Brookdale Senior Living Inc. 10-K

Item 1A. Risk Factors Our business faces significant risks and uncertainties. The discussion below addresses the most material factors, of which we are currently aware, that could affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, liquidity, stock price, and future prospects. However, other factors not currently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial could also adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, liquidity, stock price, and future prospects. Therefore, the risk factors below should not be considered a complete list of potential risks that we may face. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, liquidity, stock price, and future prospects could be materially and adversely affected. COVID-19 Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted, and likely will continue to adversely impact, our business, results of operations, cash flow, liquidity, and stock price, and such impacts may be material. The pandemic, including the response efforts of federal, state, and local government authorities, businesses, individuals, and us, has adversely impacted our business, results of operations, cash flow, and liquidity. We expect this adverse impact to continue into 2023. We cannot predict with reasonable certainty the impacts that COVID-19 ultimately will have on our business, results of operations, cash flow, liquidity, and stock price, and such impacts may be material and persist for some time. Further, our response efforts may continue to delay or negatively impact our strategic initiatives, including plans for future growth. Due to the average age and prevalence of chronic medical conditions among our residents, they generally are at disproportionately higher risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19. Upon confirmation of positive COVID-19 exposure at a community, we take actions intended to minimize further exposure, including enhanced personal protection protocols, temporarily isolating residents or finding placement in an alternate care setting to best address their care needs, and in some cases, restricting new resident admissions as directed by authorities having jurisdiction. We may also restrict visitors at our communities, screen associates and permitted visitors, suspend group outings or programming, and modify communal dining as necessary to comply with regulatory requirements or at the direction of authorities having jurisdiction. At the onset of the pandemic, substantial restrictions at our communities were in place across our portfolio. We began easing restrictions on a community-by-community basis in July 2020 where regulatory requirements and guidance allowed. As of December 31, 2020, 89% of our communities were open for new resident move-ins. During 2021, various communities experienced restrictions on new resident move-ins, with a peak of such restrictions occurring in September 2021. As of January 31, 2022, substantially all of our communities were open for new resident move-ins. We may revert to more restrictive measures at our communities, including restrictions on visitors and move-ins, if the pandemic worsens, as a result of infections at a community, as necessary to comply with regulatory requirements, or at the direction of authorities having jurisdiction. We believe potential residents and their families have been more cautious, or temporarily delayed their decision, regarding moving into senior living communities during the pandemic, and such caution may persist for some time. From March 2020 through February 2021, we lost 1,330 basis points of weighted average consolidated senior housing occupancy. We continue to execute on key initiatives to rebuild occupancy lost due to the pandemic. In 2021, we achieved ten consecutive months of weighted average consolidated senior housing occupancy growth on a sequential b asis. During the latter half of 2021, we believe the nationwide spread of the Delta variant caused some moderation in our sequential monthly occupancy growth rate as some potential residents and their families were more cautious, or temporarily delayed their decision regarding moving into senior living communities in certain areas as the Delta variant spread. We cannot predict with reasonable certainty when our occupancy will return to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels or the extent to which the pandemic’s effect on occupancy may adversely affect the amount of resident fees we are able to collect from our residents. Our efforts to adapt our sales and marketing efforts to meet demand may not be successful. In addition, expanded use of telemedicine and home healthcare by seniors, for which regulatory barriers have been relaxed during the pandemic, may result in less demand for our services. In the aggregate, for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, and compared to our pre-pandemic expectations for 2020, we estimate the pandemic has resulted in $660.1 million of lost resident fee revenue, including $556.5 million in our consolidated senior housing portfolio. In the aggregate, for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we have incurred $173.2 million of facility operating expense for incremental direct costs to respond to the pandemic, including $47.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The direct costs include those for: acquisition of additional personal protective equipment ("PPE"), medical equipment, and cleaning and disposable food service supplies; enhanced cleaning and environmental sanitation; increased employee-related costs, including labor, workers compensation, and health plan expense; and COVID-19 testing of residents and associates where not otherwise covered by government payor or third-party insurance sources. We are not able to reasonably predict the total amount of costs we will incur related to the pandemic, and such costs may continue to be substantial. We have taken, and may take in future periods, significant impairment charges related to COVID-19 due to lower 24 than expected operating performance at communities. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, we recorded $23.0 million and $105.6 million, respectively, of non-cash impairment charges in our operating results for our operating lease right-of-use assets and property, plant and equipment and leasehold intangibles, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lower than expected operating performance at certain communities. We continue to seek opportunities to preserve and enhance our liquidity, including through increasing our RevPAR, maintaining expense discipline, continuing to evaluate our financing structure and the state of debt markets, monetizing non-strategic or underperforming owned assets, and seeking further government-sponsored financial relief related to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no assurance that debt financing will continue to be available on terms consistent with our expectations or at all, or that our efforts will be successful in seeking further government-sponsored financial relief or regarding the amount of, or conditions required to qualify for, any such relief. Grants received from the Provider Relief Fund are subject to the terms and conditions of the program, including that such funds may only be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 and will reimburse only for healthcare related expenses or lost revenues that are attributable to COVID-19 and have not been reimbursed from other sources or that other sources are not obligated to reimburse. We cannot provide assurance that additional restrictions on the permissible uses or terms and conditions of the grants will not be imposed by HHS. The program requires us to report to HHS on our use of the grants, and our reporting is subject to audit. Additionally, there can be no assurance that we will qualify for, or receive, future grants in the amounts we expect or at all or the timing of any such grants. The pandemic has also caused substantial volatility in the market prices and trading volumes in the equity markets, including our stock. Our stock price and trading volume may continue to be subject to wide fluctuations as a result of the pandemic and may decline in the future. The ultimate impacts of COVID-19 on our business, results of operations, cash flow, liquidity, and stock price will depend on many factors, some of which cannot be foreseen, including the duration, severity, and breadth of the pandemic and any resurgence or variants of the disease; the impact of COVID-19 on the nation’s economy and debt and equity markets and the local economies in our markets; the development, availability, utilization, and efficacy of COVID-19 testing, therapeutic agents, and vaccines and the prioritization of such resources among businesses and demographic groups; government financial and regulatory relief efforts that may become available to business and individuals, including our ability to qualify for and satisfy the terms and conditions of financial relief; perceptions regarding the safety of senior living communities during and after the pandemic; changes in demand for senior living communities and our ability to adapt our sales and marketing efforts to meet that demand; the impact of COVID-19 on our residents’ and their families’ ability to afford our resident fees, including due to changes in unemployment rates, consumer confidence, housing markets, and equity markets caused by COVID-19; changes in the acuity levels of our new residents; the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on seniors generally and those residing in our communities; the duration and costs of our response efforts, including increased equipment, supplies, labor, litigation, testing, vaccination clinic, health plan, and other expenses; potentially greater use of contract labor and overtime due to COVID-19 and general labor market conditions; the impact of COVID-19 on our ability to complete financings and refinancings of various assets or other transactions or to generate sufficient cash flow to cover required debt, interest, and lease payments and to satisfy financial and other covenants in our debt and lease documents; increased regulatory requirements, including the costs of unfunded, mandatory testing of residents and associates and provision of test kits to our health plan participants; increased enforcement actions resulting from COVID-19; government action that may limit our collection or discharge