The PHA industry is special. There’s a level of caring and personal commitment to helping others that rises a notch in comparison with other real estate verticals. Exhibit A: Grant Burnham. Grant joined Yardi a few years ago. He not only brought with him decades’ of PHA and affordable housing finance experience but also a positive attitude and a genuine appreciation for the work PHAs do for their communities Let’s find out more about Grant, Yardi’s PHA clients and the company’s solutions. Grant, where do you call home? GB: Hello! I am a Colorado native, and my home base is Yardi’s Denver office. What hobbies do you enjoy in your free time? GB: I am an avid pool player. I have been playing in leagues for almost 15 years and even got to participate in team world championship tournaments three separate times in Las Vegas. I’m always up for a game or two (or more) whenever I get a chance! How long have you been with Yardi? What is your current position? GB: I’ve been with Yardi since February 2020. My role is a team leader and solutions consultant. That means I work with a great group of sales professionals dedicated to helping housing agencies solve challenges and serve their residents, landlords and participants with innovative Yardi technology. How did you get started in the PHA/affordable housing industry? GB: My journey in the housing industry began in 2008 when I joined a local PHA in the Denver area. I was there for about three years before I accepted a position with the Colorado Housing and Finance Agency in 2011. I remained with CHFA until 2020 when I began working at Yardi. Throughout my career, my roles in the housing industry have included Occupancy Specialist,...
Care and Share
Food Bank for Southern Colorado
Yardi is committed to supporting the community in every city where our offices are housed. Each year, the company distributes philanthropic aid to organizations selected by its employees. In 2022, Yardi offices supported more than 350 nonprofits worldwide. We hope you enjoy the stories of those organizations and insight into how they aid their communities. Food banks differ from food pantries, soup kitchens or emergency shelters because they supply the food to these organizations and then distribute it directly to those in need. Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado was founded in 1978 in Colorado Springs. Care and Share provides food to 291 partner pantries, shelters and schools throughout Southern Colorado, allowing these partners to stretch their dollars for their best work, such as job training, housing assistance, medical care and other critical services. Over 23 million pounds of food was provided to the community seeking support in the past year. Care and Share is an affiliate of Feeding America, the largest domestic hunger relief organization. Despite five other Feeding America food banks in Colorado, Care and Share is the only food bank dedicated to serving the state’s southern half. During the height of the pandemic, the generosity of the southern Colorado community bolstered Care and Share to serve those needing food assistance for the first time. “Care and Share is now dealing with the after-effects of the pandemic and is seeing even more need than we saw during the pandemic,” said Joan Selman, director of major gifts at Care and Share. The following areas are the most significant causes of increased need: Economic Conditions: Though inflation numbers have decreased, food prices are still at an all-time high. This affects low-income households whose food costs typically compromise a third of their income....
Supply Forecast
From Yardi Matrix
Multifamily construction starts increased slightly in Q3 2023, and should have a positive impact on future deliveries, states the latest Multifamily Supply Forecast from Yardi Matrix. Construction starts remained relatively robust in the first half of 2023, and the under-construction pipeline increased 7.6 percent in the third quarter. As a result, the Q4 2023 supply forecast update has increased forecast completions 5.8 percent for 2024 and 6.2 percent for 2025. For multifamily markets tracked by Yardi Matrix, there are currently 1,223,601 units in the under-construction pipeline. Of these units, 479,634 are currently in lease-up, roughly in line with the trailing six-month average of 483,000 units but some 15.9 percent above year-ago levels. Most of these units will be completed this year or in the first half of 2024. Multifamily construction starts held at a relatively high level through the first half of 2023. As a result, the number of under-construction units not in lease-up continues to increase. Currently there are 743,967 units, a 16.2 percent quarterly increase and a 35.3 percent increase over year-ago levels. These units will most likely be completed in 2024 or 2025. Find more insights on forthcoming multifamily supply from Yardi Matrix. Yardi Matrix offers the industry’s most comprehensive market intelligence tool for investment professionals, equity investors, lenders and property managers who underwrite and manage investments in commercial real estate. Yardi Matrix covers multifamily, student housing, vacant land, industrial, office, retail and self storage property types. Email [email protected], call 480-663-1149 or visit yardimatrix.com to learn...
