It might be yet another sign of the times (bad economic times for the Corporate Society)...
The WTS now depends on a direct monthly contribution from each congregation (instead of the old money-pump of the literature counter). In the old days, each Kingdom Hall had it's own property, it's own real estate loan (usually this was given by wealthier JW locals and usually forgiven of even principal payments, let alone interest), and the WTS never ever loaned out money for a Kingdom Hall. For a while, the property-rich WTS found a lucrative market in suddenly making a lot of Kingdom Hall loans, and shrewdly, having all the property deeded to themselves - not the congregations as of old. Now, with money getting tighter and tighter, maybe they want to keep the congregations in business (and sending in the monthly check), and so they want to lighten up a little on the vigorish to keep the blood flowing as long as possible?
What do you think they are going to do, anyway? Foreclose on the Kingdom Halls? Then who is going to pay the rent?
Babylon the Great?