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(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
December 10, 2020 |
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(Washington, D.C.) December 10, 2020 – The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) is proud to support the nomination of Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) to be the 17th Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department. CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement:
"Congresswoman Fudge is a longtime champion of affordable housing, urban revitalization, and infrastructure investment. She has demonstrated her leadership as a mayor, as a Member of Congress, and as the head of the Congressional Black Caucus. She understands that racial and economic inequities are deeply rooted, particularly in our housing systems, and that working across sectors is imperative. Her many years of work on economic justice issues such as food insecurity and education access can bring much-needed leadership to aligning systems and services to better meet the needs of low-income Americans. We look forward to working with Congresswoman Fudge in her role as HUD Secretary to address the growing need for COVID emergency rental assistance and safe, affordable housing."
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities |
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities is a national non-profit organization that works to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis and public education. CLPHA’s 70 members represent virtually every major metropolitan area in the country. Together they manage 40 percent of the nation’s public housing program; administer more than a quarter of the Housing Choice Voucher program; and operate a wide array of other housing programs. Learn more at clpha.org and on Twitter @CLPHA and follow @housing_is for news on CLPHA’s work to better intersect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities is a national non-profit organization that works to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis and public education. CLPHA’s 70 members represent virtually every major metropolitan area in the country. Together they manage 40 percent of the nation’s public housing program; administer more than a quarter of the Housing Choice Voucher program; and operate a wide array of other housing programs. Learn more at clpha.org and on Twitter @CLPHA and follow @housing_is for news on CLPHA’s work to better intersect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.
The Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County and partners cut the ribbon on The Lindley, a 200-unit high-rise in Chevy Chase, MD. The opening of The Lindley constitutes a net increase of 22 units of affordable housing in the neighborhood. You can watch a time-lapse video of The Lindley’s construction here.
The long-awaited Opportunity Atlas, published today by the Census Bureau in collaboration with researchers at Harvard and Brown, got top billing on today’s homepage of the New York Times’ data-driven digital property The Upshot. “Detailed New National Maps Show How Neighborhoods Shape Children for Life,” includes the new interactive mapping tool, some of the project’s main findings, and examples of the mobility work that public housing authorities are currently doing, and plan to do, with the data. In addition to quoting Raj Chetty, one of the project’s researchers, authors Emily Badger and Quoctrung Bui feature quotes and examples from CLPHA members Greg Russ, Executive Director of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, Andrew Lofton, Executive Director of the Seattle Housing Authority and Andria Lazaga also of SHA who each discussed how PHAs are using the data as part of their Creating Moves to Opportunity (CMTO) work.
Additional news coverage of the Opportunity Atlas includes an NPR segment during today’s Morning Edition broadcast that features interviews with Chetty and local officials in Charlotte, NC, who intend to use the data to shape future policy decisions.
Read the article and use the interactive maps on the NYT website and listen to the Morning Edition story on NPR’s site.
On August 9, HUD sent the 2017 Worst Case Housing Needs Report to Congress, providing national data and analysis of critical problems facing low-income renting families throughout the nation. The report, which is HUD's 16th in a longstanding series, chronicles an increase in severe housing problems, with the number of households considered to have worst case housing needs jumping from 7.72 million in 2013 to 8.3 million in 2015. HUD also reports that, since 2007, the U.S. has seen a 41 percent increase in severe housing problems, and a 66 percent increase since 2001. The Worst Case Housing Needs Report defines households with worst case needs as very low-income renters who do not receive government housing assistance and who paid more than one-half of their income for rent, lived in severely inadequate conditions, or both.
Using data from the 2015 American Housing Survey, HUD found that the economic benefits of an improving national economy are not reaching the lowest-income renter households and that overall severe housing problems are on the rise. The report acknowledges a large shift from homeownership to renting as playing a major role in the increase of worst case housing needs, noting that, "modest gains in household incomes were met with rising rents, shrinking the supply of affordable rental housing stock in an increasingly competitive market."
You can view the 2017 Worst Case Housing Needs Report by clicking here.
On August 1, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing, “America’s Affordable Housing Crisis: Challenges and Solutions.” The hearing focused primarily on the challenge of increasing the supply of affordable housing and strategies to address the significant housing cost burdens faced by many Americans. Senator Hatch opened the hearing, stating that the affordable housing crisis, “is a problem that should be ready for a bipartisan solution.” To view our write-up of the hearing, click here.
To help tackle the affordable housing issues discussed in the hearing, Senators Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) have introduced legislation, S. 548, the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act. The bill would increase Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) credit authority by 50 percent, as well as enact roughly two dozen changes to strengthen the program by streamlining program rules, improving flexibility, and enabling the program to serve a wider array of local needs.
During the hearing, Committee Members expressed their support for the Cantwell-Hatch bill and there was broad bipartisan consensus that the LIHTC program is a vital tool for increasing the production of affordable housing and providing low-income households, safe, quality, affordable homes. However, there were also concerns raised regarding oversight and compliance of the program. Daniel Garcia-Diaz, director of financial markets and community investment at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), presented testimony that IRS oversight of LIHTC is minimal and that there are no robust controls in place to ensure reasonableness of costs or compliance with program requirements. According to Mr. Garcia-Diaz, the GAO recommends that HUD, as an agency with a housing mission, play a greater role in the oversight of the program.
In our Statement for the Record, CLPHA applauded the leadership the Senate Finance Committee has shown in support of LIHTC to date and encouraged the Committee to support S. 548. The bill is especially beneficial to the public housing program, which has experienced decades of underfunding and federal disinvestment. We noted that LIHTC has proven to be an extremely important preservation tool for public housing, and PHAs have a long history of leveraging private equity through LIHTCs to fill the funding gap created by decreased federal appropriations. Without the LIHTC program, preservation of their public housing stock would not be possible.
CLPHA also acknowledged that competition for more valuable