properties. The financial and operational risks of such properties may negatively impact a property’s ability to pay contractual debt service on our MRB or property loan investment. Such differences will also impact the availability and interest rates for debt financing associated with such investments.
The net cash flow from the operation of a seniors housing property may be affected by many things, such as the number of tenants, rental rates, service revenues, payroll costs, operating expenses, the cost of repairs and maintenance, taxes, government regulation, competition from other seniors housing properties, the availability of alternative housing options such as single-family housing, adverse developments or conditions resulting from or associated with climate change, and general and local economic conditions. In most of the
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markets in which the properties securing our MRBs and property loans are located, there is significant competition from other multifamily and single-family housing that is either owned or leased by potential tenants.
The net cash flow from the operation of a skilled nursing property may be affected by many things, such as the number of patient care days, patient acuity mix, patient payor mix and insurance reimbursement rates, availability and cost of nurses and staff, costs of care, general operating expenses, the cost of repairs and maintenance, taxes, government regulation, competition from similar properties, adverse developments or conditions resulting from or associated with climate change, and general and local economic conditions. Many such properties are reliant on relationships with physician and hospital networks for patient referrals and support, a lack of which could negatively impact operating results.
There are various risks associated with our investments in unconsolidated entities.
Our investments in unconsolidated entities represent equity investments in limited liability companies created to develop, construct and operate market-rate multifamily rental properties. We are entitled to certain distributions under the terms of the property-specific limited liability company’s governing documents based on the availability of cash to pay such distributions. The only sources of cash flows for such distributions are either the net cash flows from the operation of the property, the cash proceeds from a sale of the property, or through permanent financing in the form of an MRB or other permanent financing. The net cash flow from the operation of a property may be affected by many factors, such as the number of tenants, the rental and fee rates, operating expenses, the cost of repairs and maintenance, taxes, debt service requirements, competition from other similar multifamily rental properties and general and local economic conditions. Sale proceeds are primarily dependent, among other things, on the value of a property to a prospective buyer at the time of its sale. If there are no net cash flows from operations or insufficient proceeds from a sale or a refinancing event, we are unlikely to receive distributions from our investments and we may be unable to recover our investments in these entities.
There are risks related to the construction of properties securing our MRBs, GILs and property loans and the multifamily properties that underlie our equity investments in unconsolidated entities.
We invest in MRBs, GILs and property loans secured by new construction or acquisition/rehabilitation multifamily and seniors housing properties, and we make equity investments in limited liability companies created to develop, construct and operate multifamily rental properties. Construction of such properties generally takes 18 to 36 months to complete. There is a risk that construction of the properties may be substantially delayed or never completed. This may occur for many reasons including (i) insufficient financing to complete the project due to underestimated construction costs or cost overruns; (ii) failure of contractors or subcontractors to perform under their agreements; (iii) availability of construction materials and appliances; (iv) inability to obtain governmental approvals; (v) labor disputes; and (vi) adverse weather and other unpredictable contingencies beyond the control of the developer. While we may be able to protect ourselves from some of these risks by obtaining construction completion guarantees from developers or other parties, agreements of construction lenders to purchase our bonds if construction is not completed on time, and/or payment and performance bonds from contractors, we may not be able to do so in all cases, or such guarantees or bonds may not fully protect us in the event a property is not completed. In other cases, we may decide to forego certain types of available security if we determine that the security is not necessary or is too expensive to obtain in relation to the risks covered.
If a property is not completed on time or costs more to complete than anticipated, it may cause us to receive less than the full amount of interest owed to us on the MRB, GIL and/or property loan secured by such property or otherwise result in a default. In such case, we may be forced to foreclose on the incomplete property and sell it in order to recover the principal and accrued interest on our MRB, GIL and/or property loan. We may suffer a loss of capital as a result. Alternatively, we may decide to finance the remaining construction of the property, in which event we will need to invest additional funds into the property, either as equity or a property loan. Any return on this additional investment would be taxable. Also, if we foreclose on a property, we will no longer receive interest on the MRB, GIL and/or property loan secured by the property. The overall return to us from our investment in this circumstance is likely to be less than if the construction had been completed on time or within budget.
As it relates to our equity investments, if a property is not completed or costs more to complete than anticipated, it may cause us to receive a lower distribution than expected. Furthermore, we may be prevented from receiving a return on our investments or recovering our initial investment, which would adversely affect our results of operations.
Increases in interest rates may make it difficult for us to finance or refinance our debt obligations and could reduce the number of investments we can acquire as well as cash flow from operations.
If debt is unavailable at acceptable rates, we may not be able to purchase and finance additional investments at an acceptable levered return. If we have previously financed the acquisition of an investment, we may be unable to refinance such debt at maturity or may be unable to refinance at acceptable terms. If we refinance our debt at higher rates of interest, our interest expense will increase and our cash flows from operations will be reduced.
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Our variable-rate debt financing and the market value of assets may be adversely impacted by increasing interest rates.
