Op-Ed: More Than A Place To Live, CCRCs Plan For The Unpredictable

By CHRIS BARSTEIN Homeownership: the American Dream.  For so many adults, our homes not only fulfill the dream, they also are our most significant single purchase and our greatest investment. They’re where we build lives, families, and memories. Then, it happens. We age and, almost without warning, that dream starts to become a burden. This time of year, as winter sets in over much of the country, many older homeowners dread snow removal and heating bills. Regular upkeep and repairs get in the way of quality time and bigger projects are an expense that could be spent in other ways. What to do next can seem an overwhelming proposition. In an ideal world, retirement-age adults have a plan for where…

Opinion: HUD Homeless Count Fails To Connect Dots On Supply And Displacement

By EDWARD PINTO On December 15, HUD released its annual Point-In-Time (PIT) homeless and housing inventory counts (HIC) conducted in January 2023. The key finding was that homelessness reached a record high as the 2023 annual count increased 12% and 18% respectively from 2022 and 2017. The average rate of homelessness per 1,000 population in 2023 was 20. The PIT is calculated for the 381 local and state Continuums of Care (CoC), which HUD uses to track homelessness. The hundred-plus page report had lots of data along with a handful of anecdotal references to burgeoning housing purchase and rental costs. However, it contained precious little insight as to the steps needed to address our burgeoning homeless problem. Conspicuous in its…

Guest Voices: The Fed, Investment Firms, And Rising Interest Rates

By KURT DAVIS JR. There are some simple life lessons in business: It is hard to be liked by all people and it is hard to be liked all the time.  Leaders at central banks and investment firms know this very well… today’s economic crisis will likely end with a simple reminder. The Federal Reserve: Essential to Society or The Source of the Problem? There are few, if any, central bankers who are not taking some public criticism today for raising rates. For Jerome Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, and the other Fed members, their position cannot be enviable: stop inflation and maintain financial stability. It is always a tough assignment to raise interest rates (the usual dose of…