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TINA may have some competition.

TINA, of course, is the acronym for There Is No Alternative, the description applied to U.S. common stocks, especially the large-capitalization variety that dominates the major indexes such as the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Thats because of the Federal Reserves policies that have pushed interest rates to historic lowsand all the way to nearly 0% for short-term cash equivalents. Yet as the risk to the equity market has increased along with the averages sharp recovery from their March lows, Terri Spath, chief investment officer of Sierra Mutual Funds, recommends alternatives to TINA.

The Fed essentially created an all-you-can-eat buffet for investors by slashing rates and pumping in liquidity by purchasing Treasuries, agency mortgage-backed securities, and, for the first time, corporate debt securities, she says. Investors have gorged by sending the S&P 500 up over 36% from its March 23 low, even after Wednesdays 2.6% decline, which shows the need for investors to become more cognizant of risk.

While investors attempt to manage the risk of such sharp drawdowns, Spath suggested several other asset classes in a recent client note:

Emerging market debt over emerging market stocks. Much of the EM bond universe carries investment-grade credit ratings while providing yields comparable to U.S. high-yield corporate bonds. EM debt also is less volatile than its equity counterparts in part because of the formers income cushion.

Preferred stocks over financial common stocks. As Andrew Bary highlighted this past weekend, preferreds often are issued by financial institutions but have a better risk-return profile. Preferreds have relatively high yields that cushion against price declines and have a superior risk-return trade-off because of their higher standing in the capital structure.

High-yield bonds over small-cap stocks. These two seemingly disparate asset classes both tend to include domestic companies trying to grow. Their return profiles tend to be similar, but high-yield bonds also have the income cushion to reduce price declines.

But instead of using index-based instruments such as exchange-traded funds to effect these strategies, Spath uses actively managed mutual funds. These sectors tend to be inefficiently priced, unlike the stocks that make up the S&P 500, about which investors arguably have discounted all relevant public information.

High-yield managers can pick among credits rather than being stuck owning the biggest borrowers, which dominate the indexes. Thats especially important with bonds asymmetric risk profile; the upside is limited while the downside could be zero, Spath explains. Even with preferreds, shares with $1,000 par values tend to be less efficiently priced than $25 par preferreds given the broader market for latter among individual investors, she points out.

Among high-yield funds that Sierra favors are BlackRock High Yield Bond (ticker: BHYAX) and Pimco High Yield (PHYAX), both run by esteemed fixed-income managers, which Spath says ought to outperform the popular ETFs, iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond (HYG) and the SPDR Bloomberg Barclays High Yield Bond (JNK).

For EM bonds, she calls out the MFS Emerging Markets Debt fund (MEDAX). And for preferreds, her pick is the Cohen & Steers Preferred Securities Income fund (CPXIX.) All these funds carry top five-star ratings from Morningstar, except the Pimco fund, which gets four stars.

Finally, Spath also puts in a plug for high-yield municipal bonds, which are especially inefficiently priced, in part because some credits get placed in the category simply because they dont have a rating from one of the big credit-ratings firms. But this sector also has been subject to big risks such as the Puerto Rico debt debacle, which is another reason to opt for active management.

Among high-yield muni funds, Spath picks Nuveen High Yield Municipal Bond (NHMAX), managed by longtime muni veteran John Miller. She also likes Invesco Oppenheimer Rochester High-Yield Municipal Bond (ORNAX), which she said navigated through the Puerto Rican crisis by buying the credits that other funds had to dump at fire-sale prices. Both high-yield muni funds get five stars from Morningstar.

So, regardless of what TINAs many fans say, there are alternatives in this market.

Write to Randall W. Forsyth at randall.forsyth@barrons.com

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What to Invest Money in: There Are Lots of Alternatives to Stocks Out There - Barron's

The Arizona Chapter of NAIOP, the commercial real estate development association, announced today that it will oppose the Invest in Education Act, which may appear on the November 2020 ballot, due to its negative impact on small businesses that file taxes under the individual income tax code. The initiative would put a heavy burden on small business owners to pay increased taxes.

The commercial real estate industry relies heavily on economic growth, which is supported by a strong education system that attracts new businesses to Arizona. However, the proposed Invest in Education Act risks damaging the competitive tax and economic environment Arizona has worked to build. NAIOP advocates instead for reinforcing the recovery of Arizonas small businesses to promote the overall good of the economy, which will, in turn, provide resources to public education.

The devastating impact of COVID-19 related closures still wears heavily on many businesses. Employee layoffs, losses in revenue and unanticipated expenses related to the restructuring that took place to protect the health of customers and remaining workers have led to severe financial challenges for many businesses. An increase in taxes would be a further blow to companies trying to rebuild.