We have financed the acquisition of certain assets using variable-rate debt financing. The interest that we pay on these financings fluctuates with either the market or specific interest rate indices. Certain MRBs securing variable-rate debt financings earn income at fixed rates and the amount of interest we earn on these investments will not change with general movements in market-based interest rates. Accordingly, an increase in the cost of our variable-rate debt financing will cause an increase in our interest expense and will reduce our operating cash flows. We may use derivatives designed to mitigate some but not all the exposure we may have to the negative impact of rising interest rates. In addition, certain GILs and property loans with variable interest rates have floors on the variable rate indices that are greater than the current variable rate index. For such investments, increases in the variable rate index will result in greater interest expense without similar increases in interest income on the GILs and property loans until the variable rate indices exceed the floor rates.
An increase in interest rates could also cause a decrease in the market value of our assets, which may decrease the amount realized on the sale of our investments. During periods of low prevailing interest rates, the interest rates we earn on new interest-bearing assets we acquire may be lower than the interest rates on our existing portfolio of interest-bearing assets.
Inflation, and its resulting impact on interest rates, could adversely affect the Partnership’s business and financial results.
Inflation typically is accompanied by higher interest rates, which could adversely impact borrowers’ ability to obtain financing on favorable terms, thereby decreasing MRBs, GILs and property loan investment opportunities. Such higher interest rates due to inflation may also cause an increase the Partnership’s borrowing costs which will decrease the net return on our investments. Higher interest rates due to inflation may also depress investment asset values due to a decrease in demand or increasing cost of operations, such that the Partnership may record charges against its earnings for asset impairments that may be material.
Inflation could cause increases in the operating costs at our MF Properties, investments in unconsolidated entities, and the Partnership’s general operations, decreasing the Partnership’s operating cash flows. The majority of tenant leases at our MF Properties and investments in unconsolidated entities are for one year or less. The short-term nature of these leases generally serves to reduce the risk to the properties of the adverse effects of inflation; however, market conditions may prevent such properties from increasing rental rates in amounts sufficient to offset higher operating expenses.
Conditions in the low income housing tax credit markets due to known or potential changes in U.S. corporate tax rates may increase our cost of borrowing, make financing difficult to obtain or restrict our ability to invest in MRBs and other investments, each of which may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and our business.
Conditions in the low income housing tax credit market due to changes in the U.S. corporate tax rates have previously had, and may in the future have, an adverse impact on our cost of borrowings and may also restrict our ability to invest in MRBs and other investments. These conditions, as well as the cost and availability of financing has been, and may continue to be, adversely affected in all markets in which we operate. Concern about the stability of the low income housing tax credit markets has led many lenders and institutional investors to reduce, and in some cases cease providing, funding to borrowers. Our access to debt financing may be adversely affected. Changes in the U.S. tax rates, and the resulting impacts to the low income housing tax credit market, may limit our ability to replace or renew maturing debt financing on a timely basis, may impair our ability to acquire MRBs and other investments and may impair our access to capital markets to meet our liquidity and growth requirements which may have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
There are various risks associated with our commitments to fund investments on a draw-down or forward basis.
We have committed to advance funds for various investments on a draw-down basis during construction. We may also forward commit to purchase MRBs at a future date, contingent upon stabilization of an affordable multifamily rental property. Our total outstanding investment commitments were approximately $350.3 million as of December 31, 2021. We manage our debt financing arrangements and liquidity sources to maintain the financial capacity to fund our investment commitments over time. However, if our traditional liquidity sources are insufficient to fund our investment commitments, we will need to obtain funds by other methods, including, but not limited to, alternative financing arrangements or sales of assets in order to meet our investment commitments. This could negatively impact our results of operations through higher costs or lower investment returns.
If we acquire ownership of properties securing our MRBs, GILs and/or property loans, we will be subject to all the risks normally associated with the ownership of such properties.
We may acquire ownership of multifamily, seniors housing or skilled nursing properties securing our MRBs, GILs and property loans in the event of a default, which will subject us to all the risks normally associated with the ownership and operation of such properties. Such risks include, but are not limited to, declines in property values, occupancy and rental rates, increases in operating expenses, and the ability to finance or refinance related debt, if needed. We may also be subject to government regulations, natural
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disasters, and environmental issues, any of which could have an adverse effect on our financial results, cash flows and our ability to sell the properties.
Properties securing our MRBs and investments in unconsolidated entities are geographically concentrated in certain states.
The properties securing our MRBs are geographically dispersed throughout the United States, with significant concentrations in Texas, California, and South Carolina. Such concentrations expose us to potentially negative effects of local or regional economic downturns, which could prevent us from collecting principal and interest on our MRBs.
Eight of our 12 investments in unconsolidated entities as of December 31, 2021 are related to multifamily properties in Texas. In addition, one of our JV Equity Investments for a property in Texas is reported as a consolidated VIE as of December 31, 2021. Such concentration exposes us to potentially negative effects of local or regional economic downturns, which could prevent us from realizing returns on our investments and recovery of our investment capital.
There is a concentration risk for guarantees related to our GILs and property loans.
Two entities, which are affiliates of one of our developer relationships, have provided limited-to-full payment guarantees of the principal and interest for nine of our GILs and seven property loans. The entities are required to meet certain net worth and liquidity covenants under the terms of the guarantees. However, significant defaults causing enforcement of guarantees against the two entities will negatively impact our ability to enforce our guarantees in the event of multiple defaults on our GIL and property loan investments.
There is a risk that a third-party developer that has provided guarantees of our returns on investments in unconsolidated entities may not perform.
