For Pacifica Senior Living, this year’s National Assisted Living Week (NALW) was spent gathering residents, paying homage to assisted living caregivers nationwide and celebrating their own staff.  It’s always a pleasure to spotlight our clients, like Pacifica, during NALW. Led by the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), the annual celebration encourages organizations to honor those who reside, work and volunteer in assisted living communities. Pacifica did just that, going above and beyond to honor their care staff. Celebrating NALW Honoring this year’s NALW theme — Compassion, Community, Caring — Pacifica invited their staff and residents to an array of uplifting events. They shared a snapshot on social media, too. In communities from North Carolina to California, Pacifica’s week-long celebration gathered everyone with delicious food, an in-house “Price Is Right” game and NALW-themed arts and crafts. There’s more, but we’ll let you explore the photos for yourself! You can find a range on Pacifica’s LinkedIn page. The dynamic senior living company also shared their appreciation for staff members with words of gratitude. They highlighted the resilience of their caregivers — and assisted living staff across the nation — during the pandemic. “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges to all assisted living communities in America for the past year and a half,” shared Pacifica on LinkedIn. “This National Assisted Living Week, we want to recognize all the efforts put forth by the staff of Pacifica Senior Living communities for all they have done and continue to do. Thank you.” Last but not least, they took the time to honor individual employees. Check out this spotlight of Enrique, a personal care assistant at Pacifica. Get to know Pacifica Utilizing Yardi’s senior living management software, Pacifica Senior Living strives to create communities where residents feel at...

Canadian residential property manager QuadReal Property Group uses Yardi software as a single connected solution for managing multiple business operations, including utility expense management, procurement, deal pipeline management, budgeting and construction management. QuadReal recently moved to bolster its team’s professional development by adopting another solution – Yardi Aspire, which the company brands internally as Excelerate. Aspire centralized QuadReal’s training initiatives in everything from Yardi software and leadership to new-hire orientation and supervision management skills. “Prior to Aspire, people learned on the job or through ad hoc means. We’re using Aspire to bring a much more structured approach to it,” says Dean Holmes, senior vice president of residential operations for QuadReal. “There’s a significant amount of content pre-prepared within Aspire so we don’t have to start from scratch and create it all ourselves. It’s user friendly, adaptable to QuadReal’s branding and has been well accepted.” QuadReal measures its success with Aspire by proficiency that the workforce has achieved, especially in using Yardi software, the company’s principal Aspire focus so far. “We track our business performance and overall proficiency with systems and processes on a continual basis and have gotten rave reviews from our field and corporate teams on the quality of the content and the ease of use of Aspire. We’re getting a ton of mileage out of it and it’s our platform of choice for all our training,” Holmes says. Aspire assumes even greater importance in the aftermath of the pandemic. “We were decentralized even before COVID and it’s going to continue to be challenging to get everybody in the same room when it’s over,” Holmes notes. “We’ll do things in person when we can but Aspire will continue to be our primary platform for delivering training and content across our company. It’s an...

It’s not every day one celebrates their 100th birthday. For Pacifica Senior Living resident Theodore Albertus Mertz, a World War II veteran, his 100th year was commemorated in style.   Pacifica Senior Living is a dynamic organization with communities across the U.S. Utilizing Yardi solutions in senior living since 2009, Pacifica provides personalized care services in independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, namaste therapy hospice and more. Pacifica honored Theodore with a 100-year birthday celebration at their Vacaville community. Best of all, the celebration is highlighted in this summer edition of Vacaville Magazine. The feature covers Theodore’s life story, his honorable war service and the Pacifica-led birthday extravaganza. We’re pleased to share a highlight here on The Balance Sheet. Pacifica honors veteran resident In early June, Theodore was honored with a gathering of local citizens, the Vacaville Fire Department, Travis Air Force Base and more. Over 200 vehicles passed by Pacifica Vacaville in commemoration of Theodore’s 100th birthday — and war service. Visitors also showed their appreciation with special gifts and heartfelt tributes. “We are so proud that this inspiring World War II Veteran and Centenarian is part of our community,” shared Pacifica on LinkedIn. The special gathering was made possible by Pacifica Community Relations Director Rosa Gracida, who noted Theodore’s upcoming birthday when he became a resident. She crafted the idea for a 100-car parade to memorialize his 100 years and to no surprise, local agencies were honored to join. “This is a milestone,” said Gracida in Vacaville Magazine. “I just feel so blessed — this is part of our story, our freedom. My heart just feels so full. He deserves all the respect.” Theodore’s Navy career began in 1941 where he was stationed in the Philippines. From inspecting and repairing...