efforts for delinquent accounts; and the frequency and magnitude of legal actions and liability claims that may arise due to COVID-19 or our response efforts. Business, Operations, and Strategy Due to the dependency of our revenues on private pay sources, events which adversely affect the ability of seniors to afford our resident fees (including downturns in the economy, housing market, consumer confidence, or the equity markets and unemployment among resident family members) could cause our occupancy, revenues, results of operations, and cash flow to decline. Costs to seniors associated with independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities are not generally reimbursable under government reimbursement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. For the year ended December 31, 2021, we generated 93.2% of our consolidated senior housing segments’ resident fee revenue from private pay customers. Only seniors with income or assets meeting or exceeding the comparable median in the regions where our communities are located typically can afford to pay our monthly resident fees. Economic downturns, softness in the housing market, higher levels of unemployment among resident family members, lower levels of consumer confidence, stock market volatility, and changes in demographics could adversely affect the ability of seniors to afford our resident fees. If we are unable to retain and attract seniors with sufficient income, assets, or other resources required to pay the fees associated with independent and assisted living services and other service offerings, our occupancy, revenues, results of operations, and cash flow could decline. 25 Changes in the reimbursement rates, methods, or timing of payment from government reimbursement programs could adversely affect our revenues, results of operations, and cash flow. We rely on reimbursement from government programs for a portion of our revenues, primarily in our CCRCs segment. For the year ended December 31, 2021, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements represented 18.8% of our CCRCs segment’s resident fee revenue and 5.4% of our consolidated senior housing segments’ resident fee revenue. We cannot provide assurance that reimbursement levels will not decrease in the future, which could adversely affect our revenues, results of operations, and cash flow. Government efforts to reduce medical spending, along with broader healthcare reform, could result in major changes in the healthcare delivery and reimbursement systems on both the national and state levels, including a reduction in funds available for our services or increases in our operating costs. Such reimbursement levels may not remain at levels comparable to present levels or may not be sufficient to cover the costs allocable to patients eligible for reimbursement. Senior housing construction and development, lower industry occupancy, and increased competition, may have an adverse effect on our occupancy, revenues, results of operations, and cash flow. The senior living industry is highly competitive. We compete with numerous organizations, including not-for-profit entities, that offer similar communities and services, community-based service programs, retirement communities, convalescent centers, and other senior living providers. In general, regulatory and other barriers to competitive entry in the independent living, assisted living, and memory care sectors of the senior living industry are not substantial. The industry has attracted additional investment resulting in increased construction and development of new senior housing supply. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in additional occupancy pressure for our industry, and industry data shows that nearly all markets had fallen to record low occupancy by the first quarter of 2021. While the industry recovers occupancy, certain competitors may price aggressively in order to capture market share. Consequently, we may encounter competition that could limit our ability to attract and retain residents and associates, raise or maintain resident fees, and expand our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our occupancy, revenues, results of operations, and cash flow. The geographic concentration of our communities could leave us vulnerable to an economic downturn, regulatory changes, acts of nature, or the effects of climate change in those areas, which could negatively impact our financial condition, revenues, results of operations, and cash flow. We have a high concentration of communities in various geographic areas, including the states of California, Florida, and Texas. As a result of this concentration, the conditions of local economies and real estate markets, changes in governmental regulations, acts of nature, and other factors that may result in a decrease in demand for senior living services in these areas could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, revenues, results of operations, and cash flow. Given the location of our communities, we are particularly susceptible to revenue loss, cost increase, or damage caused by severe weather conditions or natural disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, or tornados. Any significant loss due to a natural disaster may not be covered by insurance and may lead to an increase in the cost of insurance or unavailability on acceptable terms. Climate change may also have effects on our business by increasing the cost of property insurance or making coverage unavailable on acceptable terms. To the extent that significant changes in the climate occur in areas where our communities are located, we may experience increased frequency of severe weather conditions or natural disasters or other changes to weather patterns, all of which may result in physical damage to or a decrease in demand for properties affected by these conditions. Should the impact of climate change be material in nature or occur for lengthy periods of time, our financial condition, revenues, results of operations, or cash flow may be adversely affected. In addition, government regulation intended to mitigate the impact of climate change, severe weather patterns, or natural disasters could result in additional required capital expenditures to comply with such regulation without a corresponding increase in our revenues. Termination of our resident agreements and vacancies in the living spaces we lease could adversely affect our occupancy, revenues, results of operations, and cash flow. State regulations governing assisted living and memory care communities require written resident agreements with each resident. Several of these regulations also require that each resident have the right to terminate the resident agreement for any reason on reasonable notice. Consistent with these regulations, many of our assisted living and memory care resident agreements allow residents to terminate their agreements upon 30 days' or less notice. Our independent living resident agreements generally provide for termination of the lease upon death or allow a resident to terminate his or her lease upon the need for a higher level of care not provided at the community. If multiple residents terminate their resident agreements at or around the same time, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, our occupancy, revenues, results of operations, and cash flow could be adversely affected. In addition, because of the demographics of our typical residents, including age and health, resident turnover rates in our communities are difficult to predict. As a result, the living spaces we lease may be unoccupied for a period of time, which could adversely affect our occupancy, revenues, results of operations, and cash flow. 26 Failure to maintain the security and functionality of our information systems and data, to prevent a cybersecurity attack or breach, or to comply with applicable privacy and consumer protection laws, including HIPAA, could adversely affect our business, reputation, and relationships with our residents, employees, and referral sources and subject us to remediation costs, government inquiries, and liabilities, any of which could materially and adversely impact our revenues, results of operations, cash flow, and liquidity. We are dependent on the proper function and availability of our information systems, including hardware, software, applications, and electronic data storage, to store, process, and transmit our business information, including proprietary business information and personally identifiable information of our residents and employees. Though we have taken steps to protect the cybersecurity and physical security of our information systems and have implemented policies and procedures to comply with HIPAA and other privacy laws, rules, and regulations, there can be no assurance that our security measures and disaster recovery plan will prevent damage to, or interruption or breach of, our information systems or other unauthorized access to proprietary or private information. Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to systems change frequently and may be difficult to detect for long periods of time, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventive measures. Components of our information systems that we develop or procure from third parties may contain defects in design or manufacture or other problems that could unexpectedly compromise the security or functionality of our information systems. Unauthorized parties may also attempt to gain access to our systems or facilities, or those of third parties with whom we do business, through fraud or other forms of deceiving our employees or contractors such as email phishing attacks. As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our cybersecurity or to investigate and remediate any cybersecurity vulnerabilities, attacks, or incidents. In addition, we rely on software support of third parties to secure and maintain our information systems. Our inability, or the inability of these third parties, to continue to maintain and upgrade our information systems could disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our operations. Costs and potential problems and interruptions associated with the implementation of new or upgraded systems and technology or with maintenance or adequate support of existing systems could disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our operations. Failure to maintain the security and functionality of our information systems, to prevent a cybersecurity attack or other unauthorized access to our information systems, or to comply with applicable privacy and consumer protection laws, including HIPAA, could expose us to a number of adverse consequences, many of which are not insurable, including: (i) interruptions to our business, (ii) the theft, destruction, loss, misappropriation, or release of sensitive information, including proprietary business information and personally identifiable information of our residents and employees, (iii) significant remediation costs; (iv) negative publicity which could damage our reputation and our relationships with our residents, employees, and referral sources, (v) litigation and potential liability under privacy, security, and consumer protection laws, including HIPAA, or other applicable laws, rules, or regulations, and (vi) government inquiries which may result in sanctions and other criminal or civil fines or penalties. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely impact our revenues, results of operations, cash flow, and liquidity. Failure to complete our capital expenditures in accordance with our plans may adversely affect our anticipated revenues, results of operations, and cash flow. Our planned full-year 2022 non-development capital expenditures include maintenance, renovations, upgrades, and other major building infrastructure projects for our communities. Such projects may be needed to ensure that our communities are in appropriate physical condition to support our strategy and to protect the value of our community portfolio. In addition, our planned full-year 2022 development capital expenditure projects include those for expansion, repositioning, redeveloping, and major renovation of selected existing senior living communities. Our capital projects are in various stages of planning and development and are subject to a number of factors over which we may have little or no control. These factors include work restrictions at our communities due to COVID-19, the necessity of arranging separate leases, mortgage loans, or other financings to provide the capital required to complete these projects; difficulties or delays in obtaining zoning, land use, building, occupancy, licensing, certificate of need, and other required governmental permits and approvals; failure to complete construction of the projects on budget and on schedule; failure of third-party contractors and subcontractors to perform under their contracts; shortages of labor or materials that could delay projects or make them more expensive; adverse weather conditions that could delay completion of projects; increased costs resulting from general economic conditions or increases in the cost of materials; and increased costs as a result of changes in laws and regulations. 27 We cannot provide assurance that we will undertake or complete all of our planned capital expenditures, or that we will not experience delays in completing those projects. In addition, we may incur substantial costs prior to achieving stabilized occupancy for certain capital projects and cannot assure that these costs will not be greater than we have anticipated. We also cannot provide assurance that any of our capital projects will be economically successful or provide a return on investment in accordance with our plans or at all. Furthermore, our failure to complete, or delays in completing, our planned community-level capital expenditures could harm the value of our communities and our revenues, results of operations, and cash flow. To the extent we identify and pursue any future development, investment, or acquisition opportunities, we may encounter difficulties in identifying opportunities at attractive prices or integrating acquisitions with our operations, which may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flow. We may not be able to identify development, investment, and acquisition opportunities on attractive terms and that are compatible with our strategy. To the extent we identify any such opportunities and enter into definitive agreements in connection therewith, we cannot provide assurance that the transactions will be completed. Failure to complete transactions after we have entered into definitive agreements may result in significant expenses to us. To the extent we identify and close on any such opportunities, the integration of acquired communities or companies into our existing business may result in unforeseen difficulties, divert managerial attention, or require significant financial or other resources. Any such closings may require us to incur additional indebtedness and contingent liabilities and may result in unforeseen expenses or compliance issues. Any future development, investment, or acquisition transactions may not generate any additional income for us or provide any benefit to our business. Competition for the acquisition of strategic assets from buyers with greater financial resources or lower costs of capital than us or that have lower return expectations than we do could limit our ability to compete for strategic acquisitions and therefore to grow our business effectively. There is significant competition among potential acquirers in the senior living industry, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully complete acquisitions, which could limit our ability to grow our business. Several publicly-traded and non-traded real estate investment trusts, or REITs, and private equity firms have similar asset acquisition objectives as we do, along with greater financial resources and/or lower costs of capital than we are able to obtain. Partially as a result of tax law changes enacted through RIDEA, we now compete more directly with the various publicly-traded healthcare REITs for the acquisition of senior housing properties. Pending disposition transactions are, and any future disposition transactions will be, subject to various closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals where applicable, likely will result in reductions to our revenue, and may negatively impact our results of operations and cash flow. During 2022, we expect to close on the disposition of two owned unencumbered communities classified as held for sale as of December 31, 2021 and the termination of our lease obligations on two communities for which we have provided notice of non-renewal. Over the longer term, we may dispose of owned or leased communities through asset sales and lease terminations and expirations. The closings of any such transactions, or those that we identify in the future, generally are or will be subject to closing conditions, which may include the receipt of regulatory approvals, and we cannot provide assurance that any such transactions will close or, if they do, when the actual closings will occur. The sales price for pending or future dispositions may not meet our expectations due to the underlying performance of such communities or conditions beyond our control, and we may be required to take impairment charges in connection with such sales if the carrying amounts of such assets exceed the proposed sales prices, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Further, we cannot provide assurance that we will be successful in identifying and pursuing disposition opportunities on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. We may be required to pay significant amounts to restructure or terminate leases and we may be required to take charges in connection with such activity, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Completion of the dispositions of communities through sales or lease terminations, or the termination of our management arrangements, including pending transactions and those we enter into in the future, likely will result in reductions to our revenue and may negatively impact our results of operations and cash flow. Further, if we are unable to reduce our general and administrative expense with respect to completed dispositions or management arrangement terminations in accordance with our expectations, we may not realize the expected benefits of such transactions, which could negatively impact our anticipated results of operations and cash flow. 28 Our execution of our strategy may not be successful, and initiatives undertaken to execute on our strategic priorities may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, and the price of our common stock. The success of our strategy depends on our ability to successfully identify and implement initiatives to execute on our strategic priorities, as well as factors outside of our control. Such initiatives may not be successful in achieving our expectations or may require more time and resources than expected to implement. There can be no assurance that our strategy or initiatives undertaken to execute on our strategic priorities will be successful and, as a result, such initiatives may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, and the price of our common stock. Our ability to use net operating loss carryovers to reduce future tax payments may be limited. Section 382 of the Internal Revenue code contains rules that limit the ability of a company that undergoes an ownership change, which is generally any change in ownership of 50% of its stock over a three-year period, to utilize its net operating loss carryforward and certain built-in losses recognized in years after the ownership change. These rules generally operate by focusing on ownership changes involving stockholders owning directly or indirectly 5% or more of the stock of a company and any change in ownership arising from a new issuance of stock by a company. Any such annual limitations may result in our being unable to utilize all of our net operating loss carryforwards generated in tax years prior to 2018 before their expiration. Liquidity and Indebtedness Disruptions in the financial markets or decreases in the appraised values or performances of our communities could affect our ability to obtain financing or to extend or refinance debt as it matures, which could negatively impact our liquidity, financial condition, and the market price of our common stock. As of December 31, 2021, we had outstanding $3.8 billion principal amount of mortgage financing, $230.0 million of 2.00% convertible senior notes due 2026, and $86.2 million letters of credit. If we are unable to extend or refinance our indebtedness prior to scheduled maturity dates, our liquidity and financial condition could be adversely impacted. Even if we