Helping Clients Shine
Blake Cole Earns ALCO Award
Congratulations to Blake Cole, senior account manager for the RightSource client success team in Yardi’s Minneapolis office, who was recently named 2023 STAR performer by ALCO Management. Affordable housing client ALCO hosts an annual seminar for team members and vendors to celebrate success and train on industry-related topics such as Compliance, Fair Housing, and Physical Property Inspection. This is the second year ALCO has invited Yardi staff to participate, after onboarding with the RightSource software in the summer of 2021. Due to the RightSource integration, ALCO invites a member from each team to present information that is relevant to stakeholders. This year, they highlighted: Navigating the Top File Findings: A presentation where Cole identified the top five file findings found on ALCO’s uploaded certifications in RightSource over the last 12 months and detailed how to avoid these findings. Also highlighted was ALCO’s move-in certification performance. The quicker the certification can be approved, the faster ALCO can provide quality, affordable housing to those who need it. As of the date of this presentation, ALCO’s metrics exceeded the national average of all RightSource clients, coming in at four days and nine hours for approval (national average: five days, 16 hours). Stephen Kearns, senior team lead of client services for the Voyager/RCAH Team, presented upcoming changes to RCAH that will enhance the site staff’s software utilization. Lisa Furbush, manager of full compliance services for RightSource, presented the highly anticipated HOTMA changes that are forthcoming and how they may affect ALCO’s current processes. Joel Smith, team lead of the RightSource Client Success Team, presented awards to the site staff and properties who were high achievers according to RightSource metrics over the past 12 months (i.e., awards provided for properties who processed the most Special Claims, properties who most improved on completing their past due certifications, properties who had their MIs approved the fastest, etc.) The award Cole received was a surprise since ALCO typically honors their company site staff for outstanding achievement. “The next thing I see is this video playing that had me all in my feelings,” shared Cole. Cole’s history with ALCO dates back to their onboarding with RightSource, where he was the team lead for the Auditing Team. In May 2023, Cole was promoted to the RightSource Client Success Team as a senior account manager. Due to his great relationship and history with ALCO, he has been able to retain them as one of his clients. “This explains the purpose of the Captain America helmet I wore during the introduction of my presentation,” said Cole. (See photo at right.) “They are very familiar with this, but for those who were not, I reminded them that the “A” on the helmet stood for Captain...
New Beginnings
Providing Solace to Veterans
Yardi is committed to supporting the community in every city where our offices are housed. Each year, the company distributes philanthropic aid to organizations selected by its employees. In 2022, Yardi offices supported more than 350 nonprofits worldwide. For the remainder of the year, we will bring you the stories of those organizations and insight into how they aid their communities. New Beginnings is a nonprofit founded in Santa Barbara in 2000, continuing the work of the Santa Barbara Counseling Center. This organization provides psychological counseling and housing assistance services to people experiencing homelessness, as well as low-income individuals and families throughout Santa Barbara County. New Beginnings serves over 2000 people each year with various programs and centers: Counseling Center The Safe Parking Shelter and Rapid Rehousing Program The Supportive Services for Veterans Families Program The Life Skills Parenting and Education Program. “In the spring of this year, we underwent a major transition and moved into a fabulous new space. The new space has allowed for all four programs to be housed under one roof, improving the client experience by streamlining inter-agency collaboration and strengthening our wraparound services,” said Shana Hill, community engagement and programs specialist for New Beginnings. New Beginnings plans to expand telehealth services with improved marketing and outreach efforts. They are working to expand the Safe Parking Program throughout the county and increase the number of lots in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria and Lompoc. In addition, they are working on publishing a second edition of the Safe Parking Program manual to take steps toward establishing the Safe Parking Program model as an evidence-based practice. It will also work to expand the number of community partners for the Life Skills Parenting and Education program and increase community involvement for houses for...
Sy Pham
Yardi Employee Profile
Yardi’s global offices make essential contributions to property management and investors worldwide. Today, meet Sy Pham, associate technical manager on the Voyager Client success team out of the Santa Ana office. Meet Sy Pham Sy Pham just marked his first anniversary at Yardi in August. He has a passion for problem-solving and working with clients, so he’s greatly enjoyed this role. Pham wanted to work for a company where he could tackle complex problems but work with clients using Yardi’s products so he could see the impact he was making. “The last year with Yardi has been everything I’ve been looking for in a company,” says Pham. Pham spends his hours on client calls and training. When not on calls, he is researching questions that came up or preparing for the next call. He also regularly meets with his team to strategize on problems or do team-building exercises, making his experience at Yardi remarkable. Problem-solving Skills Working with commercial clients has been a challenge for Pham yet rewarding. He enjoys the people at Yardi, both internally and client-facing. He finds Yardi as a workplace that challenges him with tough problems, but the people he has met along the way make it all worth it. “I have never experienced a work culture so dedicated to helping clients and each other. It’s been fun collaborating with individuals from different teams and being able to solve problems together. I love how I can introduce myself to anyone and ask if they can lend a second opinion on a difficult case. The overwhelming support I always receive is inspiring. I hope one day I can lend a hand to the new folks that join like others has done for me,” said Pham. In his personal and work life,...
