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PROXY VOTING POLICY

 

COHEN & STEERS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.

STATEMENT OF POLICIES AND PROCEDURES REGARDING THE VOTING OF SECURITIES

This statement sets forth the policies and procedures that Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc. (“C&S”) follows in exercising voting rights with respect to securities held in our client portfolios. All proxy-voting rights that are exercised by C&S shall be subject to this Statement of Policy and Procedures.

I.  Objectives

Voting rights are an important component of corporate governance. C&S has three overall objectives in exercising voting rights:

  A. Responsibility . C&S shall seek to ensure that there is an effective means in place to hold companies accountable for their actions. While management must be accountable to its board, the board must be accountable to a company's shareholders. Although accountability can be promoted in a variety of ways, protecting shareholder voting rights may be among our most important tools.

  B. Rationalizing Management and Shareholder Concerns . C&S seeks to ensure that the interests of a company's management and board are aligned with those of the company's shareholders. In this respect, compensation must be structured to reward the creation of shareholder value.

  C. Shareholder Communication . Since companies are owned by their shareholders, C&S seeks to ensure that management effectively communicates with its owners about the company's business operations and financial performance. It is only with effective communication that shareholders will be able to assess the performance of management and to make informed decisions on when to buy, sell or hold a company's securities.

II.  General Principles

In exercising voting rights, C&S shall conduct itself in accordance with the general principles set forth below.

1. The ability to exercise a voting right with respect to a security is a valuable right and, therefore, must be viewed as part of the asset itself.

2. In exercising voting rights, C&S shall engage in a careful evaluation of issues that may materially affect the rights of shareholders and the value of the security.

3. Consistent with general fiduciary principles, the exercise of voting rights shall always be conducted with reasonable care, prudence and diligence.

4. In exercising voting rights on behalf of clients, C&S shall conduct itself in the same manner as if C&S were the constructive owner of the securities.

5. To the extent reasonably possible, C&S shall participate in each shareholder voting opportunity.

6. Voting rights shall not automatically be exercised in favor of management-supported proposals.

7. C&S, and its officers and employees, shall never accept any item of value in consideration of a favorable proxy voting decision.

III.  General Guidelines

Set forth below are general guidelines that C&S shall follow in exercising proxy voting rights:

Prudence

In making a proxy voting decision, C&S shall give appropriate consideration to all relevant facts and circumstances, including the value of the securities to be voted and the likely effect any vote may have on that value. Since voting rights must be exercised on the basis of an informed judgment, investigation shall be a critical initial step.

Third Party Views

While C&S may consider the views of third parties, C&S shall never base a proxy voting decision solely on the opinion of a third party. Rather, decisions shall be based on a reasonable and good faith determination as to how best to maximize shareholder value.

Shareholder Value

Just as the decision whether to purchase or sell a security is a matter of judgment, determining whether a specific proxy resolution will increase the market value of a security is a matter of judgment as to which informed parties may differ. In determining how a proxy vote may affect the economic value of a security, C&S shall consider both short-term and long-term views about a company's business and prospects, especially in light of our projected holding period on the stock (e.g., C&S may discount long-term views on a short-term holding).

IV.  Specific Issues

Set forth below are guidelines as to how specific proxy voting issues shall be analyzed and assessed. While these guidelines will provide a framework for our decision making process, the mechanical application of these guidelines can never address all proxy voting decisions. When new issues arise or old issues present nuances not encountered before, C&S must be guided by its reasonable judgment to vote in a manner that C&S deems to be in the best interests of its clients.

A.  Stock-Based Compensation

Approval of Plans or Plan Amendments . By their nature, compensation plans must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. As a general matter, C&S always favors compensation plans that align the interests of management and shareholders. C&S generally approves compensation plans under the following conditions:

10% Rule . The dilution effect of the newly authorized shares, plus the shares reserved for issuance in connection with all other stock related plans, generally should not exceed 10%.

Exercise Price . The minimum exercise price of stock options should be at least equal to the market price of the stock on the date of grant.

Plan Amendments . Compensation plans should not be materially amended without shareholder approval.

Non-Employee Directors . Awards to non-employee directors should not be subject to management discretion, but rather should be made under non-discretionary grants specified by the terms of the plan.

Repricing/Replacement of Underwater Options . Stock options generally should not be re-priced, and never should be re-priced without shareholder approval. In addition, companies should not issue new options, with a lower strike price, to make up for previously issued options that are substantially underwater. C&S will vote against the election of any slate of directors that, to its knowledge, has authorized a company to re-price or replace underwater options during the most recent year without shareholder approval.