are able to extend or refinance our maturing debt or credit or letter of credit facilities, the terms of the new financing may not be as favorable to us as the terms of the existing financing. We are heavily dependent on mortgage financing provided by Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), which are currently operating under a conservatorship begun in 2008 and conducting business under the direction of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Reform efforts related to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may make such financing sources less available or unavailable in the future and may cause us to seek alternative sources of financing, which may be less attractive or unavailable. The amount of mortgage financing available for our communities is generally dependent on their appraised values and performance. Decreases in the appraised values of our communities, including due to adverse changes in real estate market conditions, or their performance, has resulted, and could continue to result, in available mortgage refinancing amounts that are less than the communities' maturing indebtedness. In addition, our inability to satisfy underwriting criteria for individual communities may limit our access to our historical lending sources for such communities, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Due to lower operating performance of our communities, generally, resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, during 2021 we sought and obtained non-agency mortgage financings to partially refinance maturing Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae indebtedness. Until our communities’ performance recovers, we plan to refinance maturities using non-agency financing, and we expect our loan proceeds from such financing generally will be insufficient to fully cover maturing mortgage indebtedness. We cannot provide assurance that such non-agency mortgage financing will continue to be available as an alternative to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac financing. We have pre-paid substantially all of our 2022 maturities. Our inability to obtain refinancing proceeds sufficient to cover 2023 and later maturing indebtedness could adversely impact our liquidity, and may cause us to seek additional alternative sources of financing, which may be less attractive or unavailable. Disruptions or prolonged downturns in the financial markets may cause us to seek alternative sources of potentially less attractive financing and may require us to further adjust our business plan accordingly. These events also may make it more difficult or costly for us to raise capital, including through the issuance of common stock. Disruptions in the financial markets could have an adverse effect on our business. If we are not able to obtain additional financing on favorable terms, we also may have to forgo, delay, or abandon some or all of our planned capital expenditures or any development, investment, or acquisition opportunities that we identify, which could adversely affect our revenues, results of operations, and cash flow. 29 If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow to cover required interest, principal, and lease payments, this could result in defaults of the related debt or leases and cross-defaults under our other debt or lease documents, which would adversely affect our capital structure, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flow. We have significant indebtedness and lease obligations, and we intend to continue financing our communities through mortgage financing, long-term leases, and other types of financing. Our required lease payments are generally subject to an escalator that is either fixed or tied to changes in the consumer price index or leased property revenue. We cannot give any assurance that we will generate sufficient cash flow from operations to cover required interest, principal, and lease payments. Any non-payment or other default under our financing arrangements could, subject to cure provisions, cause the lender to foreclose upon the community or communities securing such indebtedness or, in the case of a lease, cause the lessor to terminate the lease, each with a consequent loss of revenue and asset value to us. In some cases, indebtedness is secured by both a mortgage on a community (or communities) and a guaranty by us and/or one or more of our subsidiaries. In the event of a default under one of these scenarios, the lender could avoid judicial procedures required to foreclose on real property by declaring all amounts outstanding under the guaranty immediately due and payable, and requiring the respective guarantor to fulfill its obligations to make such payments. The realization of any of these scenarios would have an adverse effect on our financial condition and capital structure. Because many of our outstanding debt and lease documents contain cross-default and cross-collateralization provisions, a default by us related to one community could affect a significant number of our other communities and their corresponding financing arrangements and leases (including documents with other lenders or lessors). In the event of such a default, we may not be able to obtain a waiver from the lender or lessor on terms acceptable or favorable to us, or at all, which would have a negative impact on our capital structure and financial condition. Our indebtedness and long-term leases could adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to operate our business. Our level of indebtedness and our long-term leases could adversely affect our future operations and/or impact our stockholders for several reasons, including, without limitation: • We may have little or no cash flow apart from cash flow that is dedicated to required interest, principal, and lease payments; • Increases in our outstanding indebtedness, leverage, and long-term lease obligations will increase our vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic and industry conditions, as well as to competitive pressure; • Increases in our outstanding indebtedness may limit our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisition and development, general corporate, and other purposes; and • Our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders (should we initiate dividend payments in the future) may be limited. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow from operations in the future to service our debt or to make lease payments on our leases, we may be required, among other things, to seek additional financing in the debt or equity markets, refinance or restructure all or a portion of our indebtedness or leases, sell selected assets, reduce or delay planned capital expenditures, or delay or abandon desirable acquisitions. These measures might not be sufficient to enable us to make required payments on our debt or leases, which could result in an adverse effect on our future ability to generate revenues and our results of operations and cash flow. Any contemplated financing, refinancing, restructuring, or sale of assets might not be available on economically favorable terms to us. Our debt and lease documents contain financial and other covenants, and any default under such documents could result in the acceleration of our indebtedness and lease obligations, the foreclosure of our mortgaged communities, the termination of our leasehold interests, and/or cross-defaults under our other debt or lease documents, any of which could materially and adversely impact our capital structure, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow, and liquidity and interfere with our ability to pursue our strategy. Certain of our debt and lease documents contain restrictions and financial covenants, such as those requiring us to maintain prescribed minimum liquidity, net worth, and stockholders' equity levels and debt service and lease coverage ratios, and requiring us not to exceed prescribed leverage ratios, in each case on a consolidated, portfolio-wide, multi-community, single-community, and/or entity basis. Net worth is generally calculated as stockholders' equity, as calculated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or GAAP, and in certain circumstances, reduced by intangible assets or liabilities or increased by deferred gains from sale-leaseback transactions and deferred entrance fee revenue. The debt service and lease coverage ratios are generally calculated as revenues less operating expenses, including an implied management fee and a reserve for capital expenditures, divided by the debt (principal and interest) or lease payment. In addition, our debt and lease documents generally contain non-financial covenants, such as those requiring us to comply with Medicare or Medicaid provider requirements and maintain insurance coverage. Our failure to comply with applicable covenants could constitute an event of default under the applicable debt or lease documents. Many of our debt and lease documents 30 contain cross-default provisions so that a default under one of these instruments could cause a default under other debt and lease documents (including documents with other lenders and lessors). These restrictions and covenants may interfere with our ability to obtain financing or to engage in other business activities, which may inhibit our ability to pursue our strategy. Certain of our outstanding indebtedness and leases limit or restrict, among other things, our ability and our subsidiaries' ability to borrow additional funds, engage in a change in control transaction, dispose of all or substantially all of our or their assets, or engage in mergers or other business combinations without consent of the applicable lender or lessor. In certain circumstances, the consent of the applicable lender or, if certain objective conditions are not satisfied, lessor may be based on the lender's or lessor's sole discretion. Our inability to obtain the consent of applicable lenders and landlords in connection with our pursuit of any such transactions may forestall our ability to consummate such transactions. Furthermore, the costs of obtaining such consents may reduce the value that our stockholders may realize in any such transactions. The substantial majority of our lease arrangements are structured as master leases. Under a master lease, numerous communities are leased through an indivisible lease. We typically guarantee the performance and lease payment obligations of our subsidiary lessees under the