FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Heather Schechter, Director of Marketing and Business Development
hschechter@sunrisemc.com (518) 782-0200 ext. 103
Sunrise Management & Consulting to Receive Honor
At Mohawk Hudson Humane Society’s Gala on April 28th
Albany, NY (April 23, 2018) – At their Gala for Animals on April 28th, the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society (MHHS) will honor Sunrise Management & Consulting as the 2018 Humane Hero.
One of the primary reasons that pets are relinquished is the shortage of pet-friendly rental housing. Sunrise Management & Consulting, which specializes in multifamily real estate, has taken an innovative approach to addressing this issue. When developing Van Allen Apartments in North Greenbush, the company envisioned a complex that would not only allow, but be especially suited to renters with pets.
Sunrise reached out to MHHS for guidance and was referred to an employee who had expertise on the issue of pets and rental housing from prior work with the Humane Society of the United States. Explains Director of Marketing and Business Development Heather Schechter, “we were connected to Todd Cramer, the President and CEO of the MHHS. We told him about our exciting plans for beautiful apartments and a pet-friendly community at Van Allen Apartments. We showed Todd the list of breeds restricted at other properties and asked if there was a list of breeds that wouldn’t do well in apartment communities. It was from that first conversation with Todd that we were encouraged to re-think our pet policies and to make Van Allen the region’s first Pets Are Welcome apartment community.”
Sunrise worked collaboratively with the MHHS on aspects of design and management of their pet amenities, such as dog play areas, as well as the development of resident guidelines and animal handling training for their staff and more. These measures have earned Sunrise the Pets Are Welcome designation by the Humane Society of the United States, which defines a community as not only pet-friendly but without breed or weight restrictions on dogs.
“In many communities, ours included, renting with pets can present a major challenge, especially for those with multiple pets or certain breeds of dog,” explains Todd Cramer, President and CEO, MHHS. “Pet friendly housing is not good enough when lack of housing for families with pets is a leading reason pets are surrendered to our shelter. So when Sunrise Management & Consulting approached us for advice on developing a truly pet welcoming rental community, we were happy to assist. We introduced them to PAW, a program developed by the HSUS whose research supports the idea that with the right policies, dogs, cats, and other pets can thrive in apartment communities and live in harmony with residents without the need for restrictions based on size or breed. We provided training for their staff and helped them develop policies for residents. We commend Sunrise Management for thinking beyond traditional, arbitrary pet restrictions in rental housing and addressing the growing need for housing that is truly welcoming for pet owners.”
After the successful implementation of PAW at Van Allen Apartments, Sunrise rolled out this policy to other local apartment communities: Homeroom Lofts Apartments in Averill Park; Long Pond Village in Rotterdam; Draper Lofts Apartments in Rotterdam; and now Carlton Hollow Apartments, a 55+ Community in Ballston Spa, which will open its doors to its first residents in May.
Sunrise President Jesse Holland is pleased with the success of PAW at Van Allen and other Sunrise communities: “Seeing Van Allen Apartments become a reality with happy non-pet owning and pet-owning residents living together in harmony is truly gratifying. In 1988, I adopted our family’s first dog from the MHHS. When I graduated from college, it was common to purchase a starter home, allowing people the freedom to buy their first pet. With changes to the job market where millennials change jobs more frequently and move locations, it is becoming more common for people to start their professional lives in an apartment. Our residents still crave the experience of owning a pet. We are excited to be able to provide homes for people with all sizes and breeds of dogs. Working with the MHHS has been instrumental in our success: they have provided us with the tools, training for our staff, and support for our residents to make our Pets Are Welcome communities great places to live.”
For more information on the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society’s Gala for Animals, visit https://mohawkhumane.org/gala2018.html.
For more information on apartments communities managed by Sunrise Management & Consulting, visit https://www.sunrisemc.com/our-properties/.
# # #