Measure The Benefits
Electronic Leasing For Senior Living
When you lack efficient leasing tools, turning senior living prospects into residents can be challenging. But how do you identify the best tools? Which solutions are built to last? Paper-based processes aren’t optimal due to the risk of manual errors and lost documents. Not to mention, they can be costly. Electronic leasing tools are much more efficient, especially when you opt for a fully integrated solution likes ours. With tools across the Yardi Senior Living Suite connecting on a single platform, you’re set to simplify move-in workflows, reduce expenses and make the prospect-to-resident journey seamless. To show you just how valuable electronic leasing tools are, we have a helpful cost analysis checklist in store. Learn more and get a glimpse at what the checklist offers below. What is electronic leasing? As part of an overall set of leasing tools, electronic leases are a digital version of the rental contract you already know. They replace paper leases and ancillary forms with secure, digitally stored files. But keep in mind that with the Yardi Senior Living Suite, you access more than just digital documents. We offer integrated electronic leasing tools that streamline every step of the move-in process. In short, you can easily generate custom leases in RentCafe Senior CRM, mark them for electronic signatures in RentCafe Senior Living Portal and automatically store completed documents in Voyager Senior Housing. Without electronic leases and an integrated workflow, on the other hand, you face: Perpetual operational costs Hours spent generating leases and ancillary documents Lost prospects who wish to sign forms remotely A halted sales cycle and decreased move-ins And more How to compare costs with our checklist Now that you know more about electronic leasing, we invite you to review our cost analysis checklist! It’s an intuitive...
Friends of the Children Utah
Ending Generational Poverty
Yardi is committed to supporting the community in every city where our offices are housed. Each year, the company distributes philanthropic aid to organizations selected by its employees. In 2022, Yardi offices supported more than 350 nonprofits worldwide. For the remainder of the year, we will bring you the stories of those organizations and insight into how they aid their communities. Today, we introduce Friends of the Children Utah, founded in 1993 in Kearns, Utah. Its mission is to impact generational change by empowering youth facing the most significant obstacles through consistent and holistically supportive relationships with professional mentors. “Our innovative approach has been proven to help children facing the greatest barriers improve their well-being across multiple domains and achieve educational and life success,” says Keili Bell, development director of Friends of the Children Utah. The children in the organization’s programs experience intergenerational poverty. They have been exposed to multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and are impacted by the foster care system. Services for children from kindergarten to high school include long-term, intensive, holistic, one-on-one professional mentoring. Friends of the Children Utah is working to grow the GEM Giving Circle (Give Every Month) program to sustain services for youth and families. “By becoming a GEM, you provide consistent and reliable support to the children in our program. Our vision is to see each child graduate with the skills they need to achieve self-sufficiency and break the cycle of generational poverty. To do this, we apply trauma-informed practices that help youth cultivate the resilience needed to overcome barriers and build a strong foundation for adulthood,” Bell shares. In the three decades, Friends of the Children Utah has accomplished rigorous internal and external evaluations for long-term impact and the ability to break generational cycles: 83% of program graduates earn a high school degree or GED, unlike 60% of their parents. 93% remain free from the juvenile justice system, yet 50% have a parent impacted by the criminal justice system. 98% wait to parent until after teenage years, though 85% were born to a teen parent. 92% go on to enroll in post-secondary education, enlist in the military or find a living-wage employment. Funding from Yardi provides holistic, intensive support services for youth and families facing the most significant challenges. The investment strengthens youth, families and friends’ mental health and wellness support. This contribution ensures that the youth and families they serve have safe, stable and supportive home environments. While mentors have the support, they need to maintain health and wellness and effectively support the community. “Thank you so much to Yardi for your investment in our work. We are on a mission to end generational poverty, one child at a time. We cannot do this work without the support of companies and donors like you,” Bell shares. Watch this video for a glimpse of the miraculous miracles Friends of the Children Utah is accomplishing. Volunteer Opportunities Friends of the Children Utah offers Cards with Friends program, where employees can create handwritten cards for youth and family members. Your support creates hope and belonging for the child in its program. Contact development director Keili Bell for more details at [email protected]. Find future non-profit profiles...