master leases. Due to the nature of such master leases, it is difficult to restructure the composition of our leased portfolios or economic terms of the leases without the consent of the applicable landlord. In addition, an event of default related to an individual property or limited number of properties within a master lease portfolio could result in a default on the entire master lease portfolio. Furthermore, our debt and leases are secured by our communities and, in certain cases, a guaranty by us and/or one or more of our subsidiaries. Therefore, if an event of default has occurred under any of our debt or lease documents, subject to cure provisions in certain instances, the respective lender or lessor would have the right to declare all the related outstanding amounts of indebtedness or cash lease obligations immediately due and payable, to foreclose on our mortgaged communities, to terminate our leasehold interests, to foreclose on other collateral securing the indebtedness and leases, to discontinue our operation of leased communities, and/or to pursue other remedies available to such lender or lessor. Further, an event of default could trigger cross-default provisions in our other debt and lease documents (including documents with other lenders or lessors). We cannot provide assurance that we would be able to pay the debt or lease obligations if they became due upon acceleration following an event of default. In addition, certain of our master leases contain radius restrictions, which limit our ability to own, develop, or acquire new communities within a specified distance from certain existing communities covered by such agreements. These radius restrictions could negatively affect our ability to expand or develop or acquire senior housing communities and operating companies. Lease obligations and mortgage debt expose us to increased risk of loss of property, which could harm our ability to generate future revenues and could have an adverse tax effect. Lease obligations and mortgage debt increase our risk of loss because defaults on leases or indebtedness secured by properties may result in lease terminations by lessors and foreclosure actions by lenders. For tax purposes, a foreclosure of any of our properties would be treated as a sale of the property for a purchase price equal to the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage. If the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage exceeds our tax basis in the property, we would recognize taxable income on foreclosure, but would not receive any cash proceeds, which could negatively impact our results of operations and cash flow. Further, because many of our outstanding debt and lease documents contain cross-default and cross-collateralization provisions, a default by us related to one community could affect a significant number of our other communities and their corresponding financing arrangements and leases. Our leases generally provide for renewal or extension options and, in certain cases, purchase options. We expect to renew, extend, or exercise purchase options with respect to our leases in the normal course of business; however, there can be no assurance that these rights will be exercised in the future or that we will be able to satisfy the conditions precedent to exercising any such rights. The terms of any such purchase options that are based on fair market value are inherently uncertain and could be unacceptable or unfavorable to us depending on the circumstances at the time of exercise. If we are not able to renew or extend our existing leases, or purchase the communities subject to such leases, at or prior to the end of the existing lease terms, or if the terms of such options are unfavorable or unacceptable to us, our business, results of operations, and cash flow could be adversely affected. 31 Increases in market interest rates could significantly increase the costs of our debt obligations, which could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flow. Our variable-rate debt obligations expose us to interest rate risk. In the normal course of business, we enter into interest rate agreements with major financial institutions to manage our risk above certain interest rates on variable rate debt. These agreements only limit our exposure to increases in interest rates above certain levels and generally must be renewed every two to three years. Increases in prevailing interest rates will increase our payment obligations on our existing variable-rate obligations to the extent they are unhedged and may increase our future borrowing and hedging costs, which would negatively impact our results of operations and cash flow. The interest rates for a significant majority of our variable-rate debt obligations are calculated based on the London Interbank Offer Rate ("LIBOR") plus a spread, and our interest rate cap agreements generally are indexed to LIBOR. The Intercontinental Exchange ("ICE") ICE Benchmark Administration intends to phase out the LIBOR tenors by June 30, 2023. Substantially all of our variable-rate debt agreements indexed to LIBOR provide that the lender may choose an alternative index based on comparable information, and our interest rate cap agreements provide that the calculation agent may choose an alternative index. It is unclear whether LIBOR will cease to exist or if new methods of calculating LIBOR will evolve by the applicable phase-out dates, or whether alternative and comparable index rates will be established and adopted by our lenders and other financial institutions. While we believe the transition away from LIBOR will be substantially rate neutral, uncertainties or volatility regarding the calculation of interest rates on our variable-rate debt obligations while LIBOR is being phased out could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flow. We may need additional capital to fund our operations, capital expenditure plans, and strategic priorities, and we may not be able to obtain it on terms acceptable to us, or at all. Funding our capital expenditure plans, pursuing any acquisition, investment, development, or potential lease restructuring opportunities that we identify, or funding investments to support our strategy may require additional capital. Financing may not be available to us or may be available to us only on terms that are not favorable. In addition, certain of our outstanding indebtedness and long-term leases restrict, among other things, our ability to incur additional debt. If we are unable to raise additional funds or obtain them on terms acceptable to us, we may have to delay or abandon some or all of our plans or opportunities. Further, if additional funds are raised through the issuance of additional equity securities, the percentage ownership of our stockholders would be diluted. Any newly issued equity securities may have rights, preferences, or privileges senior to those of our common stock. Human Capital The transition of management or unexpected departure of our key officers could harm our business. We are dependent on the efforts of our senior management. The transition of management, the unforeseen loss or limited availability of the services of any of our executive leaders, or our inability to recruit and retain qualified personnel in the future, could, at least temporarily, have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition and be negatively perceived in the capital markets. Increased competition for, or a shortage of, associates, wage pressures resulting from increased competition, low unemployment levels, minimum wage increases, changes in overtime laws, and union activity may have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and cash flow. Our success depends on our ability to attract and retain qualified management and other associates who are responsible for the day-to-day operations of each of our communities. We compete with various healthcare service providers, other senior living providers, and hospitality and food services companies in attracting and retaining qualified associates. If we fail to attract and retain qualified associates, our ability to conduct our business operations effectively, our overall operating results, and cash flow could be harmed. During 2021, we experienced pressures associated with the intensely competitive labor environment, including increased associate turnover and difficulty in timely filling open positions. Continued increased competition for, or a shortage of, nurses or other associates, including due to the COVID-19 pandemic, general labor market conditions, low levels of unemployment, or general inflationary pressures, have required and may require that we enhance our pay and benefits package to compete effectively for such associates. In addition, we have experienced and may continue to experience wage pressures due to minimum wage and minimum salary threshold increases mandated by state and local laws. Due to the intensively competitive labor market, our use of more expensive contract labor and overtime to cover open positions increased during 2021. Third-party staffing agencies from which we source contract labor have increased the rates they charge which has resulted in, and may further result in, increases in the cost of contract labor. If we are unable to timely fill open positions, our 32 reliance on more expensive contract labor and overtime may continue or increase. Increases in wages and our increased use of contract labor and overtime would result in higher operating costs, and we may not be able to offset the added costs by increasing the rates we charge to our residents or our service charges, which would negatively impact our results of operations and cash flow. In addition, efforts by labor unions to organize any of our community personnel could divert management attention, lead to increased costs, and/or reduce our flexibility with respect to certain workplace rules. If we experience an increase in organizing activity, if onerous collective bargaining agreement terms are imposed upon us, or if we otherwise experience an increase in our staffing and labor costs, our results of operations and cash flow would be negatively affected. Regulatory, Compliance, and Legal Environmental contamination at any of our communities could result in substantial liabilities to us, which may exceed the value of the underlying assets and which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flow. Under various federal, state, and local environmental laws, a current or