S&P Global Ratings is postponing a March 31 forum on public housing bonds due to concerns about the outbreak of COVID-19.
The ratings agency said Monday that a U.S. Public Finance Housing Hot Topics event in New York City was canceled after monitoring COVID-19 and advice from the World Health Organization. No makeup date was been announced.
“As a company, our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our delegates and speakers, our partners, our colleagues and vendors,” Marian Zucker, S&P’s sector leader for U.S. Public Finance Housing, said in a statement. “We regret any inconvenience caused.”
The discussion-based forum slated for the company’s headquarters in Lower Manhattan was going to focus on housing finance agencies, public housing authorities and community development financial institutions. Senior S&P analysts and other industry professionals were going to discuss challenges and opportunities for the public housing sector, credit implications and 2020 outlooks. A networking reception was also planned.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo confirmed 142 statewide COVID-19 cases including 19 in New York City during a press briefing Monday. Cuomo declared a state of emergency Saturday in an effort to help contain the virus and on Monday announced that the state's prison inmates will begin immediately producing 100,000 gallons of hand sanitizer for government agencies.