A third party guarantor has provided a guarantee of returns on each of our investments in unconsolidated entities through the fifth anniversary of construction commencement, up to a maximum amount for each investment. If the underlying multifamily rental properties do not generate sufficient cash proceeds, either through net cash flows from operations or upon a sale event or refinancing, then we are entitled to enforce the guarantee against the guarantor. If the guarantor is unable to perform on the guarantee, we may be prevented from realizing the returns earned on our investments in unconsolidated entities during the guarantee period, which will result in the recognition of losses.
There are risks associated with the financial performance of our investments in MF Properties.
The financial performance of our investments in MF Properties depends on the rental and occupancy rates of the properties and the level of operating expenses. Occupancy rates and rents are directly affected by the supply of, and demand for, apartments in the market area in which a property is located. This, in turn, is affected by several factors such as local or national economic conditions, and the amount of new apartment construction and interest rates on single-family mortgage loans. In addition, factors such as government regulation, inflation, real estate and other taxes, labor problems, and natural disasters can affect the economic operations of the properties. The MF Properties are adjacent to universities and serve primarily university students. The implementation of remote learning due to COVID-19, or for any other reason, would have a negative impact on economic occupancy and physical occupancy. We may be in competition with other residential rental properties located in the same geographic areas as the properties securing our MRBs, GILs and property loans.
There are additional risks when we make property loans to properties securing our MRBs.
The property loans that we make to owners of the properties securing our MRBs are recourse obligations of the property owner and may not be secured by the related property. However, the primary source of principal and interest payments on these property loans is the net cash flow generated by these properties or the net proceeds from the sale or refinancing of these properties after payment of the related MRBs. The net cash flow from the operation of a property may be impacted by many factors as previously discussed. In addition, any payment of principal and interest is subordinate to payment of all principal and interest of the MRB secured by the property. As a result, there is a greater risk of default on a property loan than on the associated MRB. If a property is unable pay current debt service obligations on its property loan, a default may occur. Property loans may not be secured by the underlying properties and we do not expect to pursue foreclosure or other remedies against a property upon default of a property loan if the property is not in default on the MRB.
Properties securing our MRBs, GILs, and property loans as our MF Properties and investments in unconsolidated entities, may not be completely insured against damages from natural disasters.
If a property underlying an investment was to be damaged by a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, major storm or wildfire, the amount of uninsured losses could be significant, and the property owner may not have the resources to fully rebuild the property. In addition, the damage to a property may result in all or a portion of the rental units not being rentable for a period of time. If a property
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owner does not carry rental interruption insurance, the loss of rental income would reduce the cash flow available to pay principal and interest on MRBs, GILs and property loans secured by these properties. In addition, the property owner could also lose their LIHTCs if the property was not repaired. A loss of rental income would also reduce the ability of our MF Properties and investments in unconsolidated entities to pay us distributions.
The properties securing our MRBs, GILs, and property loans, our MF Properties and our investments in unconsolidated entities may be subject to liability for environmental contamination which could increase the risk of default or loss on our investment.
The owner or operator of real property may become liable for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous substances released on its property. Various federal, state and local laws often impose such liability without regard to whether the owner or operator of real property knew of, or was responsible for, the release of such hazardous substances. We cannot assure that the properties that secure our MRBs, GILs, and property loans, our MF Properties and our investments in unconsolidated entities are or will not be contaminated. The costs associated with the remediation of any such contamination may be significant and may exceed the value of a property or result in the property owner defaulting on the MRB. GIL or property loan secured by the property or otherwise result in a loss of our investment in the property.
We are subject to reinvestment risk from maturities and prepayments of our investments.
MRBs may have optional call dates that may be exercised by either the borrower or the Partnership that are earlier than the contractual maturity at either par or premiums to par. In addition, our GILs and most property loans are prepayable at any time without penalty. Borrowers may choose to redeem our investments if prevailing market interest rates are lower than the interest rate on our investment asset or for other reasons. In order to maintain or grow our investment portfolio size and earnings, we must reinvest repayment proceeds in new assets. New MRB, GIL and property loan opportunities may not generate the same returns as our current investments such that our reported operating results may decline over time.
Similarly, we are subject to reinvestment risk on the return of capital from sales of investments in unconsolidated entities. Our strategy involves making equity investments in unconsolidated entities for the development, stabilization and sale of market-rate multifamily rental properties. Our initial equity contributions are returned upon sale of the properties underlying the unconsolidated entities, at which time we will reinvest the capital into new unconsolidated entities or other investments. New investment opportunities may not generate the same returns as our prior investments due to factors including, but not limited to, increasing competition in the development of market-rate multifamily rental properties, rising interest rates and increasing construction costs. Lower returns on new investment opportunities will result in declining operating results over time.
We are managed by our general partner and engage in transactions with related parties.
The Partnership’s general partner is controlled by affiliates of Greystone. Employees of Greystone Manager are responsible for the Partnership’s operations, including the Partnership’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. The Partnership’s general partner manages our investments, performs administrative services for us and earns administrative fees that are paid by either the borrowers related to our MRBs, GILs or by us. The Partnership may enter into various arrangements for services provided by entities controlled by or affiliates of Greystone. Our arrangements with Greystone and its affiliates are considered related party transactions. By their nature, related party transactions may not be considered to have been negotiated at arm’s length. These relationships may also cause a conflict of interest in other situations where we are negotiating with Greystone or its affiliates. See Note 23 of the Partnership’s consolidated financial statements for additional details.
