Last year, Yardi joined a select club of businesses to whom the Better Business Bureau grants membership. The BBB accepted Yardi after completing an accreditation process that certified the company’s rigorous ethical practices in business operations, dispute resolution and data protection. The BBB, founded in 1912 and based in Arlington, Virginia, is a nonprofit organization that partners with leading companies to promote best practices in business ethics, marketplace excellence and effective industry self-regulation. More than 90 BBB chapters are active in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Benefits of BBB membership include positive visibility and credibility among consumers and other businesses. Accredited businesses can leverage online BBB advertising, marketing and media resources, along with a plaque, certificate and window decals. The membership also offers consumers a platform for resolving disputes and posting reviews. “These tools will help you to enhance your reputation and build a better business,” says Rick Copelan, president and CEO of the BBB chapter that encompasses the tri-county area around Yardi’s headquarters in Santa Barbara, California. This chapter approves only 6% of applications for certification. “Earning BBB membership helps us show our clients and the real estate markets we serve that we’re committed to delivering high-quality products and services while upholding the highest standard of ethical conduct,” says Arnold Brier, senior vice president and general counsel for...

Happy February! Our senior living clients shared stories of warmth and love this winter, captured on social media and blogs. Embrace the spirit of love in senior living communities with vibrant flowers, the beauty of art, delightful dining experiences and cherished wedding anniversaries. Nature’s love letters Maplewood Senior Living shared a flower-arranging activity from Maplewood at Darien, an event to encourage the power of creativity to enrich the lives of residents. Maplewood shared that arranging flowers “not only brought out their artistic flair but also fostered a sense of accomplishment and joy.” Celebrating February as HEART month, Maplewood also shared about raising money for the HEART Foundation and highlighted inspiring stories of love in Maplewood communities.    Cooking up memories and sweet treats Special food and cooking events are popular activities at many of our clients’ communities. The Bristal Assisted Living shared a gathering of the Foodie Club at The Bristal at Lake Grove where residents made strawberry shortcake. Brandywine by Monarch shared pictures from Princeton by Monarch, where the community warmed up a cold day by surprising residents who signed up for the “mystery ride” activity with a stop for hot chocolate and sweet treats. The Turning Point restaurant served specialties like the s’mores heavenly hot chocolate. Northbridge shared an intergenerational cooking demonstration at Stroudwater Lodge with students from Acton Academy in Kennebunkport, Maine. Merrill Gardens shared a blog post about Bridges Bistro, a special event where residents at the Murano Senior Living community served meals, in collaboration with the University of Washington’s Memory Hub community center. “Bridges Bistro was more than a dining experience,” wrote the Team at Merril Gardens. “It was a bridge between the dementia community and the wider world. By showcasing the strengths and resilience of individuals living with...

Special Olympics Georgia provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Please keep reading to learn more about a recent volunteer opportunity our Atlanta office had to support this worthy cause. About Special Olympics Georgia Special Olympics Georgia invests in people with intellectual disabilities, helping them develop athletic skills while also promoting the athletes’ abilities off the field. In achieving this goal through sports, they show the world that every person counts and can be something good when we work together. The organization provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. When the athletes succeed, attitudes change, communities grow, self-esteem builds, and the eyes of the world focus on all that is good, hopeful and positive. Athletes gain skills for employment and learn to be independent while forming relationships and helping the public understand their incredible capabilities despite the health issues they experience daily. #TeamYardi Atlanta volunteers Last month, the Atlanta team volunteered at AMF Lanes in Woodstock with Special Olympics Georgia. The place was packed with athletes and volunteers, and all 40 lanes were occupied. Coaches and family cheered from the sidelines as the athletes scored strikes, spares and plenty of high fives and hugs. Yardi volunteers assisted the athletes, making sure they were bowling when it was their turn and being their biggest cheerleaders. After three games were played, scores were tallied, and volunteers guided their group to the awards room. Each player was awarded a ribbon, bronze, silver or gold metal. It was a day filled with joy and fun for all, leaving everyone with a sense of inspiration and upliftment! Feeling inspired? If our story inspires you, we encourage you to support Special Olympics Georgia and explore our...