Visit Booth 1219
At LeadingAge 2023
It’s almost time for the LeadingAge Annual Meeting and Expo, a one-of-a-kind senior living conference. Each year, the event offers an opportunity to network with likeminded professionals, gain fresh perspectives and discover innovative technology solutions shaping the industry’s future. Team Yardi is excited to attend, we invite you to visit booth 1219 to connect with us! We’ll show you the latest advancements in the Yardi Senior Living Suite, our single connected solution designed for the unique needs of senior living. We also have a special giveaway in store (spoiler alert, it involves delicious, Chicago-style popcorn). Get the details below — we hope to see you there. About LeadingAge 2023 Hosted at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, this year’s LeadingAge Meeting and Expo is a can’t-be-missed experience packed with informative sessions. Focused on topics most relevant to the industry today, the sessions will offer impactful takeaways delivered by senior living experts. As LeadingAge puts it, it’s an event crafted to fuel your mission. The conference will span from November 5-8. If you’d like to explore what’s planned, preview the LeadingAge 2023 schedule. Meet with team Yardi & grab some gourmet popcorn Interested to see the newest innovations in the Yardi Senior Living Suite? Have questions for us? Wanting to simply come say hello? All are welcome at booth 1219 — we’ll be stationed there throughout the conference. If you’d like to schedule a specific time to meet, contact us and we’ll get something on the books. As mentioned, we’ve planned a neat surprise for our booth: gourmet popcorn! But it’s not just any popcorn — we’ll be offering snack bags from Garrett Popcorn Shops, a Chicago favorite. You can expect a combination of their staple flavors including CaramelCrisp, CheeseCorn, Buttery and Garrett Mix. Anyone who stops by is welcome to a snack bag, but we encourage you to stick around for a quick activity, too. We’ll have post-its available for you to write a short message sharing what you love about Yardi (plus a popcorn-themed board to stick your message to). If you’re new to Yardi solutions, you can also share what you love about the senior living industry — or what excites you about technology looking ahead. We hope you’ll pop in and participate! The popcorn and post-its will be available all hours the show floor is open on November 6 and 7. See you next week We’re looking forward to seeing you at LeadingAge 2023. If you’d like to get familiar with our dynamic senior living software before the conference, join an on-demand...
Seasonal Spirit
This Spooky Season
#TeamYardi had a wicked good time celebrating Fall and spooky season this year. The Atlanta office festivities started with a costume contest. The winners of the contest were as follows: Best: Static Shock costume, Amber Brown Funniest: Burger costume, Jonathan Singleton Scariest: Dr. Facilier costume, Gerald Valentine Most Creative: Frida Kahlo costume, RheaAnn Koppelman Best Group: Mario Party costume, Ciro Vellino, Tyler Edwards and Spencer Hardiman Those who participated brought some fun to the office and turned a typical Wednesday into an enchanted Wednesday. For lunch, three food trucks were provided with various foods for the office—Yaardie Eats, The Mad Greek and The Loaded Taco. Games were provided, and even a special guest was in attendance after making his rounds at the Atlanta HBCU scholarship programs Yardi supports. Jay Shobe, senior vice president, was impressed with Georgia’s southern hospitality. At headquarters in Santa Barbara, the office had a Fall Fest for Yardi employees and their families. The afternoon consisted of a pumpkin carving contest with pizza and gelato. The kids got dressed up and enjoyed a corn maze with trick or treating. What fun office collaborations for the end of...
Unlock Interactive Training...
With Unique, Powerful Tools In Aspire
Ready to unlock staff potential, reduce turnover and drive onboarding success? You need an interactive technology solution that offers personalized learning experiences — but not all solutions are built the same. In order to revolutionize the way you train and onboard staff, you need a multifunctional learning management system (LMS) equipped with unique, cutting-edge functionality. Yardi Aspire is just that — an easy-to-use LMS that offers more than your average solution. It takes your training and onboarding processes to the next level with unmatched functionality and usability, all within the Yardi platform your teams are already using. Sound interesting? Read on for a closer look at what makes Yardi Aspire a differentiator in the LMS space. What sets Yardi Aspire apart? Customizable programs and resources: Supplement your existing training program with an exclusive Yardi product that’s completely configurable. Access complementary webinars taught by product experts, dozens of personalized learning plan templates, searchable product information libraries and over 1,300 self-paced courses that are highly engaging and customizable. Enjoy a comprehensive catalog with hundreds of compliance, safety, professional and personal skills training. Aspire’s instructional design team uses innovative techniques and tools to maximize learner engagement, all while providing hands-free skill evaluations to optimize training effectiveness. Heighten engagement with our related training feature, which enables you to embed smart training links within the Yardi solutions your employees use every day. YardiOne provisioning and smart tiles: Ensure employees possess the necessary skills to succeed before gaining access to the production environment. Utilize YardiOne smart tiles to automatically provision Yardi software access based on learning completion data. Integrated mentorship module: Avoid purchasing third-party party software for mentorship. Upgrade your program administration from Excel to your centralized LMS where supervisors, HR staff and trainers can partner with mentors to bolster...