We believe a well-educated workforce is essential to the livelihood of Arizona. However, implementing a funding mechanism that singles out a small sliver of taxpayers will have a negative, long-lasting effect on small businesses, said Suzanne Kinney, NAIOP Arizona President and CEO. Reinforcing the economic recovery post-COVID-19, will benefit our public education systems in the long run.

Before the global pandemic, Arizona was among the leading states in the nation for job growth. Focusing on regrowth and recovery will improve state revenues and resources for schools for years to come.

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Here's why Arizona Chapter of NAIOP opposes Invest in Education Act - AZ Big Media

The coronavirus pandemic has forced decision-makers to change their perspective on the economy and adapt to the new normal. In this unprecedented moment, we propose solutions which will trigger a new impulse for development. Micha Kurtyka presents Polands view on the green investment plan.

Micha Kurtyka is the Minister of Climate of the Polish Republic. This opinion piece has been written exclusively for EURACTIV.com.

Polands ambition is to make green investments the pillar of the changes, as they are going to allow to build a modern economy of tomorrow and move closer towards the objectives of the EU climate policy.

The current pandemic has reinforced our belief that the path of transformation leading towards low and zero emissions is absolutely correct. Poland absolutely needs green investments as they are going to help drive the economy, create new jobs and strengthen the competitive advantage of our domestic businesses on the international markets.

Following that path will give us a chance to develop and is going to bring us specific economic benefits. That is why in this year alone, the Ministry of Climate will utilise, for instance, the EU, Norway and national funds, and put PLN 7.8 billion (approximately 2 billion) towards facilitating green investments.

The funds will be used to implement projects related to energy transformation, improving air quality, thermal upgrading of buildings, development of electromobility, investments in RES micro-installations or solutions related to mitigating the effects of drought.

Poland has been consequently supporting the development of renewable energy sources, i.e. in the form of an auction system. Since 2016, new capacities have been contracted a total of 1.7 GW in photovoltaic installations and approximately 3.4 GW in wind farms.

The total value of the support amounted to over PLN 38 billion (approximately 8.7 billion), out of which PLN 37 billion (approximately 8.4 billion) has been put towards new installations.

The auctions planned for this year will result in creating a power output of over 2.4 GW coming from new, green power sources, out of which 800 MW will be generated from wind energy, while 1.5 GW will come from solar power. That fact positions Poland in the first place in the EU in terms of the total area of onshore wind farm construction.

Implementing the new investments will also accelerate the transformation.We are aware of the fact that the coronavirus did not make the problems and challenges of the energy sector disappear.

In the context of Poland, the key issue will be to replace the old coal-fired power stations with zero-emissions power sources installed in onshore and offshore wind power, photovoltaics and low-emission power sources such as natural gas or nuclear power while maintaining energy security.

The scale of the challenges facing our country is incomparable to other EU member states. We believe that climate transformation may be combined with the plan to rebuild the economy after the pandemic, but that requires involving considerable resources in order to make our ambitions become a reality.

Just several years ago, nobody would have thought that Silesia, which for centuries has been a centre of coal mining and an industrial area bringing together numerous energy-intensive industries, would become the centre of the global discussion on the climate policy and the search for the methods to counteract climate change.

The key decisions to protect our planets climate were taken in Katowice during the COP24 summit. What seemed impossible has now become a fact. It showed that Poland is an active participant of the global discussion on climate change and the transformation of economies towards low and zero-carbon emissions.

The concept of Just Transition ensuring environmental protection without slowing down the economy and with due respect to jobs was introduced by Poland.

Our country supports the EUs ambitions regarding achieving climate neutrality by the entire Union until 2050. However, Polands acceptance of the aforementioned commitment as a national goal depends upon the availability of the funding for energy transformation, social acceptance and ensuring that the industry remains competitive.

We cannot allow for a situation in which the costs of the changes will be incumbent upon the weakest, while the industry decides to relocate manufacturing outside of the European Union in fear of additional costs.

Climate ambitions of the European Union must therefore be realistic, i.e. they must account for the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the situation in the individual countries.

Since the beginning of the discussion on climate neutrality we have been stressing that despite the fact that evolution of the economy and the energy sector is in our best interest, it must be carried out in a responsible manner with care for the poorest.

We should not begin discussions which may increase the burden and hinder the post-pandemic recovery of the economies. Each crisis involves not only challenges but also primarily opportunities for a new beginning and building a future based on new, green, low-emission investments.

Therefore, we welcome the Recovery Fund proposed by the European Commission of an estimated total value of 750 billion which aims, among others, to facilitate economic growth based on green investments.