Minnesota will soon have more affordable housing options. Plymouth-based developer an Yardi client Dominium selected a 5.2-acre parcel in Roseville for its newest affordable project. The market is ripe for new development, with recent average vacancy rates hovering around 2.2%. A local average rate of 5% is typical in a balanced market. The Harbor at Twin Lakes will be a senior affordable housing community. It will offer 277 units including 131 one-bedroom units, 116 two-bedroom and 30 three-bedroom units. The units are divided between five floors within a single building. Photo courtesy Dominium The rent-restricted neighborhood will accommodate residents aged 55 and over who earn 50% of the area median income or below. Exploring the neighborhood near The Harbor at Twin Lakes The Harbor at Twin Lakes will be a walkable community with access to shopping and dining. The community includes seven commercial properties, surface and underground parking. Just eight miles from Minneapolis and 10 miles from downtown Saint Paul, the community is conveniently located near several local attractions. The Harbor parcel, located at 2730 Herschel St., is part of the larger Twin Lakes Station redevelopment. It rests adjacent to Oasis at Twin Lakes, an affordable housing community with 228 units. The units are divided between two low-rise buildings. Construction on the $74 million Oasis project began in July 2020. It is scheduled for completion in 2022. “Dominium is very excited to announce this new development as it will provide much-needed high-quality affordable housing in the Twin Cities metro,” said Dominium Vice President and Project Partner Ryan Lunderby. Financing The City of Roseville has provided a $35 million bond for the development of The Harbor. Tax-exempt financing, once offered by Greystone, is now managed by Freddie Mac. The property is also funded in part...

We love sharing positive stories from senior living communities, especially those that involve residents working together to make a difference. That’s certainly the case with Yardi client Harmony Senior Services, whose residents at their Greensboro, North Carolina community have been aiding the local homeless population. Residents come together With a dedication to help those in need, residents at Harmony at Greensboro have been working to aid the local homeless population for the last six months. It was resident Peggy Yow who came up with the idea — creating sleeping mats from plastic grocery bags — and her fellow neighbors joined in to help. “I thought of all the cold nights, the wet ground, that maybe this will help them at least sleep and rest a little better,” said Yow to WFMY-TV. The inspiring story was also recognized by Argentum Senior Living, who shared it in their e-newsletter.   If that alone doesn’t show how caring these senior living residents are, just wait! Each sleeping mat required over 2,000 grocery bags to be completed. It was no easy undertaking, but the Greensboro residents saw the value in the project — helping those in need. Their goal was to make 12 mats in total. Yow shared that the project “has brought us much closer, we know each other better. It’s been very enlightening for each of us.” About Harmony Senior Services Harmony Senior Services was founded on the belief that people deserve higher quality senior living options. They proudly provide the same excellent care and love to residents and their families as they would their own. Their goal is to meet each resident’s individual needs while exceeding expectations. Harmony offers living options such as independent living, assisted living and memory care. And for Harmony at Greensboro,...