Student Housing Webinar
Matrix outlook remains positive
The Yardi Matrix team, including Jeff Adler and Tyson Huebner, delivered its final webinar of the 2023 year on the student housing sector’s performance and investment opportunities. If you missed it, you can view the recording and presentation slides here. Student housing maintained strong performance into the start of the 2023/2024 school year, though preleasing activity and rent growth showed some signs of slowing in the final weeks of leasing season. “The bottom line is that this sector compared to other sectors in the housing industry is looking very stellar. Good positioning, good rent growth – we don’t think (next year) will be quite as good as this year was, but still very strong,” said Adler, vice president of Yardi Matrix. “This is a great real estate segment and industry to be in, but picking the right schools is very critical to success.” Yardi Matrix has updated the schools whose housing is tracked in the Yardi 200, swapping out about 30 institutions less relevant to investors. The total tracked data set now includes 2,200 properties with 1.1 million beds. As of September 2023, 95.1 percent of beds at Yardi 200 universities were preleased, compared to 96.2 percent in September 2022. Lower preleasing in recent months can be partly attributed to slow lease-up of new 2023 deliveries, which were only 84.4 percent preleased in September. Rents are near an all-time high at $846 per bed, relatively unchanged in the past four months. Rent growth dropped to 6.1 percent in September, down from 6.5 percent in August and a peak of 7 percent in March 2023. But it is still well above previous years; it averaged 2.9 percent in September 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. (Read more findings from the latest student housing report here.) Student housing has seen a steep drop-off in transaction activity, which is attributed to ongoing strong performance and difficult financing conditions. But for owners and developers who completed new projects in time for fall leasing, rents were much higher than for existing properties. “New properties delivering this year had rents that were 29 percent above the national average,” said Huebner. Rents per bed for newly completed units averaged $1,088 as of September. “With continued rent growth in the sector and new supply coming at pretty high price points, I do think that will be an emerging investment opportunity when capital market conditions are ripe,” Adler said. He continued: “Everything’s a great place to put capital into; it’s a great place to participate. It does require an intense knowledge of each particular school and the sort of demand supply enrollment balances that make that all work.” Improve your market knowledge with a Yardi Matrix subscription: the industry’s most comprehensive market intelligence tool for investment professionals, equity investors, lenders and property managers who underwrite and manage investments in commercial real estate. Yardi Matrix covers multifamily, student housing, vacant land, industrial, office, retail and self storage property types. Email [email protected], call 480-663-1149 or visit yardimatrix.com to learn...
NMHC OPTECH
Yardi Reveals AI-Driven Tech
Yardi is showcasing new solutions at the 2023 NMHC OPTECH Conference & Expo, including the latest generation of Yardi Voyager, an artificial intelligence (AI) platform and a Microsoft® Power BI connector. The event is set to take place Nov. 1-3 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is a yearly gathering for leading figures in multifamily operations. Yardi is proud to be a longtime supporter of NMHC OPTECH and is once again a Platinum Sponsor for the event. Booth 105 will showcase new AI-powered and human-centered technology from Yardi. This includes solutions designed to help operators “compose their future,” leveraging the combination of one connected system and AI to drive performance and maximize efficiency. Eventgoers can schedule demos with the Yardi team at the booth to see the new solutions for multifamily, including: Yardi Voyager 8, the latest generation of the industry-leading platform, now with a fresh update to further enhance the user experience. Yardi Virtuoso is an AI platform built to complement Yardi solutions. It leverages AI, large language models and machine learning to drive operational efficiency between people and technology. RentCafe CRM IQ, a customer relationship management system that provides full visibility into prospect, applicant and resident workflows, in addition to enabling centralized leasing and operations. RentCafe Chat IQ, an automated attendant that answers prospect and resident questions via chat, text, email and calls. Yardi Data Connect, a secure data feed from Voyager to Microsoft Power BI that allows more customization capabilities and inclusion of third-party sources, along with preconfigured dashboards. Book a meeting to see all new solutions up close during the conference or join an on-demand...
Ghostly Real Estate
Historic, and Haunted?