previous owner or operator of real property, such as us, may be held liable in certain circumstances for the costs of investigation, removal, or remediation of, or related to the release of, certain hazardous or toxic substances, that could be located on, in, at, or under a property, regardless of how such materials came to be located there. The cost of any required investigation, remediation, removal, mitigation, compliance, fines, or personal or property damages and our liability therefore could exceed the property's value and/or our assets' value. In addition, the presence of such substances, or the failure to properly dispose of or remediate the damage caused by such substances, may adversely affect our ability to sell such property, to attract additional residents and retain existing residents, to borrow using such property as collateral, or to develop or redevelop such property. Such laws impose liability, which may be joint and several, for investigation, remediation, removal, and mitigation costs on persons who disposed of or arranged for the disposal of hazardous substances at third-party sites. Such laws and regulations often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence, release, or disposal of such substances as well as without regard to whether such release or disposal was in compliance with law at the time it occurred. Although we do not believe that we have incurred such liabilities as would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations, we could be subject to substantial future liability for environmental contamination that we have no knowledge about as of the date of this report and/or for which we may not be at fault. Failure to comply with existing environmental laws could result in increased expenditures, litigation, and potential loss to our business and in our asset value, which would have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flow. Our operations are subject to regulation under various federal, state, and local environmental laws, including those relating to: the handling, storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal of medical waste products generated at our communities; identification and warning of the presence of asbestos-containing materials in buildings, as well as removal of such materials; the presence of other substances in the indoor environment; and protection of the environment and natural resources in connection with development or construction of our properties. Some of our communities generate infectious or other hazardous medical waste due to the illness or physical condition of the residents. Our communities’ engagement of waste management companies for the proper disposal of all infectious medical waste does not immunize us from alleged violations of such laws for operations for which we are responsible even if carried out by such waste management companies, nor does it immunize us from third-party claims for the cost to cleanup disposal sites at which such wastes have been disposed. Federal regulations require building owners and those exercising control over a building's management to identify and warn their employees and certain other employers operating in the building of potential hazards posed by workplace exposure to installed asbestos-containing materials and potential asbestos-containing materials in their buildings. Significant fines can be assessed for violation of these regulations. Building owners and those exercising control over a building's management may be subject to an increased risk of personal injury lawsuits. Federal, state, and local laws and regulations also govern the removal, encapsulation, disturbance, handling, and/or disposal of asbestos-containing materials and potential asbestos-containing materials when such materials are in poor condition or in the event of construction, remodeling, renovation, or demolition of a building. Such laws may impose liability for improper handling or a release to the environment of asbestos-containing materials and potential asbestos-containing materials and may provide for fines to, and for third parties to seek recovery from, owners or operators of real properties for personal injury or improper work exposure associated with asbestos-containing materials and potential asbestos-containing materials. 33 The presence of mold, lead-based paint, contaminants in drinking water, radon, and/or other substances at any of the communities we own or may acquire may lead to the incurrence of costs for remediation, mitigation, or the implementation of an operations and maintenance plan and may result in third-party litigation for personal injury or property damage. Furthermore, in some circumstances, areas affected by mold may be unusable for periods of time for repairs, and even after successful remediation, the known prior presence of extensive mold could adversely affect the ability of a community to retain or attract residents and could adversely affect a community's market value. Although we believe that we are currently in material compliance with applicable environmental laws, if we fail to comply with such laws in the future, we would face increased expenditures both in terms of fines and remediation of the underlying problem(s), potential litigation relating to exposure to such materials, and potential decrease in value to our business and in the value of our underlying assets. Therefore, our failure to comply with existing environmental laws would have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flow. We are unable to predict the future course of federal, state, and local environmental regulation and legislation. Changes in the environmental regulatory framework (including legislative or regulatory efforts designed to address climate change) could have a material adverse effect on our business. Because environmental laws vary from state to state, expansion of our operations to states where we do not currently operate may subject us to additional restrictions on the manner in which we operate our communities. Significant legal actions and liability claims against us, including class action and stockholder derivative complaints, could subject us to increased operating costs and substantial uninsured liabilities, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. We have been and are currently involved in litigation and claims incidental to the conduct of our business, which we believe are generally comparable to other companies in the senior living and healthcare industries, including, but not limited to, putative class action claims from time to time regarding staffing at our communities and compliance with consumer protection laws and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Certain claims and lawsuits allege large damage amounts and may require significant costs to defend and resolve. As a result, we maintain general liability, professional liability, and other insurance policies in amounts and with coverage and deductibles we believe are appropriate, based on the nature and risks of our business, historical experience, availability, and industry standards. Our current policies provide for deductibles for each claim and contain various exclusions from coverage. We use our wholly-owned captive insurance company for the purpose of insuring certain portions of our risk retention under our general and professional liability insurance programs. Accordingly, we are, in effect, self-insured for claims that are less than the deductible amounts and for claims that exceed the funding level of our captive, and for claims or portions of claims that are not covered by such policies and/or exceed the policy limits. If we experience a greater number of losses than we anticipate, or if certain claims are not covered by insurance, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected. The senior living industry entails an inherent risk of liability, particularly given the demographics of our residents and the services we provide. In recent years, we, as well as other participants in our industry, have been subject to an increasing number of claims and lawsuits alleging that our services have resulted in resident injury or other adverse effects. Many of these lawsuits involve large damage claims and significant legal costs. The frequency and magnitude of such alleged claims and legal costs may increase due to the COVID-19 pandemic or our response efforts. Many states continue to consider tort reform and how it will apply to the senior living industry. We may continue to be faced with the threat of large jury verdicts in jurisdictions that do not find favor with large senior living providers. There can be no guarantee that we will not have any claims that exceed our policy limits in the future, which could subject us to substantial uninsured liabilities. If a successful claim is made against us and it is not covered by our insurance or exceeds the policy limits, our financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In some states, state law may prohibit or limit insurance coverage for the risk of punitive damages arising from professional liability and general liability claims and/or litigation. As a result, we may be liable for punitive damage awards in these states that either are not covered or are in excess of our insurance policy limits. Also, our insurance policies' deductibles, or self-insured retention, are accrued based on an actuarial projection of future liabilities. If these projections are inaccurate and if there is an unexpectedly large number of successful claims that result in liabilities in excess of our accrued reserves, our operating results could be negatively affected. Claims against us, regardless of their merit or eventual outcome, also could have a material adverse effect on our ability to attract residents or expand our business and could require our management to devote time to matters unrelated to the day-to-day operation of our business. We also have to renew our policies every year and negotiate terms for coverage, exposing us to the volatility of the insurance markets, including the possibility of rate increases and changes in coverage and other terms. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain liability insurance in the future or, if available, that such coverage will be available on acceptable terms. 