As public housing professionals, we’re in the business of providing safe and affordable housing. Part of this promise means tackling PHA maintenance issues head-on, whether it’s emergency repairs or various inspections. And with the right software, you can respond to issues as they happen and make life easier for your residents! Here’s how Yardi Maintenance IQ helps you tackle common maintenance challenges: Spike seasons Every public housing authority deals with seasonal maintenance spikes. Whether it’s heating or HVAC repairs, the demand can quickly add up. Maintenance IQ eases the strain of peak seasons by anticipating these demands and helping you allocate resources efficiently. Automated work orders ensure priority request are handles promptly Smart scheduling helps maintenance staff balance workloads and reduce delays With a robust PHA maintenance solution, you can stay ahead of these spike seasons and ensure your residents are taken care of in a timely manner. Emergency repairs Burst pipes, power outages and HVAC failures require immediate attention. And the more time you delay your response, the more costly damages are and the more you are putting residents at risk.  With Maintenance IQ, you can streamline repair requests: Tenant submits service requests via in person, by phone or directly from RentCafe Maintenance team receives instant notifications on their mobile device Technicians update work orders, upload photos and complete tasks The difference? Faster response times and improved resident satisfaction! Severe weather events Major weather events have been exacerbated all over the country, and they pose serious challenges for PHAs. Property damage and repairs can truly overrun your maintenance teams, but you can manage this with a robust solution that helps you prepare and respond quickly. Track maintenance trends using data analytics to anticipate weather-related repairs Text functionality keeps tenants updated about work order...

As senior living communities navigate ways to adopt value-based care approaches that improve resident health outcomes and increase operational returns, proactive technology solutions can make a big difference. What if you could track residents’ mobility and prevent falls using motion analysis from smartphone sensors? OneStep, a leader in AI-powered digital care technology, is now partnering with us to provide an interface with Yardi EHR that generates clinical insights from residents’ everyday movements. Empowering proactive resident monitoring OneStep’s advanced motion analysis and monitoring tools connect with Yardi EHR to add a reliable, data-driven way to enhance resident well-being. How does it work? OneStep uses motion intelligence from smartphones for gait analysis. A resident’s gait is a leading indicator of health, and senior living providers and other clinicians can use data from the smartphone sensors — without any special wearable devices — for remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM). With actionable data to assess, treat and monitor residents, providers can deliver precise and proactive care to improve mobility and enhance resident engagement. This informed care can prevent falls and reduce functional declines. A big step for value-based care Through this collaboration, Yardi EHR clients gain easy access to motion insights from OneStep. These insights equip senior care providers with proactive strategies for resident monitoring, particularly beneficial for communities that are transitioning to value-based care. Robust fall prevention and resident health monitoring are essential to achieving improved outcomes and reduced costs. “We’re excited to partner with Yardi to make our mobility and falls prevention technology accessible to senior living communities,” says Pat Tarnowski, chief commercial officer of OneStep. “Being listed among Yardi’s trusted vendors adds to the accessibility and visibility of OneStep’s technology, allowing more facilities to benefit from innovative, data-driven care solutions that elevate resident safety and quality...

Mental health issues have taken a toll on today’s youth, especially in Travis County, Texas. According to a CDC report, 57% of teen girls, 27% of teen boys, and 70% of LGBTQ+ youth have reported increased sadness and hopelessness, with over 30% of them considering suicide. Austin Child Guidance Center (ACGC) is a Yardi-supported nonprofit established in 1951 in Austin, TX. It is dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality mental health services to children and their families in the ten-county central Texas area. “We envision a world where every family’s mental health needs are seen and met. We focus on families living at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, living in regions heavily impacted by adverse social determinants of health, and underserved by current mental health systems,” said Leah Piassick, senior director of grants and contract compliance for ACGC. ACGC accepts private and public insurance, offers a sliding fee scale and provides no-cost therapy for qualifying families. Their team includes licensed therapists and administrative staff, many of whom are bilingual. ACGC tailors mental health care to meet each child’s unique needs using evidence-based practices like cognitive behavioral therapy and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, ensuring effective treatment. Mental health care and treatment are customized for each child and family, including individual/family therapy, walk-in clinic services, group therapy, psychological assessment, the tandem teen prenatal & parenting program, and workshops. Mental Health Consultation (Infant & Early Childhood Services), designed for early childhood care centers and parents/guardians/caregivers, offers specialized teacher consultation and social-emotional learning training and parent/guardian/caregiver workshops and skill-building training on child development and social-emotional learning, and ensures children (ages 0-6) are “school-ready.”    “We offer services in person or via a HIPAA-compliant teletherapy platform, except for Psychological Assessments, which must be conducted in person. This flexibility ensures...