Halloween is around the corner and got us thinking some spooky thoughts—the market for “probably haunted” real estate. In New Orleans, “haunted” properties are so common that some properties include “not haunted” tags on their For Sale signs. Let’s delve into some practical advice for individuals interested in purchasing a potentially haunted property. In a recent article, a funeral home in Massachusetts was listed. Instead of the traditional “for sale” sign, the real estate agent decided to pique the interest of paranormal enthusiasts and staked a sign outside that read “probably haunted.” Is the property haunted? Nobody can know for sure, but given the history, it’s a possibility. Every state differs on what is to be disclosed to buyers. Material defects such as a leaky roof or older HVAC systems are disclosed, but life gets a bit more interesting when the house’s flaws may be tragic, gruesome or paranormal. A murder-suicide inside the house is considered a psychological stigma and does not constitute a material defect. One caveat is that a seller cannot misrepresent a property’s history. If asked about crime scenes or family tragedies, a seller must be truthful. Buyer Beware: We are Haunted. Caveat emptor is a common law doctrine that places the burden on the buyers to reasonably examine property before purchasing. A buyer who fails to meet this burden cannot recover for defects in the product that would have been discovered had this burden been met. Buyers need substantial “due diligence,” especially if the price of the home is “too good to be true.” Knock on the neighbor’s door or hire a medium, because you’ll likely never know if you don’t ask. Research local town legends and the historical records of the building, especially if it is a particularly older...
Never Miss a Lead
With new Yardi bundle
Yardi is now offering to handle all incoming leads when a client bundles RentCafe Chat IQ with RentCafe CRM IQ. Chat IQ is an artificial intelligence-driven chatbot capable of answering questions instantly through chat, text, email and phone call. With this offer, Chat IQ will automatically connect customers to a dedicated Yardi specialist for assistance if it is unable to answer a question. “Chat IQ has always offered live-agent handoffs, but we’re taking it one step further and offering live agent support directly from Yardi when a client pairs Chat IQ with CRM IQ,” said Richard Malpica, vice president at Yardi. “Chat IQ already responds to over 95 percent of inbound inquiries effectively, but there will still be questions that need human attention. This offer will uphold our promise of automating routines and humanizing exceptions.” Yardi stands out as one of the few multifamily technology providers that currently offer to connect customers to agents. This feature is invaluable for companies with sufficient onsite resources to manage handoffs. However, not all companies have these resources readily available. By integrating Chat IQ with CRM IQ, organizations ensure immediate answers to customer inquiries — ultimately increasing the number of quality leads — even if onsite staff are not available to answer the customer’s questions. “We want to step in for those inevitable inquiries that can’t be answered automatically,” Malpica adds. “This means every question gets answered, every interaction gets documented and everything can be seen from one connected system.” If the Yardi specialist does not have the answer to a question, they will contact the property, relay answers to the customer, then store the response in Chat IQ as a custom intent to answer the question going forward. CRM IQ is a customer relationship management system that provides leasing teams with a clear view of the entire prospect and resident journey. Built to work together, Chat IQ and CRM IQ are complementary solutions that ensure seamless experiences for renters and seamless communication and management for staff. Speak to a representative to learn more about this...
Achievement Centers for Children
Recreation and support
Today, we introduce Achievement Centers for Children (ACC), founded in 1940 in Highland Hills, Ohio, with a mission to empower children and adults with disabilities to achieve their most tremendous potential through holistic and family-focused services. For 83 years, this organization has recognized the importance of recreation for children and adults with diverse abilities. In addition to recreation, they offer a wide range of services to individuals with disabilities and their families in three locations across Northeast Ohio. These locations provide the following services: Educational services, including autism schools at two sites. Family support and advocacy services, including home-based and early intervention services. Therapy services inclusive of physical and mental health Adult services through its day program at Camp Cheerful (circa 1947). All services are eligible to anyone regardless of the ability to pay. Over the years, ACC has adapted its work to meet the changing needs of the children and families they serve. The staff is committed to offering campers and athletes new recreational and sporting opportunities to enrich their lives and increase how they can participate via new adaptive equipment or techniques to improve access to a broader range of recreational experiences. Outdoor summer programs encourage children and adults to develop their confidence, independence and self-esteem in a beautiful setting within the Cleveland Metroparks. “Each year, hundreds of dedicated volunteers provide support, encouragement, and friendship to more than 600 children and adults who enjoy our recreation and sports programs – from day camp to therapeutic horsemanship to adapted sports,” says Susan Christopher, director of marketing and communications at ACC. ACC strives to be consistent for its clients and families. They seek to make their experiences positive and reliable in a world of barriers and irregularity. With the population growing and resources dwindling, especially for low-income families, ACC positions itself to serve the growing families