“Frodo: I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
J.R. Tolkien’s famous words in The Lord of the Rings may resonate with you if you manage a senior living facility. Times are tough, demand is up, a “Silver Tsunami” is on the way, and the workforce is dwindling.
The one-two combination of inflation and interest rates can feel like a heavy-weight knock-out punch. But it doesn’t have to. Senior living facilities have more allies than they may be aware of.
Are you willing to think outside the box and consider partnerships beyond the traditional pathways? If so, you will be on the brink of a massive opportunity. Potential partnerships within the community are waiting to be explored, and they can have a positive impact that stretches beyond your borders.
Strategic Partnerships with New Senior Housing Developments
Hybrid solutions are the name of the game. From cars to working in the office to senior living facilities – combinations and partnerships are bursting with potential to solve pressing issues.
Many senior living projects begin because they are desperate for new facilities. Old and outdated facilities are inefficient to operate and impractical to update. Or you may simply be running out of space and need larger facilities to care for your clients and their families.
When executives in the senior living space bring these issues to their board, many find their board ill-equipped to provide creative, innovative leadership through these trying times.
This is not to say the board isn’t filled with extraordinary, wise, caring people. However, few people have experience or expertise in commercial building renovations, land acquisition, or new construction.
This is one area in which Catalyst Construction can provide the guidance you need. We work with schools, churches, senior living facilities, and more. Our team collaborates with many companies in different industries. We’re here to connect your vision and mission of stewardship! We have the time, resources, and connections to get you where you need to go.
We have been thrilled to see how our partnerships can offer stewardship of development when different organizations with similar values work together to create winning moments for everyone involved.
Churches are Struggling to Adapt
Senior housing projects aren’t the only organizations struggling. Churches are facing historically challenging times.
According to Faith Communities Today:
- Median attendance size decreased by over 50% in weekly worship services in the past five years
- Half of all congregations declined in attendance by at least 7% in the past five years
- 4,500 churches closed in 2019
Senior living facilities feel this pain. Churches are losing attendees, while senior living facilities are losing employees.
The American Health Care Association reports that “during the pandemic, nursing homes lost more of their workforce than any other health care sector—approximately 15 percent or 250,000 workers.” Further, nearly 30% of nursing homes report they are operating with a staff shortage.
Could there be an opportunity to create win-win solutions between senior living facilities and faith-based organizations?
We’ve seen it before. We can help you get there.
Senior Housing Projects and Churches Can Form Winning Partnerships
Many churches and faith-based organizations have underused resources and undeveloped assets. The land that churches, convents, monasteries, and convents own is overflowing with promise and untapped possibilities.
The Catholic Church alone owns 177 million acres of land globally. 🤯
- Faith-based organizations and nonprofit colleges own 171,000 potentially developable acres in California
- Up to 100,000 Christian church properties will be sold or repurposed in the next decade
2 Reasons Why Senior Housing Projects Pair Well with Churches
As the housing shortage crisis persists across America, innovative solutions emerge at the intersection of senior housing projects and churches. With new home construction lagging behind demand, the housing crisis exacerbates workforce challenges in the senior housing sector. However, within these challenges lie opportunities for strategic partnerships between senior living facilities and faith-based organizations.
1. Senior Housing Projects Can Ease a Current Crisis
Americans are facing a housing shortage. New home construction has not kept pace with demand for some time now. You have to go back to 1979 to find a time when the number of new housing starts peaked at around 2.4 million units (compared to 2023’s 1.46 million).
Demand for new homes has increased while new home construction has decreased disproportionately.
Our current housing crisis is another factor contributing to the workforce challenges in the senior housing space. People need to acquire affordable housing within a reasonable distance of their work.
These challenges provide an innovative opportunity for the courageous. People need affordable, safe housing. Senior living facilities need upgrades and expansions. Churches need revenue – and have real estate that can be developed or repurposed.
Senior living facilities can take bold, courageous steps to develop strategic partnerships with faith-based organizations. When deals are brokered between churches and senior living projects, enormous value is added to communities.
- Affordable Housing Can be Developed
- New Senior Living Facilities Can be Built
- Churches can Continue to Invite the Faithful to Worship
Partnerships like this can create new jobs for a community in construction and senior living spaces. New housing will attract more people. State-of-the-art senior living facilities will attract and retain quality employees.
In the face of an apparent crisis, we see a golden opportunity for you. Our team can guide you toward a flourishing future.
2. New Senior Living Facilities Can Meet a Church’s Unique Need
A church’s lifeline may be partnering with a senior housing project or housing developer. Financially struggling churches can continue to worship modestly – while serving their communities in crucial, timely ways.
Finances aren’t the only challenges churches face, though. In some situations, an aging congregation may be unable to maintain the ministry’s work. Churches can leave a legacy by donating their assets to a senior living project. Churches that take this step will continue caring for their communities, just in a different form.
Some churches may want to take advantage of this opportunity not because they are struggling but because they are thriving. They may recognize that they have been entrusted with the resources their community needs – undeveloped land.
Selling or gifting some of the land could be a lifeline, not for the church but for the community. Some churches find they have the resources needed to care for a vulnerable population, solve significant issues in their context, and bring the community together in surprising ways.
Strengthen Senior Living Solutions through Catalyst Construction Partnerships
At Catalyst Construction, we’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of collaboration in senior living development. Take, for example, our partnership with the Mother of God Monastery in Watertown, South Dakota.
Together, we embarked on a journey to create a state-of-the-art senior living facility, breaking ground in October 2021. This visionary project is just the beginning of a multiyear development encompassing various housing solutions and mixed-use spaces, shaping the community’s future.
With our team of experts spanning churches, senior living facilities, housing developers, and contractors, Catalyst Construction is uniquely positioned to guide you toward your desired future.
Whether you’re facing critical decisions or seeking to build winning partnerships, we’re here to help. Let’s embark on this journey together, shaping a brighter tomorrow for future generations.
Ready to take the first step? Reach out to Catalyst Construction today and begin your journey toward a better tomorrow!
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