I took this photo this morning. Even when its cold outside, there is just something about the morning sun rising over Grand Rapids that gets me excited.
Wearing Multiple Hats.
Life is complicated when we wear multiple hats. I’ve written about the multiple hats I wear.
We all wear multiple hats. For example – I am a Christ Follower, a husband, a father, an attorney, a (recent) church elder, a volunteer, a mentor, etc…
The two roles that I find colliding most often are as follows:
Hat 1. I am an attorney representing business owners including real estate investors.
Hat 2. I am the past-board Chair at Mel Trotter Ministries – and am committed to ending homelessness, one life at a time.
Two Universes colliding
My two universes often collide and bring me right into the middle of a thick tension. That tension is highlighted by a scenario I often find myself in, such as the one a few days ago.
Recently I walked into the courthouse with a relatively simple task: obtain a Judgment for my client.
My client, real estate investor, recently purchased property that had an existing holdover tenant. This tenant had not paid any rent in months.
The complicating factor that I discovered when I met the tenant outside the courtroom:
the tenant was a single woman with young children, with no place to go.
These are the situations that law school doesn’t prepare you for.
How do I advise my client in this situation?
An Affordable Housing Crisis.
I just read an article today from Nick Manes at MIBiz on how in Grand Rapids there is still a Strong Demand for rental real estate.
This article is one of many constant reminders that it is hard to find housing in Grand Rapids, even if you can afford it.
The young lady I met at court, and others similarly situated, could very well find herself homeless.
I am thankful for places like Mel Trotter Ministries where in 2017 over 400 individuals found housing.
Three Examples of Real Estate Investors being part of the Solution.
I am thankful for those who are willing to work with tenants. In the case above, my client agreed to provide additional time for the tenant to find other housing.
See here for my article on the Eviction Prevention Program – a program implemented last month intended to address the affordable housing crisis in Grand Rapids.
Another client scenario comes to mind. This particular client is a well-to-do business owner with a big heart, and entered into the residential real estate rental industry truly to be part of the solution – to provide affordable housing to those in need without gouging those on a fixed budget – even though the market would allow my client to charge higher rent.
This is social entrepreneurship at its finest!
However, in this particular client’s case, my client was “too nice”. He was taken advantage of by a tenant. In the end, I believe the Landlord’s generosity actually did a disservice to the Tenant by allowing the Tenant to stay months in the property without paying. Certainly the tenant wasn’t helping the landlord by failing to make any efforts to pay.
Many of my clients can’t afford not to receive regular rent. They rely on the rent to pay the mortgage.
This is why it is often said that the affordable housing crisis is complicated.
I also think of the private investor who decided last year to work with Mel Trotter Ministries to house and case manage homeless youth – to get them into their own stable housing. This investor knows that he could get more profit on this rental, but is willing to take less money in hopes of changing the lives of homeless male youths.
A Lesson from these 3 Real Estate Investors….
There are no easy answers here. But what I appreciate about all three of the investors I mentioned above, is that they were all committed to “do something” – maybe somewhat awkwardly at times, maybe with mixed results, but their hearts were in the right place and they all did something to be part of the solution to transforming lives out of homelessness. They were committed to making their community better.
Are we willing to step up and be part of the solution, in some capacity?
We can’t do everything, but we can all do something.
How are we working to build a better community?
E-mail: Jeshua@dwlawpc.com
Twitter: @JeshuaTLauka
Purpose Driven General Counsel 
This is encouraging as I step into Real Estate investing. There’s a deep need in my city for affordable housing and I want to make an impact, but I also want to make a living. It helps to hear others’ stories.