34 We face periodic and routine reviews, audits, and investigations by government agencies, and any adverse findings could negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flow. The senior living and healthcare industries are continuously subject to scrutiny by governmental regulators, which could result in reviews, audits, investigations, enforcement actions, or litigation related to regulatory compliance matters. In addition, we are subject to various government reviews, audits, and investigations to verify our compliance with Medicare and Medicaid programs and other applicable laws and regulations. CMS has engaged third-party firms to review claims data to evaluate appropriateness of billings. In addition to identifying overpayments, audit contractors can refer suspected violations to government authorities. An adverse outcome of government scrutiny may result in citations, sanctions, other criminal or civil fines and penalties, the refund of overpayments, payment suspensions, termination of participation in Medicare and Medicaid programs, and damage to our business reputation. Our costs to respond to and defend any such audits, reviews, and investigations may be significant, and any resulting sanctions or criminal, civil, or regulatory penalties could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flow. The cost and difficulty of complying with increasing and evolving regulation and enforcement could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and cash flow. The regulatory environment surrounding the senior living industry continues to intensify in the number and type of laws and regulations affecting it, many of which vary from state to state. Many senior living communities are subject to regulation and licensing by state and local health and social service agencies and other regulatory authorities. In several of the states in which we operate there are different levels of care that may be provided based on the level of licensure. Several of the states in which we operate, or intend to operate, assisted living and memory care communities, or skilled nursing facilities require a certificate of need before a community may be opened or the services at an existing community may be expanded. These regulatory requirements, and the increased enforcement thereof, could affect our ability to expand into new markets, to expand our services and communities in existing markets, and if any of our presently licensed communities were to operate outside of its licensing authority, may subject us to penalties including closure of the community. Federal, state, and local officials are increasingly focusing their efforts on enforcement of these laws and regulations. This is particularly true for large for-profit, multi-community providers like us. Future regulatory developments as well as mandatory increases in the scope and severity of deficiencies determined by survey or inspection officials could cause our operations to suffer. We are unable to predict the future course of federal, state, and local legislation or regulation. If regulatory requirements increase, whether through enactment of new laws or regulations or changes in the enforcement of existing rules, our business, results of operations, and cash flow could be adversely affected. The intensified regulatory and enforcement environment impacts providers like us because of the increase in the number of inspections or surveys by governmental authorities and consequent citations for failure to comply with regulatory requirements. We also expend considerable resources to respond to federal and state investigations or other enforcement action. From time to time in the ordinary course of business, we receive survey reports from state or federal regulatory bodies citing deficiencies resulting from such inspections or surveys. Although most inspection deficiencies are resolved through a plan of corrective action, the reviewing agency may have the authority to take further action against a licensed or certified community, which could result in the imposition of fines, imposition of a provisional or conditional license, suspension or revocation of a license, suspension or denial of admissions, loss of certification as a provider under federal reimbursement programs, or imposition of other sanctions, including criminal penalties. Furthermore, certain states may allow citations in one community to impact other communities in the state. Revocation or suspension of a license, or a citation, at a given community could therefore impact our ability to obtain new licenses or to renew existing licenses at other communities, which may also cause us to default under our debt and lease documents and/or trigger cross-defaults. The failure to comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements could result in a material adverse effect to our business as a whole. There are various extremely complex federal and state laws governing a wide array of referrals, relationships, and arrangements and prohibiting fraud by healthcare providers, including those in the senior living industry, and governmental agencies are devoting increasing attention and resources to such anti-fraud initiatives. Some examples are the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, and the False Claims Act, which gives private individuals the ability to bring an action on behalf of the federal government. The violation of any of these laws or regulations may result in the imposition of fines or other penalties that could increase our costs and otherwise jeopardize our business. Because of incentives allowing a private individual to bring a claim on behalf of the federal government, so-called "whistleblower" suits have become more frequent. Additionally, since we operate communities that participate in federal and/or state healthcare reimbursement programs, we are subject to federal and state laws that prohibit anyone from presenting, or causing to be presented, claims for reimbursement 35 which are false, fraudulent, or are for items or services that were not provided as claimed. Similar state laws vary from state to state. Violation of any of these laws can result in loss of licensure, citations, sanctions, and other criminal or civil fines and penalties, the refund of overpayments, payment suspensions, or termination of participation in Medicare and Medicaid programs, which may also cause us to default under our debt and lease documents and/or trigger cross-defaults. We are subject to certain federal and state laws that regulate financial arrangements by healthcare providers, such as the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, the Stark laws, and certain state referral laws. Authorities have interpreted the federal Anti-Kickback Statute very broadly to apply to many practices and relationships between healthcare providers and sources of patient referral. If we were to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, we may face criminal penalties and civil sanctions, including fines and possible exclusion from government reimbursement programs, which may also cause us to default under our debt and lease documents and/or trigger cross-defaults. Adverse consequences may also result if we violate federal Stark laws related to certain Medicare and Medicaid physician referrals. While we endeavor to comply with all laws that regulate the licensure and operation of our business, it is difficult to predict how our revenues could be affected if we were subject to an action alleging such violations. We are subject to federal and state laws, regulations and executive orders relating to healthcare providers’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These requirements vary based on provider type and jurisdiction but generally may include mandatory requirements vaccination of staff, testing of residents and/or staff, providing COVID-19 related paid leave, implementation of infection control standards and procedures, imposition of restrictions on new admissions or readmissions of residents, required screening of all persons entering a community, imposition of restrictions or limitations on who and how residents may be visited, and imposition of mandatory notification requirements to residents, families, staff, and regulatory bodies related to positive COVID-19 cases. Enhanced or additional penalties may apply for violation of such requirements. Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Act, safety and health standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and other fire, safety, health, and other regulations may require us to make unanticipated expenditures, which could increase our costs and therefore adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition . Certain of our communities, or portions thereof, may be subject to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. The ADA has separate compliance requirements for "public accommodations" and "commercial properties," but generally requires that buildings be made accessible to people with disabilities. If applicable, compliance with ADA requirements could require removal of access barriers and non-compliance could result in imposition of government fines or an award of damages to private litigants. We must also comply with the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits us from discriminating against individuals on certain bases in any of our practices if it would cause such individuals to face barriers in gaining residency in any of our communities. Additionally, the Fair Housing Act and other state laws require that we advertise our services in such a way that we promote diversity and not limit it. We may be required, among other things, to change our marketing techniques to comply with these requirements. In addition, we are required to operate our communities in compliance with applicable safety and health standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and other fire, health, and safety regulations, building codes and other land use regulations, and food licensing or certification requirements as they may be adopted by governmental agencies and bodies from time to time. Like other healthcare facilities, senior living communities are subject to periodic survey or inspection by governmental authorities to assess and assure compliance with regulatory requirements. Surveys occur on a regular (often annual or bi-annual) schedule, and special surveys may result from a specific complaint filed by a resident, a family member, or one of our competitors. We may be required to make substantial capital expenditures to comply with those requirements. Legislation was adopted in the State of Florida in March 2018 that requires skilled nursing homes and assisted living communities in Florida to obtain generators and fuel necessary to sustain operations and maintain comfortable temperatures in the event of a power outage. Our cost to comply with this legislation has been approximately $20 million without a corresponding increase in our revenues. If other states or jurisdictions were to adopt similar legislation or regulation, the cost to comply with such requirements may be substantial and may not result in any additional revenues. The increased costs and capital expenditures that we may incur in order to comply with any of the above would result in a negative effect on our results of operations and financial condition. 