seeking services with a strategic plan they started in August 2022. This three-year roadmap is hope for goals securing the future: Provide sustainable, exceptional and equitable services for children and adults with disabilities and their families. Establish and maintain strong partnerships and alliances that support organizational success and achieve broader systemic change for the health of the community and organization. Maintain a robust infrastructure that fosters a culture of inclusivity, anti-racism, innovation and trust. Funding from Yardi supports the programs and services ACC provides to children and adults with disabilities in Northeast Ohio, including recreational activities at Camp Cheerful. Philanthropic funds are directed to cover gaps in ACC’s budget, as the cost of providing these services is high, reimbursement from third-party payers is minimal, and they do not ask low-income families to pay more than they can for services. Funds are also used to improve sites, directed to maintaining accessibility for all and working to meet and exceed ADA requirements, which can be incredibly challenging in a natural setting like the camp. “Staff, volunteers, and families of Achievement Centers were thrilled to receive this gift from Yardi – it’s through the generosity of individuals and companies such as Yardi that enables our organization to continue to provide robust services to children and families more than 80 years after we were established,” shares Christopher. Camp Cheerful Children and adults enjoy traditional camp activities at Camp Cheerful, including swimming, canoeing, horsemanship, arts & crafts, and nature. “We offer adapted riding sessions in our Therapeutic Horsemanship program and the opportunity for athletes of all abilities to play year-round sports in our Adapted Sports program,” said Christopher. Watch the video of Julia’s story, her therapeutic horsemanship achievements, and footage of the adapted soccer and the kids in action with their volunteer leaders. Volunteer Opportunities ACC relies on corporate groups to help them with upkeep at its three properties, especially the beautiful 52-acre Camp Cheerful campus. Spend a day or a half helping with grounds upkeep and building maintenance projects. Those interested in learning more, please get in...
AI & Student Integrity...
A Brave New World
AI is advancing at a rapid pace. Education institutions should have clear academic integrity policies, communicate expectations to students and provide resources for them to understand and avoid academic misconduct. AI should complement these efforts rather than replace them entirely. Here are some various ways AI promotes student integrity. One of the most significant advancements in AI is Chat GPT and utilizing it for various content. However, how can educators ensure students are not just using it and turning in papers? Utilizing a plagiarism detector tool, teachers can scan academic papers, essays and assignments to identify instances of plagiarism by comparing the text to a vast database of educational and online content. These tools can help educators and institutions ensure students submit original work. In addition, if it is the middle of the year and suddenly the student makes a significant improvement and does not indicate such a leap in understanding or skill, the inconsistent performance is a sign that the student may have used external help. Gone are the days of easy cheating for online exams. AI proctoring solutions can monitor students’ behavior during tests for virtual learning and online classes. AI proctoring solutions use webcams and microphone feeds to detect suspicious behavior, such as looking away from the screen, talking to someone off-screen or using prohibited resources that can be flagged for review. AI can also employ facial recognition to verify the identity of the person taking the exam. AI proctoring solutions may lock down the test taker’s browser, limiting their ability to access external websites during an exam. AI proctoring can also work with recruiters to ensure the integrity of the candidate’s assessment and streamline the evaluation process. A study by IBM found that behavioral and cognitive assessments using AI technology...
John Napolitano
Yardi Employee Profile
Yardi’s global offices make essential contributions to property management and investors worldwide. Today, we introduce John Napolitano, a part of the Residential Practice Team 3 of the Long Island, NY office. Meet John Napolitano John Napolitano has worked as an associate technical account manager for just over a year. Napolitano spends his days assisting in client cases and helping teammates however much he can. “I love the atmosphere of being a Yardi employee. Everyone is always welcoming and helpful,” says Napolitano. “I have an amazing team!” Napolitano appreciates how Yardi does a great job incorporating teamwork into the day-to-day work. There are many resources and different individuals with different skill sets. Everyone is helpful and knowledgeable in their field. “We are encouraged to expand our Yardi Network and reach out to people from different teams. I love being able to reach out to people from all over the country and build those lasting relationships,” said Napolitano. In addition to teamwork, Napolitano describes Yardi as a second home after building lasting relationships with coworkers almost immediately. “Everyone wants to see you succeed and lend a helping hand when needed. I know how intimidating it can be for new hires, and I would like to be able to help however much I can in their transition with us,” shares Napolitano. Napolitano and his team recently volunteered and hosted a charity event for Yardi-supported nonprofit Island Harvest. They packed hundreds of boxes of food for people in need. “I love that we could organize an event like this and do our part for our community. It inspired me to do these events on my own time and more frequently,” says Napolitano. Yardi is hiring globally! Interested prospective employees can explore opportunities on the Careers site. Animal Enthusiast Outside...