Reload/Evergreen Features . We will generally vote against plans that enable the issuance of reload options and that provide an automatic share replenishment (“evergreen”) feature.

Measures to Increase Executive Long-Term Stock Ownership . We support measures to increase the long-term stock ownership by a company's executives. These include requiring senior executives to hold a minimum amount of stock in a company (often expressed as a percentage of annual compensation), requiring stock acquired through option exercise to be held for a certain minimum amount of time, and issuing restricted stock awards instead of options. In this respect, we support the expensing of option grants because it removes the incentive of a company to issue options in lieu of restricted stock. We also support employee stock purchase plans, although we generally believe the discounted purchase price should be at least 85% of the current market price.

Vesting . Restricted stock awards normally should vest over at least a two-year period.

Other stock awards . Stock awards other than stock options and restricted stock awards should be granted in lieu of salary or a cash bonus, and the number of shares awarded should be reasonable.

B.   Change of Control Issues

While we recognize that a takeover attempt can be a significant distraction for the board and management to deal with, the simple fact is that the possibility of a corporate takeover keeps management focused on maximizing shareholder value. As a result, C&S opposes measures that are designed to prevent or obstruct corporate takeovers because they can entrench current management. The following are C&S's guidelines on change of control issues:

Shareholder Rights Plans . C&S acknowledges that there are arguments for and against shareholder rights plans, also known as “poison pills.” Companies should put their case for rights plans to shareholders. We generally vote against any directors who, without shareholder approval, to our knowledge have instituted a new poison pill plan, extended an existing plan, or adopted a new plan upon the expiration of an existing plan during the past year.

Golden Parachutes . C&S opposes the use of accelerated employment contracts that result in cash grants of greater than three times annual compensation (salary and bonus) in the event of termination of employment following a change in control of a company. In general, the guidelines call for voting against “golden parachute” plans because they impede potential takeovers that shareholders should be free to consider. We generally withhold our votes at the next shareholder meeting for directors who to our knowledge approved golden parachutes.

Approval of Mergers – C&S votes against proposals that require a super-majority of shareholders to approve a merger or other significant business combination. We support proposals that seek to lower super-majority voting requirements. C. Routine Issues

Director Nominees in a Non-Contested Election – C&S generally votes in favor of management proposals on director nominees.

Director Nominees in a Contested Election – By definition, this type of board candidate or slate runs for the purpose of seeking a significant change in corporate policy or control. Therefore, the economic impact of the vote in favor of or in opposition to that director or slate must be analyzed using a higher standard normally applied to changes in control. Criteria for evaluating director nominees as a group or individually should include: performance; compensation, corporate governance provisions and takeover activity; criminal activity; attendance at meetings; investment in the company; interlocking directorships; inside, outside and independent directors; whether the chairman and CEO titles are held by the same person; number of other board seats; and other experience. It is impossible to have a general policy regarding director nominees in a contested election.

Board Composition – C&S supports the election of a board that consists of at least a majority of independent directors. We generally withhold our support for non-independent directors who serve on a company's audit, compensation and/or nominating committees. We also generally withhold support for director candidates who have not attended a sufficient number of board or committee meetings to effectively discharge their duties as directors.

Classified Boards – Because a classified board structure prevents shareholders from electing a full slate of directors at annual meetings, C&S generally votes against classified boards. We vote in favor of shareholder proposals to declassify a board of directors unless a company's charter or governing corporate law allows shareholders, by written consent, to remove a majority of directors at any time, with or without cause.

Barriers to Shareholder Action – We vote to support proposals that lower the barriers to shareholder action. This includes the right of shareholders to call a meeting and the right of shareholders to act by written consent.

Cumulative Voting – Having the ability to cumulate our votes for the election of directors – that is, cast more than one vote for a director about whom they feel strongly – generally increases shareholders' rights to effect change in the management of a corporation. We generally support, therefore, proposals to adopt cumulative voting.

Ratification of Auditors – Votes generally are cast in favor of proposals to ratify an independent auditor, unless there is a reason to believe the auditing firm is no longer performing its required duties or there are exigent circumstances requiring us to vote against the approval of the recommended auditor. For example, our general policy is to vote against an independent auditor that receives more than 50% of its total fees from a company for non-audit services.