Affordable housing completions are set to peak this year, then fall in 2026, according to a new national report from Yardi Matrix. The 78,377 units of affordable housing deliveries projected for this year would exceed by 12.6% the 69,596 registered in 2024. However, deliveries in 2026 could total no more than 64,745 units, according to the report. Factors driving the anticipated decline include the costs of land, labor and materials; rising insurance premiums; labor shortages; and delays in entitlements. “As costs rise, the same amount of subsidies produces fewer units. And the longer it takes to build, the fewer units get delivered,” the report notes. “The need for affordable housing has accelerated in recent years, and that is not likely to change as interest rates remain high and construction of for-sale housing lags historical levels. Despite that demand, the decline in starts signals fewer affordable multifamily deliveries in the years following 2025,” adds Paul Fiorilla, director of research for Yardi Matrix. The report also notes that with market rate apartment starts registering their lowest number since 2013, affordable multifamily construction is increasing as a share of all multifamily development activity. California, Texas and Florida lead the nation in affordable multifamily stock and development. Yardi Matrix’s affordable database encompasses more than 25,000 fully affordable properties comprising more than 3.3 million units. See the new national affordable housing report for more about key trends in the...

Being a caregiver is a long-term commitment that can significantly impact carers’ health and finances. In such challenging times, the Stirling Carers Centre, supported by Yardi, provides much-needed relief to unpaid carers. Stirling Carers Centre was established in 1992 in Stirling, Scotland and provides free and confidential support to local unpaid carers. Unpaid carers are people who support a friend or family member who couldn’t cope without them due to illness, disability, frailty, addiction or mental health conditions. Stirling Carers services include one-on-one practical and emotional support, advice and information, peer support groups, respite activities and a dedicated Young Carers Service for carers aged seven through seventeen. Stirling Carers Centre is committed to supporting unpaid carers in ways that meet their individual needs and offers practical and emotional support to help them continue to care for their loved ones. “We will ensure that the voices of the carers are at the heart of what we do and are heard at a local and national level and that they have opportunities to take a break from caring,” explained Keri Moore, acting CEO of Stirling Carers Centre. She continued, “Early intervention is vital, so we will also focus on identifying hidden Carers by improving communication and upskilling professionals to be ‘Carer Aware’.” Thanks to the generous funding from Yardi, the Stirling Carers Centre can provide much-needed relief to unpaid carers, inspiring hope and resilience. This funding enables the Centre to expand its reach, reaching more carers needing support and making a significant difference in their lives. “We are very grateful to receive unrestricted funding from Yardi. This means we can use the funds to give Carers a break that best suits their needs without constraint on what this looks like. This is really important to ensure...

Here’s the latest of our periodic updates on projects sponsored by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), which calls itself “the disruption wing of the U.S. Department of Energy that funds and directs the discovery of outlier energy technologies that are strategic to America’s energy security.” Recently announced projects include: Enhancing grid resilience Thirty million dollars in ARPA-E grants announced in January will go toward developing technologies designed to enhance the reliability of America’s power grid. The Grid Reliability with Automatic Damping and Inertia for Electrical Networks and Transmission Systems (GRADIENTS) program aims to develop hardware and software technologies, such as power electronics controls, intelligent relays and optimization algorithms, for balancing energy consumption and production. “GRADIENTS technologies will help incorporate a variety of generation sources and stabilize the grid to prevent cascading failures that can lead to dangerous and costly blackouts,” said Evelyn N. Wang, director of ARPA-E, who added that the projects will “enable better grid coordination, protection and real-time control.” Hot new power source Also in January, ARPA-E announced funding to spur geothermal power production. Geothermal baseload production in the U.S. is limited to 4 gigawatts (GW). The Stimulate Utilization of Plentiful Energy in Rocks through High-temperature Original Technologies (SUPERHOT) project aims to provide access to superhot reservoirs deep within the Earth that are capable of producing up to 20 GW of reliable baseload power. Research will center around developing designing systems and materials capable of surviving superhot conditions. “Geothermal is a reliable and secure baseload power source, but today we are only able to access a fraction of the energy it can provide,” Wang said. “SUPERHOT projects can change that and allow access to hotter reservoirs to create more domestic flow of energy onto America’s grid.” Making the most of waste...