Front Steps Housing & Services
Addressing Systemic Disparities
Yardi is committed to supporting the community in every city where our offices are housed. Each year, the company distributes philanthropic aid to organizations selected by its employees. Today, we introduce Front Steps Housing & Services organization, founded in 1986 in Cleveland, Ohio. This organization is a member of the Cuyahoga County Office of Homeless Services Continuum of Care and has over 35 years of experience working with homeless individuals in the county as transitional and permanent housing. Front Steps has served more than 4,000 clients with a 98% success rate during this time. Since opening its doors in 1986, they have developed a broad array of services to serve chronically homeless individuals and community members at risk of homelessness. Services include: Case Management Employment and Training Intensive Outpatient Program Community Support Services Behavioral Health Counseling Prevention Services Music and Art Therapies Front Steps has been recognized as an organization guided by internationally recognized service standards and best practices by the Commission of Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) for: Case Management/Services Coordination: Mental Health (adults) Community Housing: Mental Health (adults) Outpatient Treatment: Integrated: AOD/MH (adults) Community Employment Services: Employment Supports Front Steps has also been certified by the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services (OMHAS) to operate an outpatient alcohol and drug addiction program and has been approved to offer the following behavioral/mental health services: Behavioral Health Counseling & Therapy Employment/Vocational Referral and Information Community Psychiatric Support Treatment Mental Health Assessment Art Therapy Today, these services are needed on a broader scale for the aging, underserved communities that are facing barriers of systemic disparities. “We continue to respond to the call for housing assistance and behavioral health services desperately needed in this post-pandemic world. Our hands-on staff is second to none, offering life-changing support and one-on-one counseling to our residents and individuals in our community,” said Matthew Anderson, development director for Front Steps. Front Steps hopes to expand its reach in Greater Cleveland and broaden its presence with a campus including a women’s recovery center, sober living, drug and alcohol rehabilitation and health and wellness programs. “Help us realize these dreams by creating a safe haven for people recovering from a life of pain, suffering and intolerance,” Anderson shares. Funding from Yardi will help Front Steps achieve behavioral outreach efforts to serve individuals needing health services. It will allow them to enhance the case management treatment and connect with more individuals throughout the region. These therapy areas include: Mental Health Substance Abuse Music Therapy Art Therapy Horticultural Therapy “We’re ecstatic, not only for the financial support but for the relationship we’ve built with the Yardi Systems family over the past couple of years,” exclaimed Anderson. He continued, “We can’t say thank you enough for believing in our core value: to transform the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness. Thank you for your faith in Front Steps, and thank you for believing in our commitment to serving as an inclusive, equitable and accessible organization where everyone can realize their full potential.” James C. Venture James found his way to Front Steps after suffering a deep-rooted substance abuse and mental health diagnosis after a stint in the military. This resulted in angry outbursts, isolation and related behavioral health issues. He became an overwhelming burden to himself and his family. After arriving at Front Steps, James discovered his voice and self-expression through counseling with Life Skills coordinator Denise Jackson. Today, still overcoming his barriers, he’s an example for others and exhibits pride and self-assurance through his work in the community garden. (pictured here). Volunteer Opportunities Front Steps offers plenty of volunteer opportunities throughout the year. From sorting clothes to organizing its food pantry, they have various jobs inside and out. For those interested, please get in touch with Matthew Anderson at [email protected]. “We are passionate, dedicated, and unwavering in our commitment to provide essential wrap-around services that help our clients...
Using Tech Against Fraud...
Industry Leaders Speak Out
How protected are you against residential applicant fraud? Could you be more secure with the right tech in place? Yardi Vice President Michael Tuer recently discussed fraud challenges and strategies with LUMA Residential President Ian Mattingly and Wood Partners Property Applications Administrator David Searles. From false pay stubs to fake IDs, fraud can cost businesses a fortune — but the good news is that you don’t have to rely on the naked eye to detect false documents. Read on for key takeaways including the different types of fraud, what industry experts are doing to combat it and strategies you can implement today. Different types of fraud There are many ways applicants can falsify their way into getting approved for your community: Synthetic fraud is when someone fabricates entire identities, including Social Security numbers, photos and stolen information. This type of fraud can be offered as an “approval package” online, giving people complete sets of phony documents for the application process. Rental application fraud is when an applicant provides incorrect or invalid information, like a falsified paystub or an altered Social Security card. Third-party fraud happens when an applicant misrepresents who they are by misusing another person’s identity — like an image of their driver’s license — to pass credit or criminal background checks. The amount of fraud out there can be overwhelming, but there are many tools and strategies to deter fraudsters from the start or reduce it significantly. Decrease fraud by leveraging AI and automation “About 15% of our total monthly revenue could have been lost to fraud had we not put the right technology and strategy in place,” Ian Mattingly said. Mattingly estimated that LUMA’s fraud prevention efforts over the past three years saved them between $1 million to $1.5 million per...