D. Stock Related Items

Increase Additional Common Stock – C&S's guidelines generally call for approval of increases in authorized shares, provided that the increase is not greater than three times the number of shares outstanding and reserved for issuance (including shares reserved for stock-related plans and securities convertible into common stock, but not shares reserved for any poison pill plan).

Votes generally are cast in favor of proposals to authorize additional shares of stock except where the proposal:

1. creates a blank check preferred stock; or

2. establishes classes of stock with superior voting rights.

Blank Check Preferred Stock – Votes generally are cast in opposition to management proposals authorizing the creation of new classes of preferred stock with unspecific voting, conversion, distribution and other rights, and management proposals to increase the number of authorized blank check preferred shares. C&S may vote in favor of this type of proposal when it receives assurances to its reasonable satisfaction that (i) the preferred stock was authorized by the board for the use of legitimate capital formation purposes and not for anti-takeover purposes, and (ii) no preferred stock will be issued with voting power that is disproportionate to the economic interests of the preferred stock. These representations should be made either in the proxy statement or in a separate letter from the company to C&S.

Preemptive Rights – Votes are cast in favor of shareholder proposals restoring limited preemptive rights.

Dual Class Capitalizations – Because classes of common stock with unequal voting rights limit the rights of certain shareholders, C&S votes against adoption of a dual or multiple class capitalization structure.

E. Social Issues

C&S believes that it is the responsibility of the board and management to run a company on a daily basis. With this in mind, in the absence of unusual circumstances, we do not believe that shareholders should be involved in determining how a company should address broad social and policy issues. As a result, we generally vote against these types of proposals, which are generally initiated by shareholders, unless we believe the proposal has significant economic implications.

F. Other Situations

No set of guidelines can anticipate all situations that may arise. Our portfolio managers and analysts will be expected to analyze proxy proposals in an effort to gauge the impact of a proposal on the financial prospects of a company, and vote accordingly. These policies are intended to provide guidelines for voting. They are not, however, hard and fast rules because corporate governance issues are so varied.

V. Proxy Voting Procedures

C&S shall maintain a record of all voting decisions for the period required by applicable laws. In each case in which C&S votes contrary to the stated policies set forth in these guidelines, the record shall indicate the reason for such a vote.

The Investment Committee of C&S shall have responsibility for voting proxies, under the supervision of the Directory of Research. The Director of Research's designee shall be responsible for ensuring that the Investment Committee is aware of all upcoming proxy voting opportunities. The Designee shall ensure that proxy votes are properly recorded and that the requisite information regarding each proxy voting opportunity is maintained. The General Counsel of C&S shall have overall responsibility for ensuring that C&S complies with all proxy voting requirements and procedures.

VI.  Recordkeeping

The Designee shall be responsible for recording and maintaining the following information with respect to each proxy voted by C&S:

* Name of the company

* Ticker symbol

* CUSIP number

* Shareholder meeting date

* Brief identification of each matter voted upon

* Whether the matter was proposed by management or a shareholder

* Whether C&S voted on the matter

* If C&S voted, then how C&S voted

* Whether C&S voted with or against management

The General Counsel shall be responsible for maintaining and updating these Policies and Procedures, and for maintaining any records of written client requests for proxy voting information and documents that were prepared by C&S and were deemed material to making a voting decision or that memorialized the basis for the decision.

C&S shall rely on the SEC's EDGAR filing system with respect to the requirement to maintain proxy materials regarding client securities.

VII.  Conflicts of Interest

There may be situations in which C&S may face a conflict between its interests and those of its clients or fund shareholders. Potential conflicts are most likely to fall into three general categories:

*   Business Relationships – This type of conflict would occur if C&S or an affiliate has a substantial business relationship with the company or a proponent of a proxy proposal relating to the company (such as an employee group) such that failure to vote in favor of management (or the proponent) could harm the relationship of C&S or its affiliate with the company or proponent. In the context of C&S, this could occur if Cohen & Steers Capital Advisors, a wholly owned subsidiary of C&S (“Capital Advisors”), has a material business relationship with a company that C&S has invested in on behalf of its clients, and C&S is encouraged to vote in favor of management as an inducement to acquire or maintain the Capital Advisors relationship.

*   Personal Relationships – C&S or an affiliate could have a personal relationship with other proponents of proxy proposals, participants in proxy contests, corporate directors or director nominees.

*   Familial Relationships – C&S or an affiliate could have a familial relationship relating to a company (e.g., spouse or other relative who serves as a director or nominee of a public company).