From the perspective of the transformation of the energy sector, the key role will be played by the increase of the Just Transition Fund from 7.5 to 40 billion, as Poland will become one of its key beneficiaries.

We view the Commissions proposal as an expression of confidence that our country will take active measures towards a low-carbon economy.

We believe that investments in the energy sector, in particular in RES, are required in Poland as well as in the entire EU, as they may significantly drive the impulse for the recovery of the economies after the coronavirus pandemic.

Today, we must think about how to take advantage of the opportunities and the possibilities to increase the pace of the economic transformation in Poland.

See more here:
Green investment plan will be an impulse for economic growth - EURACTIV

Some investors see recent volatility as a way to get rich quick. Trying to outsmart the market can end very badly.

Last week, 20-year-old traderAlexander Kearnsusing the Robinhood platform committed suicide after a series of risky options trades left him deep in the red. In the note to his family, he said he had "no clue" what he was doing.

"Financial access without knowledge can destroy lives and, as seen here in its most extreme form, can tragically end them," said Douglas Boneparth, a certified financial planner and president of Bone Fide Wealth.

Still, the number of young investors trying their hand at trading through Robinhood and other major on line brokers has spikedduring the Covid-19 market sell-off and rebound. A spokesperson for Robinhood said they "are deeply saddened to hear this terrible news and we reached out to share our condolences with the family," in an earlier statement to CNBC.

More from Personal Finance Americans appear ready to shop again What happens to your 401(k) loan if you're laid off Tax Day is getting close. Are you ready?

Considered a "generational-buying moment," young and inexperienced investors view the coronavirus-sparked recession as an entry point into the world of investing. Investor newbies are even piling into the beaten down airlines and cruise lines, as well as speculative stocks like Hertz.

The recent tragedy underscores the risk that comes with complicated financial instruments like options trading, which gives a trader the right but not the obligation to buy or sell an asset at a specific price, on or before a certain date. Traders use it to hedge risk, or speculate.

"These are extraordinary complex securities and trading strategies and yet they are readily available to anyone who chooses to open up an account, it's as if we are handing out firearms to children," saidRic Edelman, the founder of Edelman Financial Engines.

As with commodities and other futures investments, "you not only have to be right, you have to be right at the right time," Edelman said.

Commission-free trading coupled with a lack of sports betting and other forms of gambling have all helped drive interest in such speculation by retail investors, who are favoring riskier plays in smaller dollar amounts.

That is also what has propelled trading in the stocks of bankrupt companieslike Hertz.In that case, shares of the car rental company rallied even after the company announced it hadsuspended its plan to sell up to $500 million in stock amid Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

"The problem with Hertz, specifically, is that the economic value of the shares is zero," said Michael Crook, head of Americas investment strategy at UBS Global Wealth Management.

"There's a very high probability that someone purchasing shares would lose all of their money."

"The overall theme here is mistaking hoopla for investing," Boneparth said.

A better solution is to stay focused on an investment plan rather stock picking, he advised.

Stick with adiversified mixof stocks and stock funds to protect against losses and limit the downfall from some high-risk investments, he said."There's no single asset category that is going to solve all of your problems."

Further, keep your long-term goals in mind. "If you are saving for a home, are you really going to take all, or a big portion, of your home savings and throw it into an investment that could be cut in half?" Boneparth asked.

If there are specific shares you want to own, set aside a portion of your portfolio for those positions, Boneparth said, and research the financial health and well-being of those companies as well as the executive team and future outlook.

"I have plenty of clients that manage a small portfolio of stocks on their own," Boneparth said.

"If with 5% to 10% of your investable assets, you went out and bought 10 companies, it won't be all that bad if you get a couple wrong and couple right," he said. For instance, "if you were wrong about Hertz and right about Tesla."

"If you want to own Hertz, make it half a percent of your net worth, for example," added Crook. "If it's right, and you make 10,000%, you don't need a large position."

The same goes for keeping small positions in other tricky investment plays, includingoil futures contracts andreal estate investment trusts, orREITS,Crook said.

"Almost anything can fit into a portfolio at the right allocation," he said.

Those who are verynear retirementor whohave short-term goalsshould still keep a chunk of their savings in cash, certificates of deposit and high-quality short-term bond funds to further shore up their financial profile.

And finally, consider talking to a financial advisor who can work with you as you review your goals, reassess your risk and come up with an investment strategy that pays.

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Don't let the recession tempt you into these risky investments - CNBC

Understanding which of the two forms of investing would benefit your finances the most

As an investor, be a newbie or not, you would have often heard to always keep track of what you own and to take stock of your assets.

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Another such advice would be to learn as much as you can about passive and active investing basic but simple investment strategies we explore in depth here.