The effects of the outbreak and continued spread of the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19"), or an outbreak of another highly infectious or contagious disease, may adversely affect our business activities, financial condition and results of operations.
Our business is dependent in large part on the willingness and ability of real estate developers to construct and operate the multifamily, seniors housing, skilled nursing and commercial properties securing MRBs, GILs, property loans and other investments. The spread of a highly infectious or contagious disease, such as COVID-19, may cause severe disruptions in the U.S. economy, which may in turn disrupt the business, activities, and operations of properties securing or related to our investments, as well as our business and operations.
The spread of COVID-19 or another highly contagious disease may cause elevated levels of unemployment or reduced economic output in our market areas and has or will cause financial hardship for tenants of multifamily and seniors housing properties, which may decrease rent collections. The U.S. government has or may institute various relief measures intended to provide economic assistance to businesses and individuals, but it is uncertain if such relief measures will be sufficient for the tenants of multifamily and seniors housing properties to avoid defaulting on their rent obligations, which would result in lower rent collections by project owners. In addition, many state and local governments have or may issue regulations preventing the eviction of tenants for a period of time, which limits the ability of multifamily and seniors housing properties to replace non-paying tenants, which may further negatively impact rent collections. In
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addition, shelter-in-place and social distancing measures imposed as a result of COVID-19, or another highly infectious or contagious disease, will create challenges for the leasing of units and stabilization of projects that have completed construction. Lower rent collections and occupancy will negatively impact the ability of properties securing our MRBs, GILs, and property loans to meet debt service obligations. Lower rent collections and occupancy will also negatively impact the operating results of our MF Properties and the distributions and returns from our investments in unconsolidated entities
COVID-19, or another highly infectious or contagious disease, may cause significant volatility in the financial markets and the operating performance of properties related to our investments, which may negatively impair the value of our investments and cause us to recognize impairments. Such impairments may also require us to post additional collateral for our trust securitization financing arrangements, inhibit our ability to renew or obtain leverage for our investments, and lower the potential proceeds received on the sale of our investments. In addition, financial market volatility may prevent us from issuing additional BUCs or Preferred Units, which would negatively impact our access to additional capital and liquidity.
COVID-19, or another highly infectious or contagious disease, may disrupt the supply chain for materials and labor required for the construction of multifamily and seniors housing properties securing our MRBs, GILs, and property loans and multifamily properties that underlie our investments in unconsolidated entities, causing delays in construction leading to additional costs to complete construction.
COVID-19, or another highly infectious or contagious disease, may necessitate employees of Greystone that manage our operations to work remotely or, if such employees are infected, may limit their ability to perform essential tasks. Though we maintain policies and contingencies if such employees are unavailable, there may be temporary disruptions to our day-to-day operations. In addition, COVID-19, or another highly infectious or contagious disease may also negatively impact the business and operations of third-party service providers who perform critical services for us.
Risks Related to Debt Financings and Derivative Instruments
Our investment strategy involves significant leverage, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
We may increase our investment risk exposure by funding a portion of new investments with debt financing or other borrowing arrangements. To the extent that income derived from such levered assets exceeds our interest expense, hedging expense and other costs of the financing, our net income will be greater than if we had not borrowed funds and had not invested in such assets on a leveraged basis. Conversely, if the revenue from our investment do not sufficiently cover the interest expense, hedging expense and other costs of the financing, our net income will be less or our net loss will be greater than if we had not borrowed funds. Because of the credit and interest rate risks inherent in our investment strategies, we closely monitor the leverage of our investment portfolio. From time to time, our leverage ratio may increase or decrease due to several factors, including changes in the value of the underlying portfolio, changes in investment allocations and the timing and amount of acquisitions.
There are risks associated with debt financing programs that involve securitization of our investment assets.
We obtain debt financing through various securitization programs related to our MRBs, GILs and property loans. The terms of these securitization programs differ, but in general require our investment assets be placed into a trust or other special purpose entity that issues a senior security to unaffiliated investors while we retain a residual interest. The trust administrator receives all the principal and interest payments from the underlying assets and distributes proceeds to holders of the various security interests. The senior securities are paid contractual principal and interest at a variable or fixed rate, depending on the terms of the security. As the holder of the residual interest, we are entitled to any remaining principal and interest after payment of all trust-related fees (i.e. trustee fees, remarketing agent fees, liquidity provider fees, credit enhancement fees, etc.). Specific risks generally associated with these asset securitization programs include the following:
Changes in interest rates can adversely affect the cost of the asset securitization financing.
The interest rates payable on certain senior securities are variable. The senior securities associated with our M33 TEBS and TOB Trust securitizations have variable interest rates that reset on a weekly basis. The interest rate is determined by the respective remarketing agents based on the rate third party purchasers are willing to receive to purchase the senior securities at par. Changes in such rates are generally, though not always, consistent with movements in market interest rate indices. In addition, because the senior securities may typically be tendered back to the trust, causing the trust to remarket the senior securities from time to time, an increase in interest rates may be required in order to successfully remarket these securities. Any increase in the interest rate payable on the senior securities will cause an increase in our interest expense and decrease the amount of residual cash flows available to us. Higher short-term interest rates will reduce, and could even eliminate, our return on residual interests.
