Ascentia

Throughout its 40-year history, Ascentia has maintained family and unity as the priorities of its manufactured home communities. The Mercy Fund helps the company fulfill its mission, making a positive mark in the lives of residents that can never be erased. After gaining valuable information at a YASC conference four years ago, Yardi client, Ascentia, embarked on a transformation. The company instituted a multifamily model to manage its 7,000 units of mobile homes, reaching a unique market of consumers who were not interested in traditional apartment life or the ties of a mortgage. Amy McKelvy, director of training and development, calls the communities “single-level apartments with grass yards.” “Most of our residents now are young families with children and at least one pet. It’s difficult for them, in some locations, to find affordable living that allows them to have the freedom and the privacy that most people enjoy,” says McKelvy. The multifamily model for mobile homes has experienced great success. Yet through its growth, the family-owned company hasn’t lost sight of its original emphasis on the importance of family and community. The Mercy Fund ensures that Ascentia can support its tenants like relatives. The Mercy Fund is the brainchild of founder B.M. Vukovich, created to help residents through difficult financial times. Employees, investors, residents and other third party participants are encouraged to make donations to the fund throughout the year. The funds are then dispersed to residents with dire need. “The atmosphere inside is that, not only is the staff family but our residents are our family as well,” says McKelvy. The autumn floods that swept through Colorado tested the company’s commitment to its extended family. In September of 2013, the Boulder metropolitan area suffered a deluge, dumping more than 17 inches of water...

Dan Mullen Jun23

Dan Mullen

Bedrock strives to revitalize Detroit’s Central Business District by creating jobs, opportunity and an atmosphere of innovation. Vice President of Development Dan Mullen seized the opportunity to support that vision. In 10 short years, Mullen worked his way through the ranks at Quicken Loans and into a key leadership position with Gilbert’s new venture. “I love real estate, and it was an amazing opportunity to come into a great American city and impact the outcome,” said Mullen. His efforts have landed him a position among Crain’s Detroit Business’ 40 Under 40 and D Business Magazine’s 30 in Their 30s. Under Mullen’s guidance, the privately held commercial real estate organization has acquired, developed and manages more than 8 million square feet of space. Among its holdings are iconic structures that are being reimagined for modern uses, such as the historic Cary building and 1500 Woodward. These renovations bring fresh energy and vision to the city. Bedrock’s efforts have been well received. More than 80 local and international companies have taken advantage of its renovated properties. CPE: What’s one challenge that you’ve overcome on your path to success? Mullen: I always strive for greatness. It’s a personal challenge. I’m like a sponge. I want to learn everything that I can as fast as I possibly can. I want to become as knowledgeable as possible about everything regarding redevelopment and urban planning. There is a lot to learn when you’re helping to revitalize a downtown area. CPE: Looking back, what’s one piece of advice that you would have given yourself in the beginning of your career? Mullen: I would’ve said, “Never, ever, ever be scared to fail.”  If you’re not failing, you’re not trying hard enough, and you’re not pushing hard enough to do different things. CPE:...

Michael Preston Jun16

Michael Preston

With over 20 years of experience in social work, Michael Preston is a good judge of what kind of social support program actually makes a difference for disabled homeless and veterans. In his role as regional director of permanent supportive housing for Columbus, Ohio-based National Church Residences – the nation’s largest non-profit specializing in affordable senior housing – he’s involved in a fast-growing collaborative effort to help house those in need. “One of the things I really love about permanent supportive housing is the transformative quality of it. You can see folks going from a state of homelessness to a self-sufficient state with their own apartments – it’s a real solution to a social problem of homelessness,” Preston said in a recent interview. Due to the success of its supportive housing initiatives, NCR has expanded outside of Ohio to Atlanta and will grow from 590 units of supportive housing today to nearly 1000 units in the next 2-3 years. The growth speaks both to the urgent need for such housing and the willingness of private, local and federal support to help fund it. NCR, a Yardi client,  partners with veterans and homeless services providers for a comprehensively supportive living experience. Among the programs garnering the most attention are NCR’s veterans homes. Last month  funds were designated for a veteran-focused supportive living home in Atlanta, Georgia, where NCR already has 7 senior-focused assets. “Serving formerly homeless and disabled veterans is very important to the mission of National Church Residences,” said President & CEO Thomas W. Slemmer. “Permanent supportive housing can give them stability, more self-sufficiency and a chance at a new life in a way that’s cost-effective for the government. They served our nation, and we owe them that.” Read on for more of our...

