Bendix Anderson, a longtime writer for Affordable Housing Finance and Multifamily Executive, died April 17. He was 53.
Anderson, who contributed to AHF for more than 25 years, was passionate about reporting on housing. He most recently wrote an in-depth article about the top 25 affordable housing lenders for the April/May issue of the magazine.
“Bendix always showed a deep interest in the subjects he covered, but, more importantly, he truly cared about the people whose stories he told,” says Donna Kimura, deputy editor of Affordable Housing Finance. “He was a valued member of the AHF team and a respected figure in the broader affordable and multifamily housing community.”
Last year, he received two regional Azbee Awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for his work for MFE—a silver in the Technology & Innovation reporting category for his “Meet Your Co-Worker” cover story from the May/June 2023 issue and a bronze in the Feature Article category for “Lessons Learned,” a cover story on office conversions for the November/December 2023 issue.
He also recently wrote the cover story for the May/June issue of MFE on sustainable technology solutions.
“I had the pleasure of working with Bendix for almost 25 years,” says MFE editor Christine Serlin. “Whatever the subject, he was curious, wanting to hear all the details; he truly enjoyed interviewing industry leaders and crafting his articles.”
In addition to reporting on real estate, Anderson wrote several children’s books, including “Quetzal and the Cool School,” “Birds of Prey,” and “Security Dogs.”
He grew up in the Village of Lake Bluff, Illinois, and earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Grinnell College in Iowa. He also earned a certificate from the Radcliffe Publishing Course, gaining intensive training in book, magazine, and digital publishing.
Anderson lived in Brooklyn, New York, for many years before moving to Westchester County near Sarah Lawrence College, where his wife, Vanessa DeSantis, was attending graduate school. The couple then made their home back in Brooklyn for many years before relocating to White Plains, New York, about three years ago.
Through his work, he interviewed many affordable and multifamily housing leaders in New York and across the country.
“What always struck me in my conversations with Bendix was his very genuine enthusiasm for whatever affordable housing topic we were discussing,” says Deborah VanAmerongen, who leads the affordable housing team at law firm Nixon Peabody. “He wasn’t solely a reporter working on an article, he also was a ‘houser’ at heart.”
In an era when most men associate hats with baseball caps, Anderson preferred a fedora or another hat of timeless style. He wore it well—it suited him as a reporter and a gentleman.
Anderson sang bass with the New Amsterdam Singers, an amateur chorus based in New York City.
