ULI has received a $300,000 gift from Carolyn and Preston Butcher to endow a series of annual forums dedicated to rental housing issues. ULI trustee and Foundation governor Preston Butcher is chairman and chief executive officer of Legacy Partners, a real estate investment, development, and property management company based in Foster City, California.
Each forum, to be named the ULI/Carolyn and Preston Butcher Forum on Multifamily Housing, will explore aspects of the rental housing industry, including shifts in public policies, trends affecting demand, and the evolution of development to meet the changing needs and preferences of younger and older generations in the 21st century. The first of the annual events is planned for later this year.
In recent years, rental housing has been repeatedly identified by Emerging Trends in Real Estate, the annual forecast published by ULI and PwC, as one of the most promising sectors for investment and development.
“Multifamily housing is a hugely important component of thriving communities, and ULI is uniquely positioned as a global thought leader to delve into what’s ahead for this segment of the industry,” Preston Butcher said. “I have high expectations for these forums to serve as a platform for sharing expertise that will ultimately result in communities that are more accessible to people in a broad income range and, as a result, more competitive and prosperous.”
ULI Foundation Chairman James J. Curtis III said the gift exemplifies the willingness of ULI members to strengthen the Institute’s impact and reinforce its ability to build a better world through better communities. “ULI’s impact is real, far reaching, and is transforming millions of lives around the world,” Curtis said. “This generous gift from the Butcher family will help advance our cause, which is to promote responsible land use to help people achieve a higher quality of life and greater economic productivity.”
ULI Chief Executive Officer Patrick L. Phillips pointed to the importance of the gift in helping leverage ULI’s convening capability. “We are delighted with this endowment from Carolyn and Preston Butcher. It will further ULI’s time-honored tradition of sharing knowledge for the betterment of society. Insights from thought leaders at these forums will inform the spectrum of ULI’s work related to housing, including the relationship between access to a broad range of housing and vibrant communities,” he said.