If you are just starting out in your investment journey like with anything new what you would first need is a strategy on how to go about it.

If youre involved in this debate, theres really no perfect answer as to whether either of these strategies is intrinsically better. Instead, each investors individual circumstances will shed light on which is the more beneficial choice for them.

What is active and passive investing?

Active investors purchase investments and continuously monitor their activity to exploit profitable conditions.

On the other hand, passive investing broadly refers to a buy-and-hold portfolio strategy for long-term investment horizons, with minimal trading in the market.

Index investing is perhaps the most common form of passive investing, whereby investors seek to replicate and hold a broad market index or indices.

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Now that we have got a rough idea of the two, lets now break each of them down and analyze which one would benefit you the most.

Unlike passive investors, who invest in a stock when they believe in its potential for long-term appreciation, active investors typically look at the price movements of their stocks many times a day.And most of the time, active investors are seeking short-term profits.

Perks to active investing

For example, during the height of the 2008 financial crisis, investment managers could have adjusted portfolio exposure to the financial sector to reduce their clients risk in the market.

Active investing allows money managers to meet the specific needs of their clients, such as providing diversification, retirement income or a targeted investment return.

In doing so, a manager chooses from several investing strategies to ensure the goal is met, which cannot then be compared to a benchmark.

Investors can use active investing to take advantage of short-term trading opportunities. Traders can use swing trading strategies to trade market ranges or take advantage of the momentum.

Stock prices oscillate for the majority of the time which creates many short-term trading opportunities.

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Active investing can be costly due to the potential for numerous transactions. If an investor is continually buying and selling stocks, commissions may significantly impact the overall investment return.

Charges: Key risks associated with active investing

Active management fees can range from 0.1 per cent to over 2 per cent of assets under management (AUM).

Active money managers may also charge a performance fee between 10 per cent and 20 per cent of the profit they generate.

Active funds also often set minimum investment thresholds for prospective investors. For example, a hedge fund might require new investors to make a starting investment of $250,000 (Dh918,262).

Passive investing methods seek to avoid the fees and limited performance that may occur with frequent trading. Also known as a buy-and-hold strategy, passive investing means buying a security to own it long-term.

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Passive investing is, as touched upon earlier, the better investment option among the two strategies for most individuals. That, of course, doesn't mean it will yield the best returns.

On the contrary, it means when other investing unknowns are taken into consideration, it's currently the most reliable method to yield the most stable results.

Benefits of passive investing

It is an investment choice that costs below 1 per cent annually to own. Without having a manager to make frequent changes, the middle-man expense is cut off.

In short, this means youll lose less of your returns to management.

ETFs and mutual funds are staples of passive investing portfolios. They all also have a couple characteristics in common: professional management and inherent diversification.

When you invest in stocks, bonds or any other security on a singular basis, its up to you to choose which ones you want and when to buy and sell them.

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But because investment professionals manage the aforementioned trio of funds, youll reap the rewards of strong diversification and asset allocations without getting your hands dirty.

You do this by not putting all of your eggs in one basket and diversifying. Using mutual funds or ETFs that accurately track an index you are investing in you are investing in the entire market.

By not using actively managed funds for most investment choices, you are not actively trading. This not only means less effort, it also means less prone to short-term fluctuations.

What are the downsides to passive investing?

So while the overall performance of these funds dictates your eventual returns, the investment decisions are not under your control.

Thus, this lack of customization and flexibility could leave passive investors feeling like theyre not involved enough in the overall management of their money.

However risky as it may be, passive investing technically has less return upside than strategies that look to beat the market through stock-picking and recurring trades.

In return for this trade-off, though, passive investors regularly see slow and sustained growth.

What this decision ultimately comes down to is your risk tolerance, which is your ability to stomach volatility in the hopes of higher returns.

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While no equity-focused investment approach can be called safe, a portfolio more focused on matching market returns is safer than one seeking to beat or time the market.

On the other hand, if risky investing is within your means, an active portfolio could be more fitting.

Your investment goals matter!

For example, lets say theres a 25-year-old who wants to buy a home over the next few years and a 30-year-old whos saving for retirement. The investments they should make are drastically different.

Because the future homeowner is closing in on his or her goal, he or she might consider high-risk, high-reward investments.

Retirement is far away for the 30-year-old, though, allowing this person to stick to passive investing if he or she so chooses.

If you want an actively-managed portfolio, know that you will encounter more fees than a passive investor will.

Because active management calls for consistent trades to beat the market, youll likely spend a significant amount in transaction fees. Passive investors prefer to buy and hold securities, lowering their extraneous costs in the process.