Bruce Keene Jun13

Bruce Keene

Residents are sometimes quick to post negative reviews on apartment rating sites, but don’t always take the time to write positive reviews. However, there is a solution to this. MHN talks to Bruce Keene, president of management services of Tampa, Fla.-based Franklin Street, a Yardi client, about some trends he is seeing in property management, such as how to get positive reviews on ratings sites. MHN: Tell me about Franklin Street. Keene: Franklin Street is a real estate services company. We provide a myriad of services not only to the apartment investor, but also to the retail sector. The company itself has four divisions: one of them is the property management division, which manages both multifamily and retail, one division is the investment/sales division, which is the brokerage division, there’s a capital advisors division, which finds debt and equity for investors, and we also have a property and casualty insurance company that provides that service to property investors. So it’s a one-stop shop for the real estate investor. Currently we manage about 4,000 apartment units and about 5 million square feet of retail. MHN: What are some multifamily property management trends that you’re seeing in Tampa? Keene: Since the economy has improved and the apartment market in general has improved, I think that everyone is more focused on fine-tuning the operations for maximum performance. We’re not fighting concessions anymore, we’re not fighting for rents anymore, and we’re not fighting occupancy issues anymore. Especially in our markets, concessions are gone, occupancies are up and it’s time to focus on customers and maximizing efficiency in the processes we use. There’s one trend in particular that’s interesting that I’ve been looking into and we’ve began to use, and that’s a focus on certain technologies that will improve...

Christiana Foglio-Palmer Jun10

Christiana Foglio-Palmer...

Christiana Foglio-Palmer’s success as an owner/developer of multifamily affordable housing in New Jersey could be measured by the typical parameters — numbers of units developed, residents housed, and dollars made. But sit down to talk with her about a 20-year career heading Community Investment Strategies, Inc., and you’ll hear less about profits and projects, and more about hugs. “Yesterday I was at a site, in the elevator with a resident, and they gave me a hug. It is inexpressible how that makes me feel. I love building buildings, but I’ll take the hug any day,” she told me, her voice wracked with laryngitis. I had suggested we reschedule our interview, so she could save her voice.  She insisted that we go forward. It’s that kind of dedication to doing her job, and doing it well no matter what challenges are thrown into her path, that have made Foglio-Palmer stand out, not just as a developer who has built or redeveloped more than 3,000 units of low-to-moderate income housing around New Jersey, but as a strong female business owner who has made prioritizing female-headed households a cornerstone of her business. “From where I sit, Chris Foglio is the smartest developer in the state,” said Christian Bollwage, mayor of Elizabeth, New Jersey, where CIS has worked on several challenging projects, including the Hope VI development. “She works with the residents more than anyone else.” Learning from residents When Foglio-Palmer talks about her work, she doesn’t talk about projects so much as she does people. One particular resident, who lived at CIS’ very first redevelopment project, taught her a lesson that she’s incorporated in every project since. The low-income condominiums were planned in collaboration with the current residents, and one of the final design decisions Foglio-Palmer needed...

