Trends, Insights & Takeaways from the CHAM Asset Management Conference 2025

Last week, Fusion had the opportunity to attend the annual CHAM Asset Management Conference in New Orleans—a gathering that brings together leaders from across the affordable housing ecosystem. With rising costs, shrinking budgets, and mounting operational complexity threatening the long-term sustainability of LIHTC portfolios, this year’s event focused on actionable strategies to protect and strengthen affordable housing assets. 

 

Here are some of the key takeaways from this year’s sessions and discussions:

 

Balancing Mission and Financial Sustainability in Nonprofit Portfolios

 

Nonprofit housing developers are under increasing pressure to protect both mission and margin. Many are now exploring strategic disposition and partnership models that allow them to sustain affordability while improving financial outcomes. Strategies to gain traction include: 

 

• Partnering with mission-aligned buyers to preserve affordability after disposition 

• Structuring joint ventures with for-profit developers to scale impact while sharing risk 

• Utilizing master lease agreements or seller carry-back financing for flexible ownership transitions 

• Implementing community land trusts to retain long-term control over land use 

• Converting rental units into affordable homeownership opportunities through condo models 

 

For LIHTC asset managers, these creative strategies offer new tools to manage aging portfolios while staying aligned with long-term organizational goals. 

 

 

Navigating Soaring Insurance Costs

 

Insurance premiums have risen sharply across the affordable housing sector, driven by aging infrastructure, climate-related risks, and increased claims activity. But the right risk management strategies can help soften the impact: 

 

• Proactively upgrade aging property components—especially electrical and mechanical systems 

• Perform regular safety inspections and maintain common areas rigorously 

• Review insurance policies annually to ensure critical coverages haven’t been silently removed 

• Work with brokers experienced in affordable housing to ensure fair pricing and full coverage 

• Establish healthy reserve funds to address maintenance issues before they become claims 

 

In the LIHTC world, where compliance and cost containment go hand-in-hand, preventive risk management is more than just a best practice—it’s a financial imperative. 

 

AI, Automation, and the Future of Asset Management

 

Asset managers today spend 4+ hours per week per person on data compilation, reporting, and manual documentation—a productivity drain that AI and automation can directly address. 

 

AI-powered tools are already improving team efficiency by: 

 

• Automating compliance workflows and document versioning 

• Extracting and standardizing financial and occupancy data across systems 

• Supporting audit preparation with centralized, searchable document repositories 

• Managing routine governance tasks and recurring communications 

• Reducing errors in reporting by validating inputs against program requirements 

 

For LIHTC professionals, leveraging AI can mean fewer headaches at audit time, more accurate reporting, and more time focused on portfolio strategy instead of spreadsheet wrangling. 

 

Build, Subscribe, or Buy: Choosing the Right Technology Approach

 

Should housing organizations build their own tools, subscribe to generic software, or invest in purpose-built platforms? 

 

The answer is nuanced. For general use cases like research or non-sensitive data, free or low-cost AI tools may offer efficiency gains. But for highly specialized domains like LIHTC asset management—where compliance, data privacy, and reporting are critical—organizations need tools that are both tailored and secure. 

 

The Solution

 

Fusion offers a compelling solution. It’s a purpose-built platform designed specifically for LIHTC asset management, combining deep functionality with data security. Fusion centralizes all compliance, financial, and performance data into a single source of truth—streamlining workflows, generating standardized reports, and surfacing actionable insights through real-time dashboards and alerts. 

 

Unlike general software, Fusion understands the complexities of the LIHTC industry. And unlike custom internal builds, it’s ready to deploy—saving both time and development cost, while offering scalability as portfolios grow. 

 

Final Thoughts 

 

The CHAM conference underscored that success in LIHTC asset management today requires a blend of mission alignment, financial discipline, and modern tools. Whether you’re a developer, syndicator, or compliance professional, the stakes are high—and the solutions must be strategic, tech-forward, and industry-aware. 

 

At Fusion, we’re committed to equipping the affordable housing industry with the technology it needs to thrive. Learn more about how Fusion can support your team at www.fusionsw.com