Bloomberg Businessweek

The Capital Needed to Build More Housing

Mar 18, 2026
Ran Eliasaf, founder of Northwind Group and veteran real estate credit investor. He discusses the U.S. housing shortage and rising rental demand. He explains how tax incentives and policy clarity spur deals in cities like New York. He contrasts asset-backed real estate lending with wider private credit worries and touches on infrastructure and healthcare real estate trends.
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INSIGHT

Institutional Buyers Are Driving Transaction Volume

  • Northwind Group saw a record start to the year with ~$1.2 billion in loan originations, driven by higher transaction volume among professional buyers.
  • Ran Eliasaf attributes this to narrowed bid-ask spreads and institutional activity despite retail homebuyer pullback due to mortgage rates.
ADVICE

Use Long Term Tax Incentives To Enable Affordable Projects

  • To build viable NYC housing projects, developers need tax incentive programs that trade long tax breaks for affordable units.
  • Eliasaf cites office-to-resi programs offering ~35-year tax breaks in exchange for ~25% affordable units as necessary.
INSIGHT

Major Rezoning Projects Are Decade Long Solutions

  • Large rezoning projects like Long Island City will take a decade or more to materially add housing supply.
  • Eliasaf warns these are long-horizon solutions and won't solve shortages in 2–3 years.
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