SCYAP

Since 2001, Saskatoon Community Youth Arts Programming (SCYAP) has offered free visual and graphic arts training to aboriginal youth. Students can chose any of 13 afterschool programs, seven First Nation reserve courses, or attend sessions at SCYAP headquarters.  In each setting, the organization provides a safe, encouraging space where youth can hone their art, transforming their raw talent into a source of hope, personal achievement, and income. Founder and Executive Director Darrell Lechman holds an extensive background in social services specializing in aboriginal youth. Through SCYAP, he is able to blend his skills as a youth advocate with his enthusiasm for the arts. It’s the perfect fit. “SCYAP has continued for 13 years because we are passionate about what we do,” says Lechman. But it takes more than passion to undo the effects of 130 years of systematic injustice towards one demographic.  That’s why SCYAP uses art to gradually build trust and accountability. Both tools can ultimately lead to youth who are feel valued and are valuable contributors to society. Over 70% of SCYAP participants are of aboriginal ancestry. These youth face challenges that are unique to their situation: in addition to the barriers of poverty, youth experience prejudice, racism and classism that can result in distrust. In order for SCYAP staff to reach each student, they work consistently to build trust. “Without trust, the program is superficial,” says Lechman. Simultaneously, SCYAP uses art to instill responsibility and self-worth. Impoverished youth who have two working parents, or a single working parent, may not receive the accountability needed to foster responsibility at home. “There’s about 60 hours outside of school where kids are with friends or alone,” estimates Lechman. “If we can put them in an environment where they have some guidance, mentorship—where they can...

Baybridge Senior Living May21

Baybridge Senior Living...

BayBridge develops and manages senior housing throughout Canada and the United States. The growing company provides lifestyle options for residents including independent living, assisted living and memory care services. Through this system, residents can stay in the community when their needs change, seamlessly transitioning between care levels. “We’re developing and growing at this point but one thing is for sure: we want to provide the best care for our seniors,” says Monika Klimecka, Property Accountant.  To remain focused on seniors’ needs while nurturing a growing company, BayBridge has turned to Yardi’s products and services to streamline and automate daily operations. The staff of BayBridge is returning to Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC) for the third consecutive season to get the most out of their Yardi software. Each year has held different opportunities. “The first few years that we attended, BayBridge was so new. We wanted to find out the existing functionalities within Yardi and how BayBridge could use them to help with our processes and workflows,” says Klimecka. Now that the understanding of their Yardi products has improved, the BayBridge team is returning to YASC to further refine workflows with an advanced knowledge of the software and industry best practices. “We are attending the Senior Housing Focus Group: Road Map and the Senior Housing Round Table to help us stay current and relevant. These sessions are a good opportunity for our team to learn about future developments in the industry. The Round Table specifically is great for knowledge and idea sharing with other members in the senior housing industry.” Klimecka will also attend Financial Best Practices for Voyager, Workflows and Notifications for Voyager 7S, and PayScan Tips and Tricks. These tools help BayBridge to automate day-to-day practices so that they can focus on priorities...

Monica Makin May19

Monica Makin

Monica Makin grew up in public housing in Brooklyn, New York – in Bedford-Stuyvesant’s Marcy Houses, the same projects as rapper Jay-Z. After becoming the first person in her extended family to graduate from college and continuing on to law school, Makin eventually found her way back to the affordable housing realm in a very different capacity – as an expert in Section 42 tax credit program and the HUD Section 8  program. She has worked on development and asset management in both Oregon and Illinois. “My real passion is preserving the integrity of this industry and of the affordable housing programs. I recognize that there is such a need type of programs, from personal experience as well as working in the industry,” Makin said. “Where I grew up, the building I lived in was nothing I would want my kids to live in. The product we produce now, I would gladly live in.” She described an unsafe, unsanitary environment in the Marcy Houses, hearing gunshots at night and smelling urine in the elevator. New York Magazine summarizes: “At Marcy, the hard-knock life presses on.” In her current position as Vice President of Acquisitions and Asset Management for Chicago-based Urban Innovations, Makin is an advocate for expanding affordable housing opportunities for seniors, workforce and low-income residents. She sees affordable housing programs that provide housing for these groups as being constantly threatened by funding cuts – while at the same time, the need is rising. Read on for our interview with Monica Makin. Can you describe Urban Innovations’ affordable housing portfolio? Makin: We have 3,700 units under management, in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Kentucky. Most of them are project based Section 8, so they provide housing to seniors at 30 percent area median income (AMI)....

