A Maxwell Drever study on best practices for transforming hotels into affordable workforce housing
The worldwide pandemic has resulted in a blow for the hospitality sector. It has impacted the hotel industry in particular. Almost every section of the economy is dealing with this issue of economic hardship. Along with this, another persistent problem is the short supply of affordable workforce housing. Developers and investors are looking into this issue as an opportunity to recognize the value of procuring and converting hotel rooms into affordable multifamily residences. Remember that the workforce population forms an integral part of society.
They are the major service providers. Remember that society is un-operational without these service providers. Their stagnant wages and increasing expenses on essentials have added to their hardship. Nevertheless, the financial distress has alleviated their everyday issues. Hence, there is a growing demand for affordable housing units near the job location.
Why undertake hotel conversion?
Since federal governments and private organizations have started taking an interest in this issue, various policies and programs have popped up. One of these is programs to support the conversion of hotels into the workforce housing unit. Remember that ground-up construction is much more expensive than transforming hotel rooms into residential units. Irrespective of the condition of the hotel and its nature, repurposing these hotels into housing units can provide the hotel owners with a steady income. Along with this, an accurate assessment of the hotel room is necessary to understand whether it is suitable for the conversion or not.
Look for the ideal location
The location plays a central role in the transformation process. If the hotel got located away from the industrial hub, the demand for its room would go down. Remember that real estate investors are thinking of reaping benefits from this conversion. Hence, if the location is not ideal, the entire effort will be vain.
Suitable site
Hotel rooms consist of a bathroom and bedroom. Hence, the conversion may involve amalgamating different units into an apartment. Remember that the building structure of a hotel is very different from the residential unit. Thus, Maxwell Drever believes that bringing every aspect under consideration is the responsibility of the hotel owner. In addition to this, investors must consider a proper blueprint for transforming hotel rooms into residential units. It is essential to look into the usefulness of the space because it is a crucial deterministic factor.
Provision for basic amenities
Hotel rooms are very different from residential units. The same is the case with affordable housing units. Remember that hotels have laundry space, a commercial kitchen, a reception area, and more. These are not necessary for a residential unit. These facilities may be essential for the hotel visitors but not for an apartment owner.
Hence, Maxwell Drever explains that transforming these unprofitable spaces requires proper planning and execution. For this, hotel owners must grab the help of professionals and work with investors to convert the space into a creative area. It can be a gym, movie theatre, ballroom, or sports area.
These days’ governments have initiated various policies and programs to help encourage these conversion processes. If you want to grab the benefit of these policies, you must be up to date with every aspect. Hence, hotel owners must keep abreast of property taxes, availability of finances, budget, and revenue before finalizing anything.
