icon Blueprint for December

With 2020 in the Rearview Mirror, Let’s Choose to Keep Looking Forward

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3 min read

There’s no question our country is divided, as evidenced by the rancorous 2020 presidential campaign and heated down-ballot contests in many states. We’re all entitled to our political opinions, of course. And debating those opinions from the kitchen table to the town square is part of what makes America who we are. We are opinionated. We are strong-headed. And we are capable of getting anything done when we really need to.

Unfortunately, these days we have moved well past rigorous and healthy debate, and abandoned the reliable “agree to disagree” ending to political discussions. We are in a world where the truth seems to matter less and less each day, and people pull out “alternative facts” to make their case. Or, as we’ve seen many times in 2020, people place more belief in a shadowy conspiracy theory they read about on the Internet than a story from what once were trusted news institutions.

I’ve spent my entire professional career in news, so it’s especially disheartening to watch these trends of distrust and anger play out. My career path gave me a front row seat as history was made at the White House, Congress, federal agencies and the courts. It was always my goal to relay the truth to the best of my ability. Things have changed a lot, and not for the better. Gone are the days of statesmanship, of compromise and deal-making and even of mutual respect for one another.

Tax Credit Advisor, of course, is a different beast. While it is a news product, it is more of a news-you-can-use publication. It’s a tool to help you do your job and understand the world of affordable housing a little better. Our goal is to increase awareness of trends and tools that our readers can leverage to develop their businesses or their careers.

As you flip through the pages of this issue, rest assured that each article has used knowledgeable, trustworthy sources. Quotes and facts have been checked and double-checked. Our columnists do offer opinions, but they base them on reality. And if you disagree with anything you read, I invite you to let me know.

In this issue, you’ll find some great work by my colleague Kaitlyn Snyder, NH&RA’s policy director. She takes a look at the current state of play for New Markets Tax Credits (NMTCs), and I think you’ll find it informative and full of useful data. We also have an NMTC piece by columnist Scott Beyer, who looks in detail at the housing slice of NMTCs and also sums up some recent concerns about how COVID-19 is affecting the marketplace.

Speaking of the pandemic, Mark Olshaker takes a deep dive into the devastating effect of COVID-19, not just on our people and our economy, but also on the housing industry. Olshaker interviews renowned epidemiologist Dr. Michael Osterholm about the COVID-19 vaccines in the pipeline, and sounds the alarm that this may just be our first large-scale battle in what could be a coming global pandemic war.

As 2020 comes to a close, it’s easy to dwell on all the hardships of the pandemic and negativity of campaigns we faced this year. But remember that we faced it, and even if we didn’t like it, we kept moving forward. That’s the only direction we can go. Let’s all move forward, together.

Paul Connolly
Executive Editor