Yardi is excited to help Edward Rose & Sons celebrate its 100th anniversary. The real estate development and management company has leveraged tradition, innovation and technology to reach new heights while honoring long-held values. History in the making Edward Rose & Sons began as a single family home builder with four properties constructed in 1921. By the 1960s, the organization expanded to multifamily housing. As self-proclaimed “frontier developers,” the company selected sites in minimally developed suburban areas. The properties address the needs of the growing working class. With this innovative strategy, Edward Rose & Sons helped to nurture a new era of successful young adults and thriving new towns. Since then, Edward Rose & Sons has established its name in luxury apartments and senior living. With each new vertical, the organization relies on its founding principles to guide the way. “We want to make sure that the residents get a good value for their money. That’s why we’ve been successful over the years,” says Greg Stowers, division manager at Edward Rose & Sons. The Michigan-based organization celebrates its centennial with a presence in 18 states. Properties represent 65,000 multifamily units with nine under construction in Washington, Michigan, Wisconsin, South Carolina and Illinois. The new properties will add 1,000 units to the Edward Rose & Sons portfolio next year. Old meets new: technology ushers Edward Rose & Sons into the future Technology is an integral part of the smart growth strategy for Edward Rose & Sons. The developer implements Yardi Job Cost, Asset IQ, and Revenue IQ for efficient project management and optimal rent performance at its properties. The company that began through word-of-mouth referrals still values its reputation. To manage its online reputation, Edward Rose & Sons relies on Yardi RENTCafé CRM for its...

Yardi is pleased to applaud client Brightview Senior Living — a Baltimore-based company that’s delivered over 20 years of senior living services — for earning a spot on the Fortune Best Workplaces in New York™ 2021 list. The impressive accolade comes after Brightview ranked on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® list earlier this year.   Brightview’s company culture gains recognition In addition to operating vibrant senior living communities and delivering excellent care, Brightview has created an exceptional culture for their employees. They’ve developed a workplace where associates feel empowered and cared for — and their hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Earning the Fortune Best Workplaces in New York™ recognition is something to be proud of. The accolade is largely based on direct feedback from employees, whose survey results are benchmarked against other organizations. Placement on the Fortune list means Brightview’s New York associates have spoken volumes about the company’s enriching environment.   Brightview owns and operates three communities in the state including Brightview Lake Tappan, Brightview Sayville and Brightview Tarrytown. “We are THRILLED to announce that Brightview has ranked on the Fortune Best Workplaces in New York™ 2021 list for its exceptional company culture,” wrote Brightview on LinkedIn. They also announced the news on their company blog, where President Doug Dollenberg celebrated the recognition. “We know that if we’re a great place to work, in turn, our communities will be a great place to live,” shared Dollenberg. “For Brightview associates to have provided such extraordinary feedback during the challenge of a pandemic is truly humbling.” Some survey feedback from Brightview associates included: 94% believe “You are made to feel welcome when you join the company”93% believe “I feel good about the ways we contribute to the community”92% believe “My work has...

This year, Senior Housing News (SHN) has honored a variety of senior living leaders through their Changemakers series. And without fail, each member of the Changemakers class is inspirational, unwavering and transformative in their approach to industry obstacles. That certainly describes Yardi client Fee Stubblefield, founder and CEO of The Springs Living. Headquartered in McMinnville, Oregon, The Springs Living owns and operates multiple senior living communities across Oregon and Montana. Fee started the company in 1996 with a mission to create communities that felt like home and since then, he’s elected positive change in the company’s design and operations. That’s exactly why he was chosen as a 2021 Changemaker and interviewed in this special series, sponsored by Yardi. In this excerpt from his SHN interview, you’ll learn how Fee has led The Springs Living through a period of change — and how he’s preparing for the future. Plus, you’ll get an inside look at Fee’s approach to innovation, his dedication to senior living and his tolerance for risk. Do you agree that change-makers are risk-takers, and secondly, how do you describe your own personal tolerance for risk? I would say that we’re probably categorized as both innovators and risk-takers, but I don’t see it that way. I don’t see it as risky. This is what we’ve learned. This is what we believe the market wants and we have hedged it in ways that we think makes sense — that eliminates risk. It’s been really fascinating to see how different people look at the mountain from a different side. When you go on a hike, you look up the hill and you think, okay, I’ll remember that spot when I get there, and then when you get up there, it looks completely different. Our view...