Yardi-supported nonprofit LEAP Central Coast, established in 1971 in Goleta, Calif., provides trauma-informed childcare, family support services and community resources to ensure children and families thrive. Its two children’s centers serve children ages three months to five years old, preparing for kindergarten and beyond. The Family Resource Center provides support for anything its community members may need. It operates the only registered diaper bank in Santa Barbara County. It distributes healthy groceries at its monthly free food distributions, offers free classes and webinars on various topics and connects families with essential social services. In early 2025, LEAP plans to open a new Children’s center in Lompoc to expand its reach. Long-term, LEAP aims to grow programs that address critical needs, including: Immigration informational webinars Financial literacy classes Monthly food distribution Vaccine clinics LEAP is committed to recruiting skilled educators to deliver high-quality care and education. Funding from Yardi supports and maintains vital services like the diaper bank, which distributes 6,000 diapers monthly. Funding also contributes to sustaining and expanding family resource programs, funding important work at the children’s centers and meeting the growing needs of its community. “We’re incredibly grateful for Yardi’s belief in our mission,” expressed Darcy Brakeman, development assistant for LEAP. She continued, “Their support fuels our ability to respond to community needs with compassion and efficiency. With partners like Yardi, we can continue to create lasting change for families across Santa Barbara County.” Simon’s Venture His distress was apparent when Simon joined LEAP’s Children’s Center at six months old. His physical and social-emotional development was significantly delayed, and he had difficulty settling or connecting with his caregivers. LEAP learned Simon’s single mother struggled to support their small family despite working two jobs. Through the nurturing, trauma-informed care of his teachers at...

Did you know that there are over 44,000 children in Australia with a parent in prison? Children with a parent in prison are some of the most vulnerable in our society, often facing stigma, isolation, and limited opportunities. That’s where this Yardi-supported nonprofit steps in and supports children to give them a chance to shine. SHINE for Kids was established in 1982 in Sydney, Australia and is dedicated to supporting children and young people affected by the criminal justice system. The “invisible victims” are faced with complex, overlapping challenge factors, including family breakdown, poverty, isolation, trauma, emotional distress, interrupted education, stigma and shame, which puts them at risk. They are six times as likely as their peers to end up in the justice system themselves, with 52 percent of young people in youth detentions and 66 percent of those youth having had a parent in prison. SHINE for Kids delivers innovative programs and interventions for at-risk children and young people affected by the criminal justice system from infancy through adolescence. SHINE for Kids helps break cycles of incarceration and offenders and builds futures where young people can thrive. SHINE for Kids programs include: Child & Family Programs (in-custody, in-community) Child & Parent Days (in custody) Prison visits and Facilitated Playgroup Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Programs Rise (K-6 Social & Emotional Wellbeing Program) Youth Justice Mentoring (for young people transitioning out of custody) Rise 11-15 (Youth Community Mentoring) SHINE for Kids aims to expand its Rise Mentoring Program to reach more children and grow the Stand as One program that provides peer support for children and young people in correctional facilities to help them transition successfully into the community. Funding from Yardi supports the delivery and expansion of these programs. Funding enables them to...

