MARCH 31, 2024 – MANAGEMENT REPORT
We are pleased to send you Alignvest Student Housing Real Estate Investment Trust’s Q1 2024 Management Report.
We have had a very busy start to 2024 and are expecting a successful year for our REIT. The macroeconomic environment has shown signs of stabilization and opportunity. Interest rates have come down from their peak in Q4 2023. Further, CMHC financing has become more accessible to developers and investors, which has materially impacted our ability to positively underwrite acquisitions.
We kicked off the year with the acquisition of 417Nelson in Ottawa in February. This site nicely complements our other Ottawa properties and is conveniently located only a few minutes walk from the University of Ottawa. Continuing our growth trajectory, in April we announced the acquisition of 308 King in Waterloo, with an expected closing in late May. It’s important to note that we have spent several years working to secure both of these transactions. Our deep relationships and expertise provide us with a unique advantage compared to other investors in the sector. We have a robust pipeline of additional acquisition opportunities for continued growth.
Our 2024 pre-leasing season is off to a strong start. We are already almost 83% pre-leased for September 2024 at our privately-managed properties and are projecting a 21.8% gap-to-market on sitting rents when compared to current tenant lease rates. We are also pleased to confirm that the Canadian governments recent announcements to reduce the number of international student visas has not impacted the demand we continue to experience across our portfolio.
We are pleased with the results we have delivered to our investors, including a 3.2% return in Q1 2024 and 12.4% annualized since inception (both are to Class F unitholders participating in our DRIP). With a strong acquisition pipeline in front of us, we are actively raising capital to pursue multiple opportunities and continue our expansion across Canada. The future looks strong, and we are confident in our strategy and the corresponding returns for our investors.
Below is the link to our Management Report. We have also included links to our Q1 2024 Financial Statements and 2023 Audited Financial Statements. Please contact us if you have any questions.