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But keep in mind, before investing any money in the market, you should take some time to learn about the strategies that will suit you best.

So although passive investing has comparatively more perks, that doesnt mean its the right strategy for everyone.

What investing style benefits the average retail investor?

Especially in an uncertain economy, active funds will perform better than the broad market.

The logic is simply that a basket of stronger companies, cherry-picked by fund managers, is likely to perform better than the broader markets, irrespective of the economy.

If you consider any relevant markets inefficiency, there are a lot of opportunities here that can be capitalized upon by active managers.

Most good-quality actively-managed funds have a standard deviation lower than that of their benchmark index.

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Contrary to popular perception, market volatility can be a blessing for the active fund manager by throwing up opportunities to pick quality stocks at attractive valuations.

Many businesses that appear over-priced at one point will be available at very attractive valuations at another.

Suppose the value of a company gets eroded by 10 per cent, but if the fall in its stock price is 30 per cent, the fund manager entering it enjoys a 20-percentage point margin of safety. Bigger the margin of safety, safer the investor is.

Passive investing too has its place for a retail investor

According to the latest S&P Indices Versus Active report, many categories of active funds are, on an average, underperforming their benchmarks even over the long-term.

While passive funds cant give you market-beating returns, they dont underperform either (or do so only by a small margin, called the tracking error).

Moreover, while a small proportion of active fund managers will always beat their benchmarks, predicting in advance who among the hundreds operating in the mutual fund universe will do so is a very difficult task.

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Also, returns of active fund managers tend to oscillate. A fund manager who was a top performer over the past five years may not remain so over the next five years.

Moreover, the index is created by independent index providers using transparent rules. Theres no fund manager bias in indexing, as happens in active investing. It also comes with advantages like low cost and diversification.

Originally posted here:
Breaking down the importance of active and passive investing strategies in day-to-day finance - Gulf News

WASHINGTONFollowing months of lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, an angry mob of heavily armed self-help gurus reportedly demanded Tuesday that Americans reopen their hearts. Its time for U.S. citizens to find a way to look inwards and embrace their own divinity or face the inevitable consequences, said an AK-47 toting Bren Brown, wielding her weapon and threatening untold violence if the nation didnt immediately allow itself to be vulnerable in an effort to accomplish its goals. Our founding fathers created this country as a haven away from that little voice in your head that says No. Frankly, its unconstitutional to deny others a glimpse of your true inner self. We will uphold the American ideal of love and acceptance with blood if necessary. At press time, Marianne Williamson slammed a magazine into her FN SCAR and vowed to unleash hell on Earth until the nation welcomed the healing power of crystals.

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Heavily Armed Self-Help Gurus Demand America Reopens Their Hearts - The Onion

What Is IT Service Management?

IT service management includes the actions performed by an organization to design, deliver, implement and control its IT services for end users. ITSM takes a proactive approach to IT, focusing more heavily on the end-users needs as opposed to those of IT systems and emphasizing continuous improvement.

Without good ITSM, an organizations efficiency and productivity can fall by the wayside which is where modern, software-based tools like ServiceNow can come in handy. These solutions can help an organization maintain primary IT functions, such as a service desk, while simultaneously taking a broader view to its IT processes.

You must consider the various dependencies and links across ITSM and IT processes, even if there is no pressing need to do so, Mike Roberts, marketing manager for CDW, writes in a recent blog post. Such big-picture thinking will be invaluable for future enhancements or should an unforeseen problem arise.

From streamlining existing processes to mitigating risk, quality ITSM in healthcare can help organizations regain control over IT costs while improving patient care. Take Novant Health, for example.

The Winston-Salem, N.C.-based healthcare system runs its IT management platform on top of ServiceNow. Using the Software as a Service-based tools as its service-delivery platform, the organization set out to reduce the amount of human error involved with IT and break down the silos impeding quality customer service for its staff and clinicians.

Novants main goal: Elevate the level of service that the health system could provide via the help desk wherever possible and drive quicker resolutions.

We try to be as proactive as we possibly can in how we service our infrastructure within our facilities, says James Kluttz, vice president and CTO for Novant, whether it be a physician practice, a corporate facility or an acute care facility.

In the past year, Novant has enhanced its model significantly. The organization previously ran a telephonic approach, where staffers were required to call in, talk to an agent and report their incidents. Now, the company has been able to introduce chat capabilities to eliminate hold times for end users, allowing them to spend more time with patients and perform their jobs in the most effective way possible.

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ITSM Tools in Healthcare: How ITSM solutions Are Assisting in Healthcare - HealthTech Magazine

STOCKTON The San Joaquin County Continuum of Care has released its housing project report.