To effectively serve their communities while navigating a growing portfolio, senior living organizations need support. For many, implementing integrated senior living management software is key. Meet Anthology Senior Living, CA Venture’s senior living platform that develops, acquires and operates 34 senior housing communities across the United States. Their portfolio includes independent living, assisted living and memory care with uniquely designed communities that provide residents with meaningful hospitality and care. Kim Smart As they grew and expanded their community footprint, Anthology needed the right software solution — a single connected system built for the unique needs of senior living providers. They welcomed the Yardi Senior Living Suite. To dive deeper into the importance of utilizing a single connected solution, we sat down with Kim Smart, director of systems and support at Anthology. Smart discussed the organization’s journey to now operating 34 communities, explaining the role the Yardi Senior Living Suite has played in driving Anthology’s success. Here’s a highlight: The Challenge: Navigating a Growing Portfolio With a range of communities to serve and rapid expansions underway, Anthology Senior Living needed a solution that did it all. They searched for senior living software that combined resident care, marketing, sales, finance and more on a single platform. To fulfill the needs of their many communities, Anthology chose a single connected solution they knew they could trust — The Yardi Senior Living Suite. The Solution: Yardi Senior Living Suite The Yardi Senior Living Suite is powered by a secure cloud-hosted database and unites property management, finance, marketing, resident care and more on a single connected solution. The Story: Single Connected Success, Efficiencies Gained & Unparalleled Support With extensive experience in systems analysis, Director of Systems and Support Kim Smart knew the value of interconnected tools. Whether it be...

For more than 35 years, Westcorp Property Management Inc. has focused on spaces and places that bring out the best in people. It creates, invests in and manages residential, commercial, hotel and mixed use properties. The company is based in Canada and has properties both in Canada and the U.S. It’s no surprise that a portfolio of this size and diversity relies on technology to help its prospects, tenants and team be successful. Recently we had the chance to speak with Uryelle Dimailig, Marketing Manager at Westcorp, about some of the tools and strategies the company uses to support its residential properties. Keep reading to find out what makes a strong marketing and leasing strategy, how to get the most out of it and who else can benefit from these tactics. If you are currently advocating for any kind of marketing technology at your property management business, this interview is a must-read! What elements are critical to a strong marketing and leasing strategy for residential properties? Digital marketing is important. You have to keep up with how consumer search behaviour is changing. Five years ago, we could put everything on the ILS and get leads that converted. Now, it’s much more competitive and your apartment listings don’t get much exposure on ILSs unless you pay to promote your listings on them. An opportunity that is often misunderstood is that those ILS dollars can be the same investment as a PPC campaign. We’ve found that building a digital leasing presence through property websites, SEO and social media brings in more leads. For us, a RentCafe website is an essential marketing and leasing tool. Because it’s integrated with our Yardi Voyager database, our website can show renters accurate availability, current rates, floor plans and all the...

Access to affordable housing can be a life-changing experience for residents, especially when residential units are paired with social services. HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program is a perfect example. The goal of FSS is to transform individuals and families by stabilizing housing and providing services like childcare, education, physical and mental health, food and other tools to overcome barriers to increasing income. New Directions is a mission-based affordable housing provider based in Louisville, Kentucky. HUD recently approved New Directions to administer FSS for residents living in seven of its properties. New Directions calls its FSS program “I Rise,” a title inspired by the poem “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou. New Directions is led by Bridgette Johnson, its chief operating officer. Bridgett studied the success that public housing agencies (PHAs) were having with FSS and found that most of the FSS graduates she spoke with had moved on to home ownership, started their own business, or both, within a few years of graduating from the program. Inspired by those success stories, Bridgette created I Rise for New Directions, and conducted extensive fund raising to pay for staffing. FSS does not pay administrative fees for affordable housing providers, a significant difference from PHAs’ ability to pay staff with a portion of FSS funds. Solving the “Benefit Cliff” Affordable housing and social services workers often refer to the “benefit cliff” as a metaphor to describe how access to programs can suddenly be taken away when participants’ incomes rise. That can cause households to lose access to support before they are entirely self-sufficient. Under FSS, participants can maintain enrollment in social services even as their income increases. FSS prevents participants from falling off the benefit cliff by requiring households to save a portion of their increasing wages...

