Morgan Stanley has issued a $1 billion social bond that will be used to finance affordable housing projects. This is the latest step in the firm's commitment to sustainable investing, according to Morgan Stanley.
The announcement comes on the heels of the firm's green bond, which was issued by Morgan Stanley in 2015 and supports renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The firm has been building sustainable finance practices for the last decade, and as a result, it has a track record of creating social bonds that raise capital for environmental and social impact investments. The firm launched its first public market bond in 2017 to support opportunities in underserved communities.
The coronavirus pandemic has fueled demand for affordable housing and has intensified the housing crisis that already existed prior to the pandemic. Entering the pandemic, half of US households were rent burdened, which means they paid more than 30% of their income toward rent. However, since the start of the pandemic, there has been increased activity for affordable projects. In addition, there is tremendous industry support for affordable housing projects. Institute of Real Estate Management, the Mortgage Bankers Association and National Association of Realtors have all lobbied Congress for more relief.
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.
Once you are an ALM Digital Member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking commercial real estate news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical coverage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
*May exclude premium content© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.