The report requested and developed by the Shelter Subcommittee shows the ongoing development of permanent housing for the homeless in the geographic area of the SJCoC. The committee hopes to provide insight into the work of local agencies creating permanent housing exits from local shelters, an integral component of any effective system intended to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring.

Title of project: progressive housing

Location: scattered sites in Stockton and Lodi

Project Type: transitional housing

Beds: 60

Estimated completion: 50 beds available now; 10 more by June 30

Funded with MHSA Innovation Funds

Operated by Stockton Self-Help Housing under contract with BHS

Eligibility limited to individuals with serious mental illness, placed and case managed by BHS

Title of project: New Life Overflow Housing

Location: 204 E. Sonora St., Stockton

Project Type: transitional housing

Beds: 12

Estimated completion: July 1

Part of a two-year program for homeless men, women and women with children

Title of project: project-based housing

Location: 448 S. Center St., Stockton

421 S. El Dorado St., Stockton

35 W. Park St., Stockton

Project Type: permanent supportive housing

Units: 14 units 448 S. Center St.

12 units 421 S. El Dorado St.

11 units 32 W. Park St.

Estimated completion: July 22 for 448 S. Center St. and 35 W. Park St.

Funded with MHSA Funds

Developed by Housing Authority of San Joaquin, under contract with BHS

Eligibility limited to individuals with serious mental Illness, placed and case-managed by BHS

Title of project: Turnpike Commons

Location: 1630 Turnpike Road, Stockton

Project Type: Permanent Supportive Housing

Units: 9

Estimated completion: October 2020

Funded primarily by HEAP and CDBG

Innovative local partnership to create direct exits from shelter

Uses manufactured product to reduce costs and expedite construction

Title of project: New Life Womens Home

Location: 403 S. San Joaquin St., Stockton

Project Type: transitional housing

Beds: 118

Estimated completion: Nov. 1, 2020

Part of a two-year program for homeless women and women with children

Converts the former Alustiza Hotel & Restaurant

Title of project: Shelter Plus Care-Combined Expansion

Housing Location: scattered sites throughout San Joaquin County

Project Type: permanent supportive housing beds for the "chronically homeless"

Beds: 21

Estimated completion: end of 2020

Funded with Continuum of Care Program Competition Bonus funds

Title of project: permanent housing for the homeless

Location: Five locations in southeast Stockton

Project Type: permanent housing

Beds: 21

Estimated completion: November 2020December 2021

Partnership including Dignity Health and San Joaquin County Whole Person Care

Title of project: New Life Mens Home

Location: 429 S. San Joaquin St., Stockton

Project Type: transitional housing

Beds: 178

Estimated completion: January 2023

Part of a two-year program for homeless men

Two old Victorian campus structures comprising 4 addresses

The report provides information only on projects serving the homeless that are currently underway within San Joaquin County; projects in the planning phase and projects not specifically intended to serve the homeless are not included. It is also important to note that this report includes only those responses from organizations indicating their interest in being included. Completed projects are also not included.

To review the 2019 San Joaquin County Housing Inventory Count Report detailing capacity in existing ongoing local shelter and homeless housing projects, visit the Department of Housing and Urban Development website at https://www.hud.gov/.

Contact reporter Bob Highfill at (209) 546-8277 or jhighfill@recordnet.com. Follow him on Twitter @bobhighfill.

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SJs Continuum of Care releases housing project report - Stockton Record

After weeks of protests, African American observers can reasonably conclude that the expenditure of time and resources will result in few substantive changes. And even more dismaying, that the Black Lives Matter rallies have degenerated into a form of street therapy for previously homebound white liberals. So, the aftermath may provide an opportunity to question the purpose of the leading organization of black politics, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).

Founded about 50 years ago during a time of expansive political vision, the CBC was the brainchild of Rep. Charles Diggs Jr. (D-Mich.), elected to the House in 1955. He joined Reps. William Dawson (D-Ill) and Adam Clayton Powell (D-N.Y.) as the delegation for 22 million black people. He was part of a generation of political thinkers influenced by the 1945 resolution of the fifth Pan-African Congress: We are determined to be free. We want education. We want the right to earn a decent living, the right to express our thoughts and emotions, to adopt and create forms of beauty. We demand for Black Africa autonomy and independence.

During the 91st Congress (1969-1971), as the black delegation expanded, Diggs proposed the formation of the Democratic Select Committee (DSC) as a forum for coordinated strategy. In 1971, the DSC became the CBC, with Diggs elected as chairman. He asserted, Our concerns and obligations as members of Congress do not stop at the boundaries of our districts, our concerns are national and international in scope.