While the past year has been challenging for senior living providers, they haven’t lost sight of what’s important — keeping residents, families and staff safe and healthy. And for Aegis Living, their dedication and genuine efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. Not only is the company prioritizing resident care in the face of COVID-19, they’re also working to protect the well-being of their employees. That’s why they’re certified as a great workplace by independent research firm Great Place to Work US. “With nearly 2,000 team members surveyed across 32 locations, Aegis Living received a 75% trust index score after being evaluated on more than 60 criteria of team members’ experience on the job, including community impact and feeling that their work has special meaning,” shared Aegis Living on LinkedIn. “We’re so proud of our teams and our purpose-driven organization.” Building a stronger culture Meeting the criteria for a Great Place to Work certification is no easy feat. Leaders must constantly strive to build a better environment for their employees — laying the groundwork for an inclusive culture, high levels of trust and a true passion for the work being done. Dwayne Clark, founder and CEO of Aegis Living and Senior Housing News/Yardi Changemaker, has built just that. With extensive experience in senior living, Clark has focused on listening to employees, incorporating their ideas and helping them pave a successful career path. And since starting Aegis 20 years ago, company culture has remained a top priority — including during the pandemic. Clark attributes a large part of the company’s success to his team. In this light, Aegis Living’s admirable culture is a combination of excellent leadership and dedicated employees. Becoming an award-winning provider Aegis Living’s recognition doesn’t stop there. In addition to the Great Place to Work...

GREEN Real Estate is in the process of building a best in class organization that supports the entrepreneurship, growth and development of the company. One of the pillars of such an organization is continuous insight in data availability of business information. In this context creating more seamless leasing processes was a goal for GREEN Real Estate, a real estate investor and developer with numerous projects in urban areas of the Netherlands. Being able to access current transaction activity, company communication and approval workflows from an electrical car outside the property? Well, that’s just a cool bonus. We recently caught up with Steven van Ginkel, Manager of Finance and Control for GREEN Real Estate, who says that use of mobile-friendly Yardi solutions for the company has been a game changer. The GREEN team works continuously to improve the combination of living, working, mobility and shopping in the Netherlands. They have used the Yardi platform since April 2015. Yardi was selected to improve data accuracy and transparency, simplify workflows, provide executive oversight and access to information from any online device. Earning and approving new deals Yardi Deal Manager, the most dynamic leasing solution on the market, enables asset managers and their internal and external brokers to reduce unit turnover, improve communication, work with prospects and provide managers and executives with all the real-time insight they need. It also makes it very easy to submit available lease options to potential new tenants. “Proposals to prospective tenants are literally one mouse click. This creates time to improve quality to the offer and communication between leads and the asset managers,” van Ginkel said. Changes are also faster when made within the system. We save between 30 to 60 minutes each time we make any contractual change when using Deal...

Bryan McCaleb, president of Sagora Senior Living, a Fort Worth, Texas-based Yardi client and operator of more than 30 properties, discusses how his company has handled two major challenges – the pandemic and severe weather – in excerpts from an interview originally published in Multi-Housing News. How would you describe 2020 from the perspective of a senior housing operator? McCaleb: The pandemic led us to introduce new safety protocols and change what our day-to-day routines looked like. Our teams came together to implement changes for the best protection of our residents and associates, and I feel like our organization is stronger than ever before. How has technology helped you during COVID-19? McCaleb: At all of our communities, we have communication stations set up and equipped with iPads where residents have the ability to schedule virtual visits with their loved ones. More seniors have taken to social media to keep up with their families, which has broadened their reach with grandchildren and out-of-state loved ones. How did you keep your residents safe during the recent severe weather conditions in Texas? McCaleb: Some communities experienced power outages, water outages, water leaks and/or boil-water orders. For these challenges, we relied on onsite generators for heat and power, bottled water for our residents, and constant communication with our residents and their family members. Our associates stayed at our communities when needed to ensure that our residents were safe, comfortable and cared for. Although communities in Texas and Oklahoma had damage, we are thankful that all of our residents and associates weathered the storm safely. What was the most difficult thing for you in the past 12 months? The most satisfying? McCaleb: The most difficult thing was seeing how COVID-19 affects people—even beyond health complications, such as emotional and financial...