Out of the Box May12

Out of the Box

The development projects and community initiatives of Denver’s Urban Land Conservancy (ULC) don’t fit in just one box. In fact, they don’t even fit in several boxes. Founded with the intent to improve and support parts of the city needing the most TLC, the ULC is not just a nonprofit developer, or a project proposer, or a community advocate, or a saving grace financier.  It’s a medley of all that and more, a unique real estate hybrid that aims to improve, elevate and assist in areas where help is needed most. Founded in 2003 with seed funding from Sam Gary and Gary Williams Energy Corp,  ULC, a Yardi client, is now a standalone nonprofitwith a  mission  to preserve real estate in urban areas, for the benefit of the community at large. The group ramped up its efforts from 2007 onward, when current President and CEO Aaron Miripol was hired. The energetic Miripol, who rides his bike to most meetings and has over 20 years of experience in affordable community development, has been a driving force behind the success. “He’s the most passionate person I have ever worked with,” said Christi Craine, Operations and Communications Director for ULC. “He has driven the growth of ULC’s portfolio from two pieces of real estate to investments in 19 properties, and we’ve become a resource for those hoping to practice place-based real estate based on community need.” ULC has been on a roll as of late, with multiple projects that include 800 units of transit-proximate affordable housing, a neighborhood-transforming youth center, and multiple nonprofit support ventures. In one instance, ULC swooped in to buy the property of a school serving neglected children that was close to having to shut down due to financial woes – over four years, the school raised the funds to buy their building back, at the exact same purchase price. “The uniqueness of a nonprofit real estate company that can partner with other nonprofits, for-profits, schools, foundations, municipalities and federal institutions to successfully develop and preserve real estate to benefit communities is rare,” ULC President and CEO Aaron Miripol stated.  “We have brought economic development opportunities, jobs and housing options to communities that otherwise may not have seen this kind of catalytic investment.  Taking a leadership role in acquiring these catalytic sites and being willing to take the risk necessary for maximum impact is part of our mission, and it is our job to take the risk that other organizations may not have the capacity to do. One of the nonprofit’s most visible projects has been the redevelopment of Holly Square, a former shopping center in Northeast Park Hill that was destroyed by arson in 2008. Gang-related activity had plagued the site and the neighborhood around it, and ULC heard from the community that they wanted to refocus the energy on the 2.6 acre site toward youth-oriented, neighborhood-supportive, peace-promoting goals. “This property is the heart and soul of what ULC’s mission is all about,” Craine said. One measure of success: Holly Square hasn’t been touched by graffiti since it opened, a sign of respect. Crime has also dropped in the area, and ULC is working with adjacent property owners in the hopes of continuing to improve the entire surrounding neighborhood. A youth center was the ultimate consensus for development, and the Nancy P. Anschutz Community Center, home to a very active chapter of the Boys & Girls Club, opened in fall-2013. Additional acreage on the site is slated for later development, and is temporarily being used as basketball and futsal courts. Community engagement in the improvements has been an important part of the redevelopment, and a recent “Community Build Day” involved the Colorado Construction Institute, a nonprofit that trains disadvantaged youth and young adults in the construction trade. In the realm of transit-proximate housing, ULC has also been a leader. Denver is currently in the process of building out...

Averting Data Disaster Apr30

Averting Data Disaster...

With an interest in marketing, job title based in IT, a strong grasp of social media and a passion for real-life residents, Bill Szczytko has earned a following as someone who can be counted on to deliver prescient insight about apartment management. His network of contacts in the industry is nationwide, and he effectively uses Twitter to gain a grasp of what fellow multifamily professionals are talking about this very minute. He’ll appear at the upcoming Apartment Internet Marketing  conference next Monday and Tuesday in California, where he’ll  talk about avoiding landmines while doing business online. He shared a sneak peek into what those landmines look like in a recent interview. What are the most worrisome threats that multifamily firms might face from hacking? Szczytko: The most worrisome threat we face is our own complacency. Hackers want one thing. Information. This information can be social security numbers, credit card numbers, and bank account information. Some try to obtain this information for the fun of it but most use this information to make money. There are many ways they try to get it. Viruses, phishing schemes, brunt force attacks, and hacking weak user account information. Most threats can be avoided just by being smart about how you surf the internet and the kinds of passwords you create. What best practices are necessary for a  company seeking to protect itself in the online realm? Szczytko:  It’s essential that you have several things in place. First, is a password policy that walks a good line between passwords people can remember and security. Second, is a form of antivirus running on the company machines. The best antivirus is always you but it’s hard to get people up to the same level in regards to what is dangerous online...