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Payments on our residual interests are subordinate to payments on the senior securities and to payment of all trust-related fees.
Our residual interests are subordinate to the senior securities and payment of all trust-related fees. As a result, none of the interest received by such a trust will be paid to us as the holder of a residual interest until all payments currently due on the senior securities have been paid in full and all trust expenses satisfied. As the holder of residual interests in these trusts, we can look only to the assets of the trust remaining after payment of these senior obligations for payment on the residual interests. No third party guarantees the payment of any return to be received for our residual interests.
Termination of an asset securitization financing can occur for many reasons which could result in the liquidation of the securitized assets and result in additional losses.
In general, the trust or other special purpose entity formed for an asset securitization financing can terminate for many different reasons relating to issues with the assets or issues with the trust itself. Potential termination triggers related to the securitized assets include non-payment of debt service or other defaults or a determination that the interest on the assets is taxable. Potential termination triggers related to a trust include a downgrade in the investment rating of the trust credit enhancer, a ratings downgrade of the liquidity provider for the trust, increases in short term interest rates in excess of the interest paid on the underlying assets, an inability to remarket the senior securities or an inability to obtain credit or liquidity support for the trust. In each of these cases, the trust will be collapsed and the securitized assets held by the trusts will be sold. If the proceeds from the sale of the trust collateral are not sufficient to pay the principal amount of the senior securities plus accrued interest and all trust-related expenses then, we will be required, through our guarantee of the trusts, to fund any such shortfall. The Partnership, as holder of the residual interest in the trust, may lose our investment in the residual interest and realize additional losses to fully repay senior trust obligations.
An insolvency or receivership of the program sponsor could impair our ability to recover the assets and other collateral pledged in connection with a bond securitization financing.
In the event the sponsor of an asset securitization financing program becomes insolvent, it could be placed in receivership. In that situation, it is possible that we would not be able to recover the investment assets or other collateral pledged in connection with the securitization financing or that we will not receive all payments due on our residual interests.
We may be required to post additional collateral if the securitized assets experience a decline in value.
The Partnership may be required to post collateral, typically in cash, related to the TOB Trusts with Mizuho and Barclays. The amount of collateral posting required is dependent on the valuation of the underlying securitized assets in relation to thresholds set by the lenders on each business day. Our net exposure, as calculated by Mizuho, was a positive position of approximately $4.6 million as of December 31, 2021. If the value of the Partnership’s positions with Mizuho, having an aggregate principal of approximately $500.0 million as of December 31, 2021, decreases by over $4.6 million then the Partnership will be required to post cash collateral for the net negative exposure. Our net exposure, as calculated by Barclays was zero as of December 31, 2021.
There is risk that we will not meet financial covenants, non-financial covenants and risk retention requirements.
We are subject to various financial and non-financial covenants according to our master agreements with Mizuho and Barclays. Such covenants included, but are not limited to, maintaining minimum partners’ capital balances, certain limits on declines in net assets over specified time periods, certain limitations on leverage, and requiring that the Partnership remained listed on the NASDAQ. Failure to comply with these covenants could result in an event of default, termination of the trust securitizations, acceleration of all amounts owed, and generally would give the counterparty the right to exercise certain other remedies under the master agreements. Further, certain of our master agreements have cross-default, cross-acceleration or similar provisions, such that if we were to violate a covenant under one trust securitization, that violation could lead to defaults, accelerations, or other adverse events under other trust securitizations as well.
Certain regulations related to our TOB trust securitizations require that we maintain a minimum economic interest in the residual and/or senior interests issued by the trust. Declines in the value of the securitized assets below certain levels will require us to purchase senior securities to satisfy our minimum risk retention requirements, which will negatively impact our liquidity and leveraged returns
We are subject to various risks associated with our derivative agreements.
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We purchase derivative instruments to either (i) mitigate some, but not all, of our exposure to rising interest rates, or (ii) reduce the net interest cost related to our Secured Notes. There is no assurance these instruments will fully insulate us from any adverse financial consequences resulting from rising interest rates. In addition, our risks from derivative instruments include the following:
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The costs to purchase our derivative instruments may not be recovered over the term of the derivative.
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The counterparty may be unable to perform its obligations to us under the instrument.
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If a liquid secondary market does not exist for these instruments, we may be required to maintain a derivative position until exercise or expiration, which could result in losses to us.
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There may be a lack of available counterparties with acceptable credit profiles that are willing to originate derivative instruments for interest rate indices that match our variable interest rate exposure, such as the SIFMA index. In such instances, we may enter into derivative instruments related to different interest rate indices that we believe correlate closely with our variable interest rate exposure. However, we cannot be certain that such close correlation will be realized.
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Changes in interest rates can adversely affect the net interest cost of the total return swaps and related Secured Notes.
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The Partnership is required to post collateral associated with a decline in the fair value of the Secured Notes below the outstanding principal amount.
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Upon termination of the total return swaps, the Partnership is required to cash settle any deficit associated with the fair value of the Secured Notes compared to the outstanding principal amount.
We report our derivative instruments at fair value on our financial statements with changes recorded in current earnings. This can result in significant period to period volatility in our reported net income over the term of these instruments.