The senior housing industry is taking steps to transitioning from the COVID-19 era with policies that emphasize safety and resident service. Nicole Moberg, COO of Atlanta-based Thrive Senior Living, offers insight into successfully marketing senior communities during and after the pandemic. Below are excerpts from her recent interview with Multi-Housing News. How has the outbreak impacted Thrive Senior Living communities? Moberg: From early on, we were one of the first senior living communities to prioritize testing—backing our belief that every resident and team member should be tested as often as possible for the safety of the residents as well as our community. We also developed the “Take Off to Thrive” marketing concept, with a 30-day new resident communication checklist. This served to minimize resident isolation and loneliness and even included an adapted red carpet “landing day/move-in” experience. We view our communities as the safest place to be [with our] proper training and education, personal protective equipment, disinfection procedures and aggressive COVID-19 testing programs. How have your marketing strategies changed? Moberg: We pivoted by creating COVID-19 sales strategies including altering our messaging to focus more on care and safety and how we can help people during challenging times. Digitally, we worked to bring on a chief storyteller who showed a behind-the-scenes look at Thrive culture, created a YouTube channel to share online content to increase awareness when families could not visit and increased online presence as we allocated more toward digital spend to drive more traffic to our website. We saw increased sales throughout the pandemic with safely executed event activity. What role does technology play in your marketing? Moberg: We sourced a new video app that allows us to send videos to prospects as a follow-up; a platform to enhance virtual tours; a “thank you”...

The demolition of a decrepit public housing project in Annapolis, Md., is making way for new memories and a brighter future for families. The project is six years in the making and will boost the quality and quantity of affordable housing in the city. New growth in Annapolis Yardi client Pennrose recently broke ground on the Newtowne 20 project. The redevelopment site will be home to 78 much-anticipated affordable housing units. Families can choose between one-, two- and three-bedroom floorplans. Most units will surround a central garden while others stack the perimeter. A 3,500-square-foot community center, basketball court and playground accentuate the property. “Through persistence and determination, we have reached a great milestone in the rebuilding of this great community,” said Melissa Maddox-Evans, Executive Director/CEO of the Housing Authority of The City of Annapolis during the virtual groundbreaking ceremony. “We thank all of our partners for their hard work and support as we move forward with the construction phase. We are glad our residents will be able to have this opportunity for a new start for themselves and their families.” Patrick Stewart, Regional Vice President at Pennrose said, “We’re excited to continue our partnership with HACA as we transform outdated public housing into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood with high-quality affordable housing, community amenities and open green space.” He continued, “Today’s milestone brings us one step closer to completing this full-scale revitalization and welcoming residents back into their new, modern homes.” Neighborhood revitalization offers new opportunities to existing residents The site of Newtowne 20 is the former home of 810 Brooke Court, a public housing project constructed in 1971. After more than 50 years, the site is receiving a new lease on life with high-quality, energy efficient units. Existing residents of the neighborhood will benefit from...