Centershift Apr29

Centershift

Like multifamily real estate, the storage industry has made a strong post-recession recovery. The renting of convenient space for storing extra personal possessions attracts both mom-and-pop proprietors and the investment dollars of large, publicly-traded REITs. Centershift, a Salt Lake City, Utah based company, created a scalable, flexible management system for storage 15 years ago. Recently acquired by Yardi, Centershift’s two product offerings are powerful, cloud-based solutions for running and reporting on storage properties. The company was an early developer of an effective revenue management system for the industry, and truly understands this unique property niche. Recently, we spoke with James Hafen (pictured, right),  Centershift’s CEO prior to the acquisition. He’s now a general manager and industry principal, self storage, for Yardi Systems. Read on for his insight on the storage industry, Centershift’s products, and what the acquisition means for the company’s exciting future. Tell us about the originations and history of Centershift? Hafen:  Centershift grew into a standalone company after developing a management application for the use of Extra Space Storage, which is now the second largest company in the storage industry. Around 1999, Extra Space was focused on substantially growing their business and struggling with technology, which was underserving the industry. We looked around, trying to find software solutions that would work, and there was just nothing that would fit. We needed something that was cloud based, would allow for centralized data management, and solve a lot of the problems that Extra Space was having. We built the first version of the Centershift product in 1999 and rolled it out in 2000 as an internal IT project. We had enough success that we saw the value in this as a commercial opportunity. We continued to develop the product while we came up with...

Devon Management Apr28

Devon Management

With its existing portfolio made up primarily of tax-credit affordable housing for seniors, New York’s Devon Management is now expanding into affordable properties that will house all ages. In the next few years, the company’s holdings will nearly double with the addition of 1,000 units in the Hudson Valley. “We’re just addressing the same dearth of affordable housing that’s present in every community in America,” said Paul Gratzel, Chief Operating Officer for Devon Management and its sister companies, MJJ Builders and Warwick Properties. The three-tiered approach means that one arm of the company – owned by Jonah Mandelbaum and his wife, Donna Applegate – is involved in every phase of a housing project, from siting and funding, to construction, to management. With vast experience and success in single-family subdivision development, Mandelbaum and Applegate turned to the affordable sector about 15 years ago and have built 13 properties with 1300 units thus far. They readily partner with other regional organizations serving populations that often struggle with housing, including the working poor and the disabled. “The new direction we’re proceeding in will be inter-generational. The communities will house a combination of seniors, workforce, family housing with set asides for the mentally disabled,” said Paul Gratzel. A real estate veteran with more than 20 years’ experience in the commercial, resort development, new urbanism and architectural sectors, Gratzel applies a pragmatic vision to what can become a complicated development process. Partnerships with the non-profit organizations, including Occupations, Inc., and Gateway, Inc.,  have been a vital part of Devon Management’s overall vision. The groups provide the supportive social services component necessary for residents in need. Living in a stable environment is typically the foundation toward success with such programs, which provide job opportunities for the mentally handicapped and other...