36 Changes in federal, state, and local employment-related laws and regulations, or our failure to comply with these laws and regulations could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flow. We are subject to a wide variety of federal, state, and local employment-related laws and regulations which govern matters including, but not limited to, wage and hour requirements, equal employment opportunity obligations, leaves of absence and reasonable accommodations, employee benefits, the right of employees to engage in protected concerted activity (including union organizing), and occupational health and safety requirements. Because labor represents such a large portion of our operating expenses, changes in federal, state, and local employment-related laws and regulations could increase our cost of doing business. Furthermore, any failure to comply with these laws can result in significant protracted litigation, government investigation, penalties, or other damages which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flow. Corporate Organization and Structure Anti-takeover provisions in our organizational documents may delay, deter, or prevent a tender offer, merger, or acquisition that investors may consider favorable . Certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws may delay, deter, or prevent a tender offer, merger, or acquisition that investors may consider favorable or prevent the removal of our current board of directors. Such provisions include: • provisions allowing the Board of Directors to issue blank-check preferred stock; • provisions preventing stockholders from calling special meetings or acting by written consent; • advance notice requirements for stockholders with respect to director nominations and actions to be taken at annual meetings; and • no provision in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation for cumulative voting in the election of directors, which means that the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock can elect all the directors standing for election. Additionally, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which restricts certain business combinations with interested stockholders in certain situations, will not apply to us. We are a holding company with no operations and rely on our operating subsidiaries to provide us with funds necessary to meet our financial obligations. We are a holding company with no material direct operations. Our principal assets are the equity interests we directly or indirectly hold in our operating subsidiaries. As a result, we are dependent on loans, distributions, and other payments from our subsidiaries to generate the funds necessary to meet our financial obligations. Our subsidiaries are legally distinct from us and have no obligation to make funds available to us. Other Market Factors Various factors, including general economic conditions and the spread of contagious illnesses, could adversely affect our financial performance and other aspects of our business. General economic conditions, such as inflation, the consumer price index, commodity costs, fuel and other energy costs, competition in the labor market, costs of salaries, wages, benefits and insurance, interest rates, and tax rates, affect our facility operating, facility lease, general and administrative and other expenses, and we have no control or limited ability to control such factors. Current global economic conditions and uncertainties, including due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the potential for failures or realignments of financial institutions, and the related impact on available credit may affect us and our business partners, landlords, counterparties, and residents or prospective residents in an adverse manner including, but not limited to, reducing access to liquid funds or credit, increasing the cost of credit, limiting our ability to manage interest rate risk, increasing the risk that certain of our business partners, landlords or counterparties would be unable to fulfill their obligations to us, and other impacts which we are unable to fully anticipate. In addition to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our occupancy, seasonal contagious illnesses such as cold and flu, which typically more severely impact seniors than the general population may negatively affect our occupancy. The continued COVID-19 pandemic, severe cold and flu season, or an outbreak of other contagious disease in the markets in which we operate could result in a regulatory ban on admissions, decreased occupancy, and otherwise adversely affect our business. 37 The market price and trading volume of our common stock may be volatile, which could result in rapid and substantial losses for our stockholders. The market price of our common stock may be highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations. In addition, the trading volume in our common stock may fluctuate and cause significant price variations to occur. If the market price of our common stock declines significantly, stockholders may be unable to resell their shares at or above their purchase price. The market price of our common stock may fluctuate or decline significantly in the future. Some of the factors that could negatively affect our share price, result in fluctuations in the price, or trading volume of our common stock include: • variations in our reported results of operations and cash flow, and changes in our financial guidance; • the contents of published research reports about us or the senior living, healthcare, or real estate industries, the failure of securities analysts to cover our common stock, or changes in market valuations of similar companies; • additions or departures of key management personnel; • any increased indebtedness we may incur, any inability to refinance maturing indebtedness, or lease obligations we may enter into in the future; • actions by institutional stockholders; • announcements by us or our competitors of significant contracts, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, or capital commitments; • speculation or reports by the press or investment community with respect to us, other senior living operators or healthcare providers, or the senior living, healthcare, or real estate industries in general; • proxy contests or other stockholder activism; • increases in market interest rates that may lead purchasers of our shares to demand a higher yield or downturns in the real estate market; • changes or proposed changes in laws or regulations affecting the senior living and healthcare industries or enforcement of these laws and regulations, or announcements relating to these matters; and • general market and economic conditions. Future offerings of debt or equity securities by us may adversely affect the market price of our common stock. In the future, we may attempt to increase our capital resources by offering additional debt or equity securities, including commercial paper, medium-term notes, senior or subordinated notes, convertible securities, series of preferred shares, or shares of our common stock. Upon liquidation, holders of our debt securities and preferred stock, and lenders with respect to other borrowings, would receive a distribution of our available assets prior to the holders of our common stock. We may issue all of the shares of our common stock that are authorized but unissued (and not otherwise reserved for issuance under our stock incentive plan or purchase plans, outstanding warrants, or outstanding convertible senior notes) without any action or approval by our stockholders. Additional equity offerings may dilute the economic and voting rights of our existing stockholders or reduce the market price of our common stock, or both. Shares of our preferred stock, if issued, could have a preference with respect to liquidating distributions or a preference with respect to dividend payments that could limit our ability to pay dividends to the holders of our common stock. Because our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing, or nature of our future offerings. Thus, holders of our common stock bear the risk of our future offerings reducing the market price of our common stock and diluting their shareholdings in us. Actions of activist stockholders could cause us to incur substantial costs, divert management's attention and resources, and have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flow, and the market price of our common stock. We value constructive input from our stockholders and engage in dialogue with our stockholders regarding our governance practices, strategy, and performance. However, activist stockholders may disagree with the composition of our Board of Directors or management, our strategy, or capital allocation decisions and may seek to effect change through various strategies that range from private engagement to public campaigns, proxy contests, efforts to force proposals, or transactions not supported by our Board of Directors and litigation. Responding to these actions may be costly and time-consuming, disrupt our operations, divert the attention of our Board of Directors, management, and our associates and interfere with our ability to pursue our strategy and to attract and retain qualified Board and executive leadership. The perceived uncertainty as to our future direction that may result from actions of activist stockholders may also negatively impact our ability to attract and retain residents at our communities. We cannot provide assurance that constructive engagement with our stockholders will be successful. Any such stockholder activism may have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flow, and the market price of our common stock. 38 Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments None.