Apartment Industry & Residents Contribute $6.9 B to Charleston Metro's Economy & $3.4 T Nationally

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Adrienne Walkowiak
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Apartment Industry & Residents Contribute $6.9 Billion to Charleston Metro’s Economy & $3.4 Trillion Nationally

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 10, 2019 – A new Hoyt Advisory Study commissioned by the National Apartment Association (NAA) and National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) reveals that the apartment industry and its residents annually contribute $6.9 billion to Charleston’s economy, $28.1 billion to South Carolina’s, and more than $3.4 trillion – or $9.3 billion daily – to the national economy. The new report, available at WeAreApartments.org, provides a detailed breakdown of the economic impact nationally, by state, and in 50 metro areas.

In Charleston, the apartment industry provides 32,300 jobs. Other financial contributions break down as follows: resident spending contributes $5.8 billion to the local economy, operations add $373.6 million, new construction contributes $520.8 million, and renovation and repair add $147 million.

“As demand for apartments continues to grow locally and nationally, the significant contributions to Charleston’s economy also increases. Apartments drive our local economy by adding employment opportunities, as well as revenue from resident spending, new construction, renovation and repair, and operations, all of which are positively impacting Charleston,” said Tammy Carvajal, President, Charleston Apartment Association.

“Apartments are an ideal solution for many, including students, recent graduates, young professionals, families, singles, and empty nesters,” Carvajal added. “Therefore, the apartment industry will continue to work with our elected and appointed officials at all levels of government to expand the apartment housing supply to meet demand. We’ll also renovate and repair existing units in Charleston to help meet the growing demand, which will enhance our local economy for years to come.”

The study also determined that the apartment industry has a major impact on local, state and national tax economies. Locally, tax payments associated with local apartment operations and their residents contributed more than $657.9 million to Charleston’s economy. These taxes support schools, improvements to local infrastructure, and other critical services in Charleston. Tax payments associated with apartment operations and their residents, contributed more than $350.8 billion to the national economy.

Highlights from the report include:

• Nationally, resident spending contributes $3 trillion to the U.S. economy, while operations adds $175 billion. New construction contributes $150 billion and renovation and repair adds $69 billion.
• All four sectors of the industry have posted very strong growth, punctuated by the construction industry ramping up to meet the unprecedented demand for apartments this cycle – reaching a height of 346,900 new apartments built in 2017, up from 129,900 in 2011.
• Previous research by Hoyt Advisory Services demonstrated a need to build an average of 328,000 apartments per year at a variety of price points, which would bring continued economic activity. This number of apartment completions has only been surpassed twice since 1989.
• Hoyt research also found that a significant portion of the existing apartment stock will need to be renovated in the coming years, boosting the renovation and repair sector.

“The apartment industry’s contribution is one that has grown in recent years, fueled by increased rental demand overall as population and employment growth continue and renting becomes a preferred tenure choice for millions of Americans,” said Dr. Norm Miller, Principal at Hoyt Advisory Services and Professor of Real Estate at the University of San Diego.

“The apartment industry is a very powerful economic engine, making significant and positive contributions at the national, state and local levels in terms of jobs, revenue and tax impact,” said NAA President and CEO Robert Pinnegar, CAE. “This clearly illustrates that the rental housing industry has a tremendous impact on Charleston – and across the country – proving that the industry is a valuable partner in every community.”

“Driven by historically strong demand and evolving demographic trends, the multifamily industry is providing more housing and spurring stronger economic growth than any point in the last century. This report spotlights the various ways that the industry is making meaningful impacts across the country by contributing financially and creating jobs benefiting families, their communities, and, ultimately, the nation,” said NMHC President Douglas M. Bibby.

Visit www.WeAreApartments.org and view the data, which is broken down by state and metro area. Visitors can also use the Apartment Community Estimator (ACE), a tool that allows users to enter the number of apartment homes of an existing or proposed community to determine the potential economic impact within a particular state or metro area. For the purposes of this study, apartments are defined as rental apartments in buildings with five or more units.

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For more than 25 years, the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and the National Apartment Association (NAA) have partnered on behalf of America's apartment industry. Drawing on the knowledge and policy expertise of staff in Washington, D.C., as well as the advocacy power of more than 150 NAA state and local affiliated associations, NAA and NMHC provide a single voice for developers, owners and operators of multifamily rental housing. Today, more than one-third of Americans rent their housing and 39 million people live in an apartment home. For more information, please visit www.nmhc.org or www.naahq.org.