By 1972, Diggs envisioned the CBC as a vanguard entity for black empowerment. He promoted a Black Declaration of Independence and CBC leadership for a political convention in Gary, Ind. At this point, some organization members balked over playing the role of a black national congress. Instead, they elected Rep. Louis Stokes (D-Ohio) as chairman and he moved the group under the umbrella of a white liberal coalition. He believed that if we were to be effective, if we were going to make the meaningful contribution to minority citizens in this country, then it must be as legislators.

Since then, the CBC has suffered a question of identity and relevance. Its high points were in the 1980s, with bills for a Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and sanctions against apartheid in South Africa. Today, however, the organization is perhaps most associated with the shrill screeds of Rep. Ilhan OmarIlhan OmarDem-aligned group announces return to in-person canvassing in seven states Horn of Africa politics come to Minneapolis The Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump signs police reform executive order MORE (D-Mich.), symbolic gestures such as removing the statues of Confederate figures from the National Statuary Hall, and legislation seemingly devised to render an appearance of reform such as the bills in response to George Floyd's death.

Political scientist Kenny Whitby, in Dimensions of Representation and the Congressional Black Caucus, wrote that the CBC lacked the confidence to speak out on substantive issues and relied too much on a strategy of protest. Moreover, he found that its undue dependence on the liberal wing of the Democratic Party poses a dilemma for members of the group as players in the world of congressional politics.

So, how might the organization find its way back to the pathway of black empowerment? It could begin by revisiting the earlier desires for self-determination and Pan-African identification. It is ironic that early organizations with far less resources than the CBC could better speak to the needs of the ordinary folk.

On the question of economic development, for example, there was Booker T. Washingtons program in advanced agriculture and industrial skills. His founding of the Tuskegee Institute in 1881 became a model for leaders of developing societies around the world. It even inspired the Pan-African activist Marcus Garvey to incorporate a self-help economic program in his Universal Negro Improvement Association in the 1920s. Meanwhile, Elijah Poole, a Georgia sharecropper of modest education who took the name Elijah Muhammad, was astute enough to promote economic principles for everyday folk in the book, Message to the Blackman in America.

Surely, the CBC could find direction from these humble beginnings and speak to the Black population plainly. It might advocate the practical steps one can take to improve economic standing: live within your means, save as much as possible, nurture a supportive family life, spend your money among yourselves, support Black-owned businesses or non-Black businesses that hire your people, seek to improve health, home, education and community. Such basic lessons of self-improvement may not address the problem of structural racism but they do empower people to help themselves and offer more chances of rewards than taking to the streets.

In addition, the CBC should question the economic implications of the Democratic Party position on immigration legal and illegal for the Black labor force. Members have raised few concerns publicly about the consequences of liberal immigration initiatives. Fair-minded people can see evidence of policies that have undercut the status of Black labor in agriculture, hospitality, restaurants, construction and the civil services. In higher education, Black students encounter objections from immigrants and their children under a right-wing campaign to target affirmative action policies that relate exclusive to Black standing.

Finally, the organization must engage in the quest to build sustainable bases of political power in the states. Clearly, the needs of Black folk are best addressed at the state and local levels. As Ive suggested, Georgia is the most likely state for the establishment of a stable Black political majority (or plurality in a coalition). With over 30 percent of the population, Black voters have developed a talented political class ready to challenge suspicions of election fraud.

However, the Georgia imperative needs the support of Blacks from other areas to help grow the voter base quickly. The narrow loss in the 2018 gubernatorial race of Democrat Stacey Abrams to Republican Brian Kemp showed that victory is well within reach. With a sustainable political power base, the interests of ordinary folk would be reflected in the major offices, laws and police forces of the state. The CBC can play a role in coordinating a winning strategy for Georgia and other states.

In the 1950s poem, Harlem, Langston Hughes poses the question, What happens to a dream deferred? The poem explores a frustrated vision of a symbolic Black political entity. Today, the CBC faces the same question for the prospect of an autonomous Black political entity how will it respond?

Roger House, Ph.D., is an associate professor of American studies at Emerson College in Boston. Since 2014, he has published VictoryStride.com, a multimedia library resource on African American history and culture. He has produced radio programs on African American history for NPR, and is the author of Blue Smoke: The Recorded Journey of Big Bill Broonzy.

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Black lives and the CBC: What happens to a dream deferred? | TheHill - The Hill

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BLUE BELL, Pa. and BELMONT, Calif. (PRWEB) June 29, 2020

E-SoftSys and Veritec Solutions, leaders in self-storage enterprise management and revenue management systems, respectively, are pleased to announce that they have integrated, E-SoftSys enterprise management system, Self Storage ManagerTM (SSM) and Veritec Solutions revenue management system, VRMS.