We are subject to various risks associated with our secured line of credit arrangements.
We have two secured line of credit facilities that we utilize as temporary financing for our investment acquisitions and for general working capital needs. Balances on our secured line of credit facilities are secured by certain investments assets pledged as collateral. We are subject to certain financial and non-financial covenants, which if not maintained, will cause a default and acceleration of amounts due, negatively impacting our liquidity. Furthermore, declines in collateral values may trigger requirements that we repay balances or a portion of balances early or limit the amount that can be drawn under a borrowing base calculation for one of the facilities. One of our secured line of credit facilities has a deficiency guaranty provided by an affiliate, Greystone Select Incorporated (“Greystone Select”), and is subject to various financial and non-financial covenants. A covenant default by Greystone Select will trigger a default on our obligations under the line of credit facility and accelerate amounts owed to the lenders.
Risks Related to Ownership of Beneficial Unit Certificates and Preferred Units
Cash distributions related to BUCs may change at the discretion of the Partnership’s general partner.
The amount of the cash per BUC distributed by the Partnership may increase or decrease at the determination of the Partnership’s general partner based on its assessment of the amount of cash available to us for this purpose, as well as other factors it deems to be relevant. We may supplement our cash available for distribution with unrestricted cash. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash from operations, we may need to reduce the level of cash distributions per BUC from current levels. In addition, there is no assurance that we will be able to maintain our current level of annual cash distributions per BUC even if we complete our current investment plans. Any change in our distribution policy could have a material adverse effect on the market price of our BUCs.
Any future issuances of additional BUCs could cause their market value to decline.
We may issue additional BUCs from time to time to raise additional equity capital. The issuance of additional BUCs will cause dilution of the existing BUCs and may cause a decrease in the market price of the BUCs.
Certain rights of our BUC holders are limited by and subordinate to the rights of the holders of our Series A Preferred Units and, if issued, our Series A-1 Preferred Units and Series B Preferred Units, and these rights may have a negative effect on the value of the BUCs.
The holders of our Preferred Units, and any other class or series of Partnership interests or securities we may issue in the future that are expressly designated as ranking senior to the BUCs, have rights with respect to anticipated quarterly distributions and rights upon liquidation, dissolution, or the winding-up of the Partnership’s affairs which are senior to those of the holders of BUCs. In addition, upon a liquidation of the Partnership, lenders with respect to our borrowings will be entitled to receive our available assets prior to any
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distributions to the holders of our Preferred Units and BUCs. The holders of our Preferred Units also have the right to have their units redeemed by the Partnership under certain circumstances. The existence of these senior rights and preferences may have a negative effect on the value of the BUCs.
Holders of Preferred Units have extremely limited voting rights.
The voting rights of a holder of Preferred Units are extremely limited. Our BUCs are the only class of our partnership interests carrying full voting rights.
The Partnership’s general partner has the authority to declare cash distributions related to the Preferred Units.
The holders of Preferred Units are entitled to receive non-cumulative cash distributions, when, as, and if declared by the Partnership’s general partner, out of funds legally available therefor, at stated annual rates. Under the terms of the Partnership Agreement, the Partnership’s General Partner has the authority, based on its assessment of the amount of cash available to us for distributions, not to declare distributions to the holders of the Preferred Units.
Holders of Preferred Units may have liability to repay distributions.
Under certain circumstances, holders of the Series A Preferred Units may have to repay amounts wrongfully returned or distributed to them. Under Section 17-607 of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, we may not make a distribution if the distribution would cause the Partnership’s liabilities to exceed the fair value of its assets. Liabilities to partners on account of their partnership interests and liabilities that are non-recourse to the Partnership are not counted for purposes of determining whether a distribution is permitted.
Delaware law provides that for a period of three years from the date of an impermissible distribution, limited partners who received the distribution and who knew at the time of the distribution that it violated Delaware law will be liable to the limited partnership for the distribution amount. A purchaser of Preferred Units who becomes a limited partner is liable for the obligations of the transferring limited partner to make contributions to the Partnership that are known to such purchaser of Preferred Units at the time it became a limited partner and for unknown obligations if the liabilities could be determined from our Partnership Agreement.
We may be required to redeem Preferred Units in the future.
Under the terms of the Series A and Series A-1 Preferred Units, upon the sixth anniversary of the closing of the sale to an investor, and upon each anniversary thereafter, each holder of such Preferred Units will have the right, but not the obligation, to cause the Partnership to redeem, in whole or in part, the units held by such holder at a per unit redemption price equal to $10.00 per unit plus an amount equal to all declared and unpaid distributions thereon to the date of redemption. Under the terms of the Series B Preferred Units, upon the eighth anniversary of the closing of the sale to an investor, and upon each anniversary thereafter, each holder of such Preferred Units will have the right, but not the obligation, to cause the Partnership to redeem, in whole or in part, the units held by such holder at a per unit redemption price equal to $10.00 per unit plus an amount equal to all declared and unpaid distributions thereon to the date of redemption. Holders of the Preferred Units must provide written notice to the General Partner of their intent to redeem at least 180 days prior to the redemption date. In addition, if the General Partner determines that the ratio of the aggregate market value of issued and outstanding BUCs to the aggregate value of issued and outstanding Series A Preferred Units and Series A-1 Preferred Units has fallen below 1.0 and has remained below 1.0 for a period of 15 consecutive business days, then each holder of Series A, Series A-1 and Series B Preferred Units will have the right to redeem, in whole or in part, the Preferred Units held by such holder at a per unit redemption price equal to $10.00 per unit plus all declared and unpaid distributions thereon to the date of redemption. If such redemptions occur, we will be required to fund redemption proceeds using, including, but not limited to, our secured line of credit, cash on hand, alternative financing, or the sale of assets. Such actions may limit our ability to make additional investments with accretive returns and may negatively impact our results of operations through higher costs or lower investment returns.
