The American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA) was created in 1991 by a number of leading seniors housing providers seeking an effective voice on Capitol Hill. Today, ASHA's membership has grown to nearly 350 companies that develop, operate, and finance the entire spectrum of seniors housing. ASHA's membership owns and/or manages more than 600,000 units of senior apartments, independent living, assisted living, and continuing care retirement communities.

Over the years, ASHA's members have come to rely on the Association for its expertise in three key areas:

• Federal advocacy
• Seniors housing research
• Networking and exchange of strategic business information

Federal Advocacy

A hallmark of ASHA is its strong commitment to federal advocacy on behalf of the seniors housing industry. ASHA advocates on a range of issues impacting seniors housing, including capital formation, tax policy, federal oversight, legal reform, housing policy, and employment policy.

ASHA brings a seasoned and highly respected government affairs team to represent the industry on Capitol Hill. Our federal advocacy efforts are supported by the Seniors Housing Political Action Committee (SH PAC), one of the fastest growing federal PACs in the health care and real estate sectors. The SH PAC gives the industry a strong and unified voice on Capitol Hill by providing support to federal candidates who are responsive to our issues and influential on matters of vital concern.

ASHA's federal advocacy program is guided by the following CORE principles:

Consumer Driven — Ensure that the needs and preferences of seniors housing consumers continues to be met through regulatory oversight at the state and local level, where it is most effective.

Owner/Operator Driven — Promote a favorable business climate that supports quality, competition, innovation, and long-term investment in seniors housing.

Resident Service Driven — Support research and national initiatives that enable residents of seniors housing to receive state-of-the-art services and age with dignity in the setting of their choice.

Employee Driven — Ensure that employees of seniors housing providers have full access to competitive wages and benefits and a work environment that fosters job satisfaction and professional growth.

Seniors Housing Research

ASHA is widely recognized for its long standing leadership in advancing research to support seniors housing professionals. From in-depth statistical analyses to succinct executive summaries on topical issues, ASHA's authoritative research efforts have played a significant role in advancing the seniors housing business for lenders and investors as well as developers, owners and operators.

Annual Research Publications — Each year, ASHA and its research partners produce a range of research reports that cover financial and operational performance, construction trends, executive compensation, state regulation, liability insurance, health benefits, workers compensation, and rankings of the largest owners and managers of seniors housing¹.

Special Issue Briefs/Legal Notes — ASHA distributes several special issue briefs specifically tailored to provide busy executives with concise information on emerging legal, tax, financial, health, and real estate issues impacting seniors housing.

Major Research Projects — ASHA periodically commissions major research projects focused on unique aspects of the seniors housing market. Last year, the Association published the results of a major study of individuals who had recently moved into seniors housing communities. ASHA is now using insights gleaned from that landmark research to develop tools to improve the likelihood of leasing success with prospective residents.

Networking and Exchange of Strategic Business Information

ASHA hosts three meetings a year - an Annual Meeting (held in January), a Spring Executive Board Meeting, and a Fall Meeting (held immediately prior to the National Investment Conference (NIC) meeting). The meetings provide a unique opportunity for the nation's top seniors housing executives to candidly exchange ideas and engage in thoughtful debate about emerging issues facing the industry. ASHA meetings feature the nation's thought leaders from top colleges and universities, along with nationally recognized speakers from the political and business world.

Additionally, ASHA periodically hosts special issue forums on a host of timely issues impacting seniors housing. The forums are led by industry experts and are expressly designed to be highly interactive and thought-provoking to ensure optimal benefit for all participants.

To learn more about the benefits of ASHA membership, please visit the ASHA website at www.seniorshousing.org.

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¹ASHA research publications are produced in collaboration with the following organizations: National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing and Care Industry (NIC), American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA), Ferguson Partners, Health Trust LLC, and HRH.