Raul Gil Honored Apr24

Raul Gil Honored

The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara is pleased to honor local leaders with Community Service Awards for their commitment to Santa Barbara, the Westside and Bohnett Park. Yardi team lead Raul Gil accepted an individual award, and Spencer Strom accepted the award on behalf of BEGA-US. Gil is an entrepreneur and longtime active resident of Santa Barbara. He worked as a staff accountant for the Santa Barbara News-Press and was in the media industry for 30 years. He has worked at Yardi for nearly 7 years, and is a team lead in the Global Solutions department. In addition to his professional career, Gil is active on the Westside Community Center Workgroup, the Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Goleta Valley Toastmasters, the Mariachi Festival Committee, founder of the 805 Basketball Club, statistician for the Santa Barbara High School basketball team and a dedicated supporter of the Bohnett Park revitalization effort. He has been a restaurant entrepreneur for more than 18 years and is the owner of El Zarape Restaurant on the Westside of Santa Barbara. Spencer Strom, Western territory sales manager, accepted the award on behalf of BEGA-US, a $45 million lighting design and manufacturing corporation with more than 50 percent of its product content sourced in the United States and designed and built in Santa Barbara County. BEGA-US has made product donations in many locations around Santa Barbara, including Westside’s Bohnett Park. BEGA-US was instrumental in providing the best lighting solutions possible to ensure safe after dark activities at Bohnett Park. The lights have enabled evening activities, including organized youth sports and social meetings with families and friends. BEGA-US has made a lasting positive impact on the Westside community with the new lighting system, making Bohnett Park more accessible and safe for local...

Tribridge Chooses Yardi Apr23

Tribridge Chooses Yardi...

TriBridge Residential manages 16,000 residential units in seven U.S. states.  Since 1990, TriBridge partners have overseen more than $2.75 billion in acquisitions and development of more than 33,000 multifamily units. Needing a comprehensive technology solution to effectively manage its business operations and provide detailed reporting to investors and clients, TriBridge selected Yardi Voyager® as its new Software as a Service core property management and accounting system, along with the Yardi Marketing Suite™ and Yardi Multifamily Suite™. TriBridge will execute many of its marketing and leasing operations—from online marketing and reputation management, to mobile lease execution and online resident services—with the Yardi Marketing Suite. Additional products from the Yardi Multifamily Suite will give TriBridge a full-business online and mobile platform, including self-service renters insurance, paperless procurement, automated utility billing and energy management, and comprehensive maintenance management. “TriBridge will enjoy the benefits of a holistic system that facilitates decision-making about acquisitions, sales, and other business actions. This single-stack technology approach also allows easy implementation of additional ancillary products as new business needs emerge,” said Terri Dowen, senior vice president of sales for Yardi. TriBridge Residential is a full-service multifamily investment, development, and management company based in Atlanta, with more than 16,000 units and $1 billion in assets under management. With 70 corporate professionals and 330 onsite staff, the firm focuses on markets in the Southeast and provides a vertically-integrated platform with a 20+ year track record through its subsidiaries and affiliates. For more information, visit...

Creating Family

At the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange, Inc.  (MARE), family isn’t always a group of people united by genes. Family is a matter of commitment, will, and compassion. Children enter state foster care on a temporary basis so that the problem in the their birth families (usually neglect or violence) can be investigated and resolved. Foster parents sign up to provide safe, loving temporary care. They often do not know if it will be a few days or a few months until the children can leave foster care and be reunited with their birth families. Janice Halpern, Director of Public Relations and Fundraising at MARE, explains that it doesn’t always work that way: “Most people sign up to provide temporary care for those who need temporary care. For some children, it becomes clear that the problems in the birth families cannot be fixed in time for the children to have a childhood there, so the children’s goal changes to adoption. 25 percent of kids in foster care have the goal of adoption.” These children need “forever families.” While many foster parents do adopt the children they have fostered, many more are not able to make that life-long commitment. MARE connects children in state foster care who are in need of adoption with adults looking to adopt. The organization educates the public about adoption from foster care and recruits potential parents for more than 750 waiting children each year.  Interested adults work closely with social workers to create a Home Study report, which serves as a profile that case workers use to tentatively match children with a forever family. “The Home Study interviews and training are a way to help the family figure out what characteristics of a child they feel they would be a good match,” says...