Certain holders of our Series A Preferred Units are nearing the sixth anniversary of the original issuance of their units and, therefore, will become eligible to redeem their units at the option of the holders. We have received no redemption notices from holders as of December 31, 2021.
If we do not have sufficient funds available to fulfill these obligations, we may be unable to satisfy an investor’s redemption right.
The assets held by the Partnership may not be considered qualified investments under the Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”) by the bank regulatory authorities.
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In most cases, “qualified investments” are required to be responsive to the community development needs of a financial institution’s delineated CRA assessment area or a broader statewide or regional area that includes the institution’s assessment area. For an institution to receive CRA credit with respect to the Partnership’s Preferred Units, the Partnership must hold CRA qualifying investments that relate to the institution’s assessment area.
As defined in the CRA, qualified investments are any lawful investments, deposits, membership shares, or grants that have as their primary purpose community development. The term “community development” is defined in the CRA as: (1) affordable housing (including multifamily rental housing) for low- to moderate-income individuals; (2) community services targeted to low- or moderate-income individuals; (3) activities that promote economic development by financing businesses or farms that meet the size eligibility standards of 13 C.F.R. §121.802(a)(2) and (3) or have gross annual revenues of $1 million or less; or (4) activities that revitalize or stabilize low- or moderate-income geographies, designated disaster areas, or distressed or underserved non-metropolitan middle-income geographies designated by the federal banking regulators.
In June 2020, the OCC adopted amendments to its CRA regulations that resulted in the financial institutions for which it is the primary federal regulator (i.e., national banks and federal savings associations) to be subject to different CRA standards than those that apply to the state-chartered banks for which either the FDIC or FRB is the primary federal regulator. The OCC’s 2020 regulations, among other things, replaced the term “qualified investments” with “community development investments,” which the regulation defined to include lawful investments or legally binding commitments to invest that are reported on the Call Report, Schedule RC–L that meet the expanded community development “qualifying activities” criteria in the rule.
Parts of this June 2020 amendment to the OCC’s CRA regulations became effective on October 1, 2020, but the more material provisions would not have taken effect until January 1, 2023 or January 1, 2024. On September 8, 2021, the OCC issued a proposal to rescind its June 2020 final rule and replace it with a rule largely based on its CRA regulations that existed prior to the adoption of its June 2020 amendments. The OCC stated in the preamble to this proposal that it intended to align its CRA rules with the FRB’s and FDIC’s CRA rules, and thereby reinstitute the regulatory uniformity for all insured depository institutions that existed prior to the OCC’s adoption of its June 2020 rule. On December 14, 2021, the OCC adopted a final rule implementing these changes to its CRA regulations, which became effective on January 1, 2022.
Investments are not typically designated as qualifying investments by the OCC, FRB or FDIC at the time of issuance. Accordingly, the General Partner must evaluate whether each potential investment may be a qualifying investment with respect to a specific Unitholder. The final determinations that Partnership units are qualifying investments are made by the OCC, FRB or FDIC and, where applicable, state bank supervisory agencies during their periodic examinations of financial institutions. There is no assurance that the agencies will concur with the General Partner’s determinations.
Each holder of the Partnership’s Preferred Units is a limited partner of the Partnership, not just of the investments in its Designated Target Region(s). The financial returns on an investor’s investment will be determined based on the performance of all the assets in the Partnership’s geographically diverse portfolio, not just by the performance of the assets in the Designated Target Region(s) selected by the investor.
In determining whether a particular investment is qualified, the General Partner will assess whether the investment has as its primary purpose community development. The General Partner will consider whether the investment: (1) provides affordable housing for low- to moderate-income individuals; (2) provides community services targeted to low- to moderate-income individuals; (3) funds activities that (a) finance businesses or farms that meet the size eligibility standards of the Small Business Administration’s Development Company or Small Business Investment Company programs or have annual revenues of $1 million or less and (b) promote economic development; or (4) funds activities that revitalize or stabilize low- to moderate-income areas. The General Partner may also consider whether an investment revitalizes or stabilizes a designated disaster area or an area designated by those agencies as a distressed or underserved non-metropolitan middle-income area.
An activity may be deemed to promote economic development if it supports permanent job creation, retention, and/or improvement for persons who are currently low- to moderate-income, or supports permanent job creation, retention, and/or improvement in low- to moderate-income areas targeted for redevelopment by federal, state, local, or tribal governments. Activities that revitalize or stabilize a low- to moderate-income geography are activities that help attract and retain businesses and residents. The General Partner maintains documentation, readily available to a financial institution or an examiner, supporting its determination that a Partnership asset is a qualifying investment for CRA purposes.
