This special section of National Real Estate Investor features the American Seniors Housing Association's seventh annual compilation of the nation's 25 largest seniors housing owners and 25 largest seniors housing managers.

To ensure the ASHA 25 for 2000 is as complete and accurate as possible, ASHA officials gathered names of prospective companies from every available source for the rankings. A senior officer from each firm was contacted for the information included in the rankings, which is current as of June 1, 2000. Companies listed in the ASHA 25 are not required to be members of ASHA, although more than 90% of all firms that appear in this year's rankings are ASHA member firms.

For purposes of this survey, seniors housing units include congregate living units and assisted living units, as well as skilled nursing beds, which are part of a larger retirement living complex (such as a CCRC). They include rental, entrance fee, condominium and cooperative units designed and operated exclusively for adults aged 55 years and older. Units where residents receive Section 8 or equivalent rental subsidies, single-family homes, hotel rooms, stand-alone skilled nursing beds or mobile home units and pads are not included. Additionally, the ASHA 25 rankings do not include properties where more than 30% of the units are licensed for skilled nursing.

Respondents were requested not to report properties owned indirectly through ownership of shares in another company, and they were instructed not to include properties leased from other owners for purposes of calculating the ASHA 25 owners list.

The ASHA 25 was compiled and analyzed by ASHA staff members David Schless, Ken Preede and Doris Kerr, who express their appreciation to the industry leaders for their participation in this effort. Lauren Gamzon, a student in the School of Business at the University of Maryland, also assisted with compiling the data for this year's publication.

In addition to the ASHA 25 and an analysis of its results, this section includes a list of our leadership and members, whose commitment and vitality are crucial to ASHA's strength.

Based in Washington, D.C., ASHA represents the interests of the nation's most prominent firms in the seniors housing industry. ASHA's members are engaged in all aspects of the development and operation of seniors housing, including the ownership, construction, finance and management of such properties.

For more information about the activities and resources of the American Seniors Housing Association, call the ASHA offices at (202) 974-2300.