Talking Training Apr21

Talking Training

Technology provides many different ways to improve our lives and business processes.  Yardi recently launched an exciting new training product that offers both our clients and their employees the chance to improve new hire training and ongoing employee development. Yardi eLearning, developed internally at Yardi with the invaluable input of industry experts, is changing the way real estate professionals are educated on how to best use our market-leading software products. This intuitive learning and content management system provides easy navigation, quick access to training related information, course authorship and publicity for live training events. This flexible system allows clients to use Yardi eLearning for a wide range of training topics (e.g., leasing agent, maintenance, and soft skills training), making it the centralized training hub in your organization. Use it throughout your business to resolve training needs with just-in-time solutions. Whether your goal is to provide new employees with orientation courses or add intermediate to advanced level curriculum to your course catalog for current employees, this solution can handle it all. With multiple offices around the world, Yardi has embraced eLearning internally, as a supplement to our existing instructor-led training efforts. This option allowed us to address a broader range of training needs while directing our resources where they are needed most. While live training will always be our preference for certain topics, we are finding that our employees react well to a blended approach to learning, with some interactive live training and some engaging self-paced courses. Self-paced training offers freedom and flexibility when it comes to scheduling, allowing Yardi employees to meet their clients’ needs while investing in their own professional development. Self-paced courses can also be set up for recertification purposes. When you have a human resources course, like ergonomics, which must be...

Community Environmental Council

You know those people with the electric car, the one that’s charged by the solar panels on the roof of their net-zero, LEED Platinum house? The people that only eat organic produce that’s delivered by bike from the local co-op? The Community Environmental Council knows that you’re probably not one of them. Whether you’re striving to be greener or you just like to do a solid for Mother Earth now and then, the Community Environment Council (CEC) is your advocate. The organization specializes in “real life solutions for environmental problems.” This is accomplished largely by meeting people where they are mentally and financially and then working from there. “Our overall mission can be difficult to digest but we’re trying to make the pieces of our mission more tangible, palatable, more understandable,” begins Kathi King, Donor Relations Manager. “That’s why we’ve created a menu of choices so people can pick and choose what part of our mission appeals to them the most.” The CEC has divided its mission into five components: reducing the use of plastics, nixing carbon emissions, increasing solar power production, eating local, and minimizing fossil fuel usage.  On the website, users can find practical resources on how to make optimal impact in each area. The organization has applied the divide-and-conquer rule to its internal operations as well. Fossil Free by ’33 has become the master campaign, receiving the majority of the staff’s focus. In short, CEC would like to see the region weaned off of fossil fuels in one generation’s time. It plans to do so in a way that creates jobs, saves money, and strengthens the economy. It’s the sort of big picture goal that most people have a hard time conceptualizing. Kathi and the staff maintain realistic expectations. “We will never get 100 percent away from some usage of fossil fuels, be it natural gas or oil in some way or another,” says Kathi.  “But we’re moving towards a net zero approach, where we are exporting wind power or solar power so that our energy usage equals out to zero, hopefully by 2033.” Fossil Free by ’33 requires a broad reach of collaborative efforts. CEC is pushing for large-scale utility solar projects that can feed into the grid, making the grid more renewable. “Driving on sunshine” is another big factor, promoting the use of electric vehicles that are charged by solar power. Lastly, creating a community that’s more focused on biking, walking, and local food ties the vision into a pretty bow.  (If you’re wondering, local food is important because it minimizes the need for fuel-guzzling food shipments and vast, petro-chemical reliant monoculture.) With enough people on board, a net-zero Santa Barbara lies within the realm of feasibility. Once one city shows that it can be done, the model—complete with best practices gleaned from trial and error—can be duplicated and customized throughout the world. That’s the ultimate goal, the ultimate way that CEC wants to make a lasting impression. “We are small enough to make big changes but we’re also big enough to make a difference” Kathi says. “We can outsource what we’ve learned. It’s on our wish list to create a model that can be replicated in other places.” It all starts with you. Visit the website, see what sustainability effort speaks to you, and start doing your part today! Learn more about the CEC and other environmentally focused organizations and businesses at the annual Earth Day Festival, April 26-27, 2014 at Alameda...

Community Basics Inc. Apr15

Community Basics Inc....

