Covia maintains A- rating from Fitch

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., July 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier this month, Fitch Ratings affirmed the A- rating on Covia's revenue bonds, with a rating outlook of "Stable." Covia, a non-profit senior living organization headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, first received an A- rating in 2017.

"Covia benefits from its size and scale with five full service retirement communities located in desirable locations throughout Northern California, with a total operating revenue base of nearly $150 million," Fitch reports. "Along with a sophisticated and centralized management structure, Covia's revenue diversity offsets credit risks relating to operating volatility, competitive pressures and actuarial risk."

After the February decision by the Covia Communities Board to proceed with the closure of Los Gatos Meadows, a Covia Community in the South Bay, Diana Jamison, Covia's Chief Financial Officer, immediately reached out to Fitch to provide them with details. "They appreciated our transparency and proactive response and requested specific information. Fitch then scheduled a formal surveillance process to review our rating given the impact of the closure," reports Kevin Gerber, CEO.

During the surveillance meeting, which takes place every two years, "We demonstrated that we are a strong, healthy organization, even given this temporary closure of Los Gatos Meadows," says Jamison. The Fitch report demonstrates that "they had faith in management and had faith in the strength of our financial performance."

"Fitch understands our industry better than any other rating agency," says Jamison. To be able to maintain Covia's A- rating feels "Awesome. I don't even know how to explain it any other way."

"I'm proud of the fact that we've been able to maintain our financial strength. It says a lot about the organization."

Established in 1965, Covia promotes positive aging by cultivating healthy and engaged communities with a continuum of innovative services that actively support intellectual, physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being. For more information on Covia, please visit covia.org.

SOURCE Covia