The next step is to identify if a conflict is material. A material matter is one that is reasonably likely to be viewed as important by the average shareholder. Materiality will be judged under a two-step approach:

*   Financial Based Materiality – C&S presumes a conflict to be non-material unless it involves at least $500,000.

*   Non-Financial Based Materiality – Non-financial based materiality would impact the members of the C&S Investment Committee, who are responsible for making proxy voting decisions.

Finally, if a material conflict exists, C&S shall vote in accordance with the advice of a proxy voting service. C&S currently uses ISS to provide advice on proxy voting decisions.

Mr. Stoller shall have responsibility for supervising and monitoring conflicts of interest in the proxy voting process according to the following process:

1.   Identifying Conflicts – The General Counsel of C&S is responsible for monitoring the relationships of Capital Advisors for purposes of C&S's Inside Information Policy and Procedures. The General Counsel of C&S (or his designee) maintains a watch list and a restricted list. The Investment Committee is unaware of the content of the watch list and therefore it is only those companies on the restricted list, which is made known to everyone at C&S, for which potential concerns might arise. When a company is placed on the restricted list, the General Counsel of C&S (or his designee) shall promptly inquire of the Designee as to whether there is a pending proxy voting opportunity with respect to that company, and continue to inquire on a weekly basis until such time as the company is no longer included on the restricted list. When there is a proxy voting opportunity with respect to a company that has been placed on the restricted list, the General Counsel of C&S shall inform the Investment Committee that no proxy vote is to be submitted for that company until the General Counsel completes the conflicts analysis.

For purposes of monitoring personal or familial relationships, the General Counsel of C&S (or his designee) shall receive on at least an annual basis from each member of the Investment Committee written disclosure of any personal or familial relationships with public company directors that could raise potential conflict of interest concerns. Investment Committee members also shall agree in writing to advise the General Counsel of C&S if (i) there are material changes to any previously furnished information, (ii) a person with whom a personal or familial relationship exists is subsequently nominated as a director or (iii) a personal or familial relationship exists with any proponent of a proxy proposal or a participant in a proxy contest.

2.   Identifying Materiality – The General Counsel of C&S (or his designee) shall be responsible for determining whether a conflict is material. He shall evaluate financial based materiality in terms of both actual and potential fees to be received. Non-financial based items impacting a member of the Investment Committee shall be presumed to be material.

3.   Communication with Investment Committee; Voting of Proxy – If the General Counsel of C&S determines that the relationship between Capital Advisors and a company is financially material, he shall communicate that information to the members of the Investment Committee and instruct them, and the Designee, that C&S will vote its proxy based on the advice of ISS or other consulting firm then engaged by C&S. Any personal or familial relationship, or any other business relationship, that exists between a company and any member of the Investment Committee shall be presumed to be material, in which case C&S again will vote its proxy based on the advice of ISS or other consulting firm then engaged by C&S. The fact that a member of the Investment Committee personally owns securities issued by a company will not disqualify C&S from voting common stock issued by that company, since the member's personal and professional interests will be aligned.

In cases in which C&S will vote its proxy based on the advice of ISS or other consulting firm then engaged by C&S, the General Counsel of C&S (or his designee) shall be responsible for ensuring that the Designee votes proxies in this manner. The General Counsel of C&S will maintain a written record of each instance when a conflict arises and how the conflict is resolved (e.g., whether the conflict is judged to be material, the basis on which the materiality is decision is made and how the proxy is voted).

VIII. Cohen & Steers Funds

Proxies relating to portfolio securities held by any Cohen & Steers Fund shall be voted in accordance with this Statement of Policies and Procedures. For this purpose, the Board of Directors of the Cohen & Steers Funds has delegated to C&S the responsibility for voting proxies on behalf of the Funds. Mr. Stoller shall make an annual presentation to the Board regarding this Statement of Policy and Procedures, including whether any revisions are recommended, and shall report to the Board at each regular, quarterly meeting with respect to any conflict of interest situation that arose regarding the proxy voting process.

IV. Annual Review; Reporting

The chief compliance officer (CCO) of C&S (or his designee) shall conduct an annual review to assess compliance with these policies and procedures. This review will include sampling a limited number of proxy votes during the prior year to determine if they were consistent with these policies and procedures. The results of this review will be reported to the General Counsel of C&S and the CCO of the Funds.

Any violations of these policies and procedures shall be reported to the General Counsel or CCO of C&S. If the violation relates to any Cohen & Steers Fund, the General Counsel or CCO of C&S shall report such violation to the CCO of the Funds.

October 2004
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