Lancaster, Penn., is a community in the midst of transformation. New jobs are being created, environmentally-friendly development is trending, and the city’s downtown is experiencing a creative and retail renaissance. But affordable housing, much needed for working-class residents, seniors, is hard to come by. Yardi client Community Basics, Inc. (CBI), has been working since 1997 to meet the need for affordable housing in Lancaster and the surrounding community. The non-profit, which provides more than 400 units of tax credit and supportive housing, has taken a creative approach to developing and managing its projects. “We’ve developed tax credit projects which range in size from 18 units to 95 units, we manage all but one of our projects, which is outside the county. We also have been very involved with the county of Lancaster, because the commissioners are anxious to address the problem of homelessness in the county,” said Ken Smith, Executive Director. They’ve developed 47 units of supportive housing that target the homeless and mentally ill, who are provided with support services on site via non-profit partnerships. According to Wikipedia, the per capita income for Lancaster is $13,955, and 21.2% of the population and 17.9% of families live below the poverty line. The percentage of poverty-stricken residents is twice the state’s average. “There’s a desperate need (for affordable housing),” said Smith, who the firm’s very first employee. A recent countywide survey revealed that apartment housing and affordable apartment housing were the most-needed types of homes. New projects built by CBI fill up immediately, and typically can have 1-2 year-long waiting lists for other hopeful residents. “After working for a commercial, for-profit developer, I like the idea of providing affordable housing to those who don’t earn as much as others do,” said Lisa Greener, CBI’s Director...

Boxtales

When it comes to thinking outside of the box, the Lobero Theatre Foundation nailed it. In 1994, the foundation created a storytelling performance piece for children as part of its literary outreach program. Donning masks, costumes, and a slew of boxed props, three actors set out to perform a one-season show. It was such a success that the troupe was asked to create several more performances. By 2004, Boxtales Theater Company had become the only professional company that creates original works in Santa Barbara. The company takes its unique performances on tour throughout the region, enriching the lives of children and adults through mythology. Boxtales brings timeless tales to life through the use of storytelling, masks, music, and creative movement. The combination of methods helps to inspire viewers’ creativity and expands their imaginations. All the while, audiences learn lessons in diversity, tolerance, and a dash of good old fashioned ethics. Matthew Tavianini, Managing Director of Boxtales, believes that mythology is such a powerful tool because it can use metaphors to educate. The genre’s potential for layers helps Boxtales achieve its goals without feeling too contrived. “We want our performances to be educational,” Matthew begins. “At the same time, we want them to be entertaining and capture their imaginations without being preachy, hitting them over the head with the metaphor frying pan, so that there is no engagement of imagination and intellect.” Children respond well to mythology’s fantastic worlds of talking animals, living landscapes, and beings of spectacular power. Their receptivity makes Boxtales’ student programming  a huge success. Professional actors visit schools during the academic year to conduct workshops. The organization also hosts camps throughout the summer. Through a series of games and activities, Boxtales helps children develop a multitude of skills. One popular summer...

Trending on Twitter Apr01

Trending on Twitter

Every year, The Bozzuto Group recognizes its top property management performers with a late winter gala that’s more like the Academy Awards than a rote corporate get-together. This year, the event truly reached superstar status when #BMA2014 – the Twitter hashtag for the event – trended on the social network while it was taking place. For those unfamiliar with social media parlance, “trending” on Twitter means that a hashtag is being used frequently enough that it is recognized network-wide as being a pervasive happening with mass appeal. If you log onto Twitter, you’ll see the constantly changing “Trends” section just below “Who to follow.” #BMA2014 trended organically, meaning Bozzuto did not pay for its placement on the list. It’s possible – maybe even likely – that this is the first time in history a multifamily real estate awards event has garnered this kind of social media traction. So we went to the source of the company’s Twitter strategy, Digital Media Strategist Alex Middel, to find out more. Here’s what he shared: Tell me about your Twitter strategy for Bozzuto and how it enhances your brand. Middel: Social media is a major part of our marketing strategy. You could say that our Twitter strategy is very much guided by some of The Bozzuto Group’s guiding principles and goals; building great communities. Part of that comes from making sure that we invest the time to interact with our fans and followers and help them in any way that we can. Whether that’s by answering customer service requests, providing more information about leasing at one of our communities, sharing news about Bozzuto, or showcasing the fun and innovative things we’re doing at Bozzuto and our communities, it’s all there for our followers to see.   How have...