An investment in the Preferred Units is not a deposit or obligation of, or insured or guaranteed by, any entity or person, including the U.S. Government and the FDIC. The value of the Partnership’s assets will vary, reflecting changes in market conditions, interest rates, and other political and economic factors. There is no assurance that the Partnership can achieve its investment objective, since all
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investments are inherently subject to market risk. There also can be no assurance that either the Partnership’s investments or Preferred Units of the Partnership will receive investment test credit under the CRA.
Under certain circumstances, investors may not receive CRA credit for their investment in the Preferred Units.
The CRA requires the three federal bank supervisory agencies, the FRB, the OCC, and the FDIC, to encourage the institutions they regulate to help meet the credit needs of their local communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. Each agency has promulgated rules for evaluating and rating an institution’s CRA performance which, as the following summary indicates, vary according to an institution’s asset size. An institution’s CRA performance can also be adversely affected by evidence of discriminatory credit practices regardless of its asset size.
For an institution to receive CRA credit with respect to an investment in the Preferred Units, the Partnership must hold CRA qualifying investments that relate to the institution’s delineated CRA assessment area. The Partnership expects that an investment in its Preferred Units will be considered a qualified investment under the CRA, but neither the Partnership nor the General Partner has received an interpretative letter from the FFIEC stating that an investment in the Partnership is considered eligible for regulatory credit under the CRA. Moreover, there is no guarantee that future changes to the CRA or future interpretations by the FFIEC will not affect the continuing eligibility of the Partnership’s investments. So that an investment in the Partnership may be considered a qualified investment, the Partnership will seek to invest only in investments that meet the prevailing community investing standards put forth by U.S. regulatory agencies.
In this regard, the Partnership expects that a majority of its investments will be considered eligible for regulatory credit under the CRA, but there is no guarantee that an investor will receive CRA credit for its investment in the Preferred Units. For example, a state banking regulator may not consider the Partnership eligible for regulatory credit. If CRA credit is not given, there is a risk that an investor may not fulfill its CRA requirements.
The Partnership’s portfolio investment decisions may create CRA strategy risks.
Portfolio investment decisions take into account the Partnership’s goal of holding MRBs and other securities in designated geographic areas and will not be exclusively based on the investment characteristics of such assets, which may or may not have an adverse effect on the Partnership’s investment performance. CRA qualified assets in geographic areas sought by the Partnership may not provide as favorable return as CRA qualified assets in other geographic areas. The Partnership may sell assets for reasons relating to CRA qualification at times when such sales may not be desirable and may hold short-term investments that produce relatively low yields pending the selection of long-term investments believed to be CRA-qualified.
The Preferred Units are subordinated to existing and future debt obligations, and the interests could be diluted by the issuance of additional units, including additional Preferred Units, and by other transactions.
The Preferred Units are subordinated to all existing and future indebtedness, including indebtedness outstanding under any senior bank credit facility. The Partnership may incur additional debt under its senior bank credit facility or future credit facilities. The payment of principal and interest on its debt reduces cash available for distribution to Unitholders, including the Preferred Units.
The Series A Preferred Units and Series A-1 Preferred Units are pari passu and senior to the Series B Preferred Units. The issuance of additional units pari passu with or senior to the existing series of Preferred Units would dilute the interests of the holders of the Preferred Units, and any issuance of senior securities, parity securities, or additional indebtedness could affect the Partnership’s ability to pay distributions on or redeem the Preferred Units.
Holders of the Preferred Units may be required to bear the risks of an investment for an indefinite period of time.
Holders of the Preferred Units may be required to bear the financial risks of an investment in the Preferred Units for an indefinite period of time. In addition, the Preferred Units will rank junior to all Partnership current and future indebtedness (including indebtedness outstanding under the Partnership’s senior bank credit facility) and other liabilities, and any other senior securities we may issue in the future with respect to assets available to satisfy claims against the Partnership.
Treatment of distributions on our Preferred Units is uncertain.
The tax treatment of distributions on our Preferred Units is uncertain. We will treat the holders of Preferred Units as partners for tax purposes and will treat distributions paid to holders of Preferred Units as being made to such holders in their capacity as partners. If the Preferred Units are not partnership interests, they likely would constitute indebtedness for U.S. federal income tax purposes and distributions to the holders of Preferred Units would constitute ordinary interest income to holders of Preferred Units. If Preferred Units
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are treated as partnership interests, but distributions to holders of Preferred Units are not treated as being made to such holders in their capacity as partners, then these distributions likely would be treated as guaranteed payments for the use of capital. Guaranteed payments generally would be taxable to the recipient as ordinary income, and a recipient could recognize taxable income from the accrual of such a guaranteed payment even in the absence of a contemporaneous distribution. Potential investors should consult their tax advisors with respect to the consequences of owning our Preferred Units.
There is no public market for the Preferred Units, which may prevent an investor from liquidating its investment.
The Preferred Units may not be resold unless the Partnership registers the securities with the SEC or an exemption from the registration requirement is available. It is not expected that any market for the Preferred Units will develop or be sustained in the future. The lack of any public market for the Preferred Units severely limits the ability to liquidate the investment, except for the right to put the Preferred Units to the Partnership under certain circumstances.
Market interest rates may adversely affect the value of the Preferred Units.