What if you could save thousands of dollars and hours each year while improving your utility management processes? Jessica Stevens, director of business systems and technology at BRG Realty, recently shared how the Yardi Energy Suite has helped the company overcome challenges and achieve tangible results by transforming their processes, improving efficiency and increasing recovery by nearly $650,000. About BRG Realty BRG Realty Group, LLC is a multifamily property management company serving greater Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton and areas of Kentucky and Indiana. Their mission is to foster high-quality communities through innovative management, providing dependable services to residents, associates and business partners. Transforming processes Within the past few years, BRG has grown rapidly. To support their rapid growth, they needed to streamline operations and manage utilities more efficiently. To ease the burden on their accounting team and improve financial recovery from utility costs, BRG chose the Yardi Energy Suite, built into Voyager, as their solution. While the initial transition was “nerve-wracking” for the accounts payable (AP) team, they quickly realized the value. “Now they never want to go back,” Stevens said. Additionally, Yardi Pulse reports provide real-time data and analytics, helping BRG to detect and address issues like leaks or equipment failures promptly. Their team has been able to save 1,500 hours annually with Utility Billing and Utility Invoice Processing. Stevens described the transformation as “huge,” underscoring the substantial positive impact on their business. This investment has raised resident utility billing cost recovery from 70% to over 81% in just two years. With Yardi, BRG has saved countless hours, enabling them to support the company’s rapid expansion. Stevens explains, “From 2021 to 2023, we recovered a little over $650,000, and by 2024, we’re projected to recover 86%. It’s real dollars we can take and put...

Reflect culture through the language of color. Let’s explore how Pantone’s Color of the Year will capture the real estate market with cultural comfort and collective desire. The 2025 Color of the Year is Mocha Mousse (17-1230), described as “A warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nurtures us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort.” Aside from the velvety, smooth and mouthwatering dessert, Mocha Mousse is a versatile color that can evoke humbleness and comfort while still on the luxe level. And who couldn’t use some comfort this year? This soft, warming brown hue can be used in various designs across most industries, inspiring creativity and innovation. Elevate curb appeal and interior design with this timeless beauty Mocha Mousse is a warm brown hue, adding a sophisticated and inviting look to the property’s exterior. Shutters and front doors in Mocha Mousse, paired with neutral siding and metallic hardware, offer a welcoming focal point. Shutters in Mocha Mousse can frame windows beautifully. Incorporate subtle contrasts using Mocha Mousse with taupe, beige and blue. Or create more of a relaxed elegance with beige, cream and amber. Landscaping harmony with this earthy shade complements natural stone, wooden accents and vibrant green foliage, enhancing curb appeal. Think of a springtime garden with floral blends using Mocha Mousse. A shaded willow green leading down a pathway of gray cobblestone completes nature’s harmony, creating a cohesive look with nature-inspired design trends. For interior design, some may fear that Mocha Mousse may be what “millennial gray” did in the early 2010s, but when using Mocha Mousse, it adds more warmth to space and leans towards the moody art deco tones in a non-committal way. This warm, earthy neutral feels rich and grounded...

Since 2011, Soldier’s Best Friend has seen significant results for veterans suffering from mental health issues, with over 60 percent of program graduates reporting to have reduced their suicidal thoughts, improved their quality of life and reduced their need for medications. Yardi-supported nonprofit Soldier’s Best Friend in Peoria, AZ, provides U.S. military veterans living with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) with service or therapeutic companion dogs, most of which are rescued from local shelters. The veterans and dogs train together to build a trusting relationship that touches two lives simultaneously and inspires countless others. “A second part of our goal is to make a positive impact on the pet overpopulation problem. We are dedicated to pairing and training service dogs with veterans at no cost to the veteran,” said Mik Milem, executive director for Soldier’s Best Friend. Soldier’s Best Friend boasts 12 years of experience with this program, and its dedicated, highly qualified staff, with more than 95 years of combined dog training experience, is proof of the program’s quality. The team is led by an executive director who reports to the Board, composed of Soldier’s Best Friend founder John Burnham and ten officers. These staff members report to the executive director: FTE veteran services manager handles veteran recruitment and application process FTE training program manager manages the veteran/dog team’s training schedules FTE adoption coordinator finds appropriate dogs for veterans at dog shelters and manages the veteran/dog pairing process. 11 staff PTE dog trainers train the veteran/dog teams Three PTE contract dog trainers and handle evaluations of the veteran/dog teams for the Public Assistance Training portion of the training program.   By the end of 2024, Soldier’s Best Friend served 185 veterans and plans to increase to 190 in...