The integration is rooted in their complementary strengths in enterprise management and revenue management. Self-storage operators will be able to realize the best of both worlds in one seamless user experience. Operators using SSM can now use VRMS to manage prices and customer rents efficiently and for maximum financial success. SSM data is seamlessly and automatically imported into VRMS on a daily basis with no action or maintenance needed by the self-storage operator. Pricing changes made in VRMS are uploaded into SSM for implementation. Storage operators will be able to implement pricing changes both at unit level and unit type level.

We are excited to have this tight integration with Veritec Solutions. We strive to have close collaboration with the leaders in the self-storage industry. SSM clients will now be able to leverage the advanced revenue management capabilities of VRMS, said Kat Shenoy, President & CEO of E-SoftSys.

We are delighted that operators using SSM can now realize the revenue benefits made possible by VRMS. VRMS has a proven track record of enabling self-storage operators to obtain revenue increases of 9 to 14 percent, and sometimes more than that. We are thrilled that this integration will enable many more mid-size and larger operators to obtain greater financial success as well as have easier access to critical data for a wide variety of analytics. We strive to make the user experience as our top priority, said Dr. Warren Lieberman, President of Veritec Solutions.

Self Storage Manager is a fully cloud based enterprise management software designed for both single- and multi-facility self-storage operators. The SSM suite of products helps storage operators to manage all aspects of their business including contactless rentals, lead tracking, lead management, billing, payment collections, business performance analysis and much more. SSM is fully compatible with multiple browsers and can be accessed from anywhere at anytime with any device. SSM also assists storage operators to automate their business processes with predefined workflows, follow up tasks, drip campaigns, texts and voice alerts.

VRMS is a state-of-the art revenue management system that provides competitive data-driven starting rate guidance. VRMS also provides rent increase guidance that enables operators to obtain higher revenues, even while reducing resultant move-outs. VRMS includes the industry-leading and patent pending Value (Convenience) Pricing implementation that automatically and dynamically differentiates pricing for similar units to further realize increased revenues while simultaneously expanding customer choice.

The combined benefits in property and revenue management systems now give self-storage operators unparalleled capabilities to increase their operational scale and scope with enterprise management, while at the same time crucially expand their bottom line with revenue management.

About E-SoftSys

E-SoftSys offers a complete suite of products and services that include Self Storage Manager TM - Comprehensive management software for single and multi-facility operators; Online Reservations and Rentals with Electronic Signature & Digital Storage of leases; e-CRM - Fully Integrated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) module, designed specifically for the self-storage industry and multi-facility operators for creating inquiries, reservations, rentals, capture lead to rental conversion ratios, with interfaces to leading phone systems; Call Tracker module to monitor call recordings, capture valuable statistics including lead to rental conversion ratios, cost per lead, capture cost per lead, cost per rental & measure ROI on advertising campaigns; SSM Text Messenger - A cloud based automatic payment reminder and past due alerts system designed to reduce the manager's time on collection calls; Customer Portal - A self-help interactive portal for customers to view their account history and balance, make payments, enable or disable autopay, schedule move-outs, update their contact information and more; Android Tablet/Mobile Phone based Site Walk Through & Work Order Management Module for site managers to perform lock checks, enter unit maintenance notes, mark units for move outs, create work orders for maintenance activities and much more; Other Interfaces - QlikViewTM Business Intelligence and Analytics, API integration to leading website providers, call center service providers, revenue management service providers, tenant insurance companies, cloud based gate systems and Lead Aggregators; 24/7 Customer Support - with Dedicated Team and Project Manager assigned for large operator implementations, as well as periodic upgrades to the software programs.

Self Storage Manager has been implemented by many single and multi-facility companies in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. For more information, please contact E-SoftSys at 800-469-1740 Ext. 1, or by visiting http://www.selfstoragemanager.com or Click here to email us.

About Veritec Solutions Inc

Veritec Solutions is a thought leader in revenue management with its cloud-based software system, VRMS, for multi-store self-storage operators. VRMS is both a technology solution and a facilitated discipline that helps self-storage operators achieve significantly greater revenues and profits. VRMS includes starting rate guidance for new move-ins, rent increase guidance for existing customers, and dynamic patent-pending Value/Convenience Pricing implementation for differentiated storage units within a unit group. VRMS tightly integrates with the self-storage operators property management system. Leveraging its thought leadership, Veritec Solutions also provides consulting and support. For more information, contact Veritec Solutions at +1-650-620-0000, via email at Info@VeritecSolutions.com, or visit http://www.VeritecSolutions.com.

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E-SoftSys and Veritec Solutions Integrate their Self-Storage Property and Revenue Management Systems - PR Web