Yardi client Bozzuto recently announced its expansion into the west coast! With the right people and technology in place, Bozzuto positions itself for growth and success in the new frontier. Bozzuto: spring heralds growth for the property management company In 33 years, Bozzuto has grown into one of the largest property management companies in the United States. The company currently has a presence in 11 markets along the East Coast as well as a properties in Chicago and Milwaukee. In total, Bozzuto manages 85,000 apartments and 2.5 million square feet of retail space. Moving forward, the Greenbelt, Md.-based property management company is setting its sights on the Pacific Coast. Bozzuto’s first West Coast projects will take place in Washington and California. Read how the Bozzuto Group increased online prospect engagement with RentCafe. Expansion requires the right people and the right tools. The property management leader recently hired Heather Wallace as the managing director of Client Services. Wallace brings 20 years of experience in operations, acquisitions and development for real estate firms. She previously served as a senior executive with Sares Regis Group. Bozzuto Management Company president Stephanie L. Williams says, “The addition of Heather Wallace ensures that Bozzuto will continue to grow through thoughtful and strategic relationships.” Williams continues, “We hold ourselves to the highest standard of delivering the exact same extraordinary experience our customers have come to expect, across our portfolio.” For tools, Bozzuto relies on scalable property management technology by Yardi. Bozzuto + Yardi, growing together As a foundation for its sustainable growth, Bozzuto sought technological solutions that facilitated efficiency, innovation and scalability. Bozzuto turned to Yardi for property management, accounting, procurement, business intelligence, asset management and marketing solutions. Through nearly 20 fully-integrated products and 17 years, Yardi and Bozzuto have grown...

Lindsey Hacker is the CFO of Tampa, Fla.-based Validus Senior Living, which manages facilities for independent living, assisted living and memory care in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. Hacker joined Validus in 2017. Here she offers insight into the twin challenges of providing exceptional care while innovating. The following is excerpted from an interview published in Multi-Housing News. How have you been ensuring the safety of residents and staff since the onset of the health crisis? What changes do you expect to be temporary and what is here to stay? Hacker: Like most of the world, our entire operating model needed to shift very quickly to ensure the safety of our residents and teams. Mask usage, hand hygiene, social distancing and personal protective equipment are now second nature. We screen all associates and any vendors or visitors and take their temperatures prior to allowing entrance to the building. Our cleaning process and solutions changed to using nontoxic chemicals against COVID-19 and performing more frequent cleaning. We added ultraviolet light technology, which is not common in assisted living. These UV light cabinets give our teams the ability to sanitize and disinfect items in less than 5 minutes—perfect for high-touch items like keys, phones, eyewear and our iCare technology devices. I think the pandemic has made us have a stronger focus on all aspects of infection prevention, so although we are hopeful we will not have to remain 6 feet apart, many of the other precautions will remain. Now that vaccines have become available, how is Validus approaching the vaccination process? Hacker: We are approaching it with education, positive reinforcement and role modeling. For our residents, we are seeing very high participation rates, which is very encouraging and not completely surprising since this generation saw polio...

The Housing Authority of the County of Kern, headquartered in Bakersfield, Calif., will implement Yardi’s Rent Relief cloud-based software to support its Emergency Rental Assistance program. As an administrator of federal stimulus funds directed towards helping households and landlords recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19, Kern expects to disburse millions in funds over the coming months. The emergency rental assistance program is designed to prevent loss of housing by supplementing rent payment for households impacted by the pandemic and by helping landlords keep current with mortgage payments. Kern County weighed the merits of several software providers before selecting Yardi. “Centralizing emergency rental assistance onto an end-to-end, single platform that tracks everything from initial application to executing payments will make us more efficient and enable us to operate with complete transparency. Yardi has a documented history of processing millions of monthly financial transactions as well as creating cloud-based interfaces for end users and housing staff. I expect Rent Relief will leverage that experience for the benefit of our community and staff,” said Stephen Pelz, executive director of the Kern County Housing Authority. Rent Relief powered by Yardi is a new solution that leverages decades of technology development and client support. Rent Relief offers portals for households to submit applications for assistance including easy upload of supporting documentation. Kern County housing staff will be able to log on to view and process applications, disburse funds to renters and landlords and easily produce the data for state and federal oversight offices. “Yardi is committed to help agencies keep renters housed as we endure the pandemic. We have nearly four decades of experience developing this type of full-service technology,” said Chris Voss, vice president of affordable housing at Yardi. Learn more by visiting RentRelief.com or attend an upcoming webinar. State and local...