The 46th edition of trends and forecast publication Emerging Trends in Real Estate® is out. Compiled by PwC and the Urban Land Institute, this report details trends in real estate investment and development, finance and capital markets, property sectors and other key issues in the U.S. and Canada. The report incorporates contributions from Yardi Matrix and CommercialEdge. building and cranes under construction against blue sky Here are excerpts from the report: Multifamily: Focus on affordability Supply will dominate apartment market conversations in 2025. Some experts remain bullish on the prospect of ongoing strong demand over the next few years due to strong job growth, favorable demographics, immigration, the high cost of homeownership and the lack of single-family inventory. However, a growing number of renters are cost burdened, underscoring the need for more market-rate and affordable supply. Industrial: Demand lags supply When the pandemic prompted a dramatic surge in online shopping, the industrial sector experienced a significant shortage of warehouse and third-party logistics facilities. Developers responded with record construction. More than 1 billion square feet of new product was added in the last two years alone, far exceeding prior records. Net absorption has been positive, but demand has not kept pace with new supply, so the amount of vacant space continues to grow. Retail: In rebound mode Few foresaw the strong rebound in demand for physical retail space that occurred following the 2020 pandemic year and drove retail vacancy rates below levels not seen in more than a decade. The number of distressed chains either liquidating or seeking debtor protection increased more than 50% in 2024. “Thus, while retail sales have remained in positive territory since 2020, the impacts of the recent inflationary wave and resultant money tightening policies have taken a toll,” but “overall...

Yardi-supported nonprofit New Beginnings was established in 1968 in Santa Barbara, Calif., as a counseling center and has since added various programs and services. New Beginnings provides psychological counseling and housing assistance services to the homeless, low-income families and individuals throughout Santa Barbara County. The organization serves approximately 2,000 people each year through its programs: Counseling Center Safe Parking Shelter Rapid Rehousing Supportive Services for Veteran Families Life Skills Parenting and Education “Our mission is to provide quality, affordable counseling, shelter, case management, and education that strengthen our community and provide our clients with the ability to lead healthy and productive lives,” said Linnea Haskett, community engagement and development manager for New Beginnings. In 2025, New Beginnings will continue its work with the California Encampment Resolution Funding (CERF) grant, which will resolve 21 vehicle encampments throughout the county. It also plans to expand and retain staff, training them to be the best versions of themselves within and without the scope of New Beginnings. It also hopes to bring Veteran homelessness to zero within Santa Barbara County. Yardi’s funding is instrumental in helping New Beginnings achieve its goals. This support enables New Beginnings to go beyond what government grants allow, covering costs like security deposits, car repairs, pet insurance, psychiatrist visits, and more. Contributions are crucial to its success. “We are SO grateful,” exclaimed Haskett! She continued, “It is an honor to be recognized by such a successful and world-renowned company such as Yardi. We hope to continue to work together— particularly as Permanent Supportive Housing is becoming such a crucial piece to help solve homelessness.” Neil and Jesse’s Hope for the Future Neil is a gentle spirit whose journey has been filled with unexpected challenges. Neil was originally from Florida. He spent years traveling...

Meet Jake Castanha, an account executive on the senior living sales team. Jake will celebrate his two-year anniversary with Yardi in July 2025, but he’s had a wide range of experiences in the short time he’s been at Yardi, including moving from Santa Barbara to New York City. Meet Jake Castanha As an account executive, Castanha sells Yardi Senior Living Suite products to small senior living communities across the West and Central region. He spends his work days calling and emailing prospective clients. He also checks in with current clients to ensure they are satisfied with their experience.   “I try to take a consultative approach by learning about their business processes, clientele and staff,” he says. “The more I know and learn about them, the better I can advise them on which system will benefit them.” Castanha also schedules software demonstrations for interested senior living providers. “I occasionally visit senior living communities in person,” Castanha says. “This experience has been invaluable, as I get to meet users and stakeholders and see the real-world impact of what we do.” The Yardi culture Castanha shares that the willingness to listen to feedback to improve products is an important aspect of Yardi’s commitment to clients. “Our culture is built on doing right by our clients and delivering what we promise,” he says. He says this commitment to clients is intertwined with employee teamwork. He appreciates learning from experienced and talented people in leadership positions. “Most people in leadership positions have been here 10 plus years which is a testament to the culture that has been created,” he says. “While there are a lot of things I enjoy about working at Yardi, the best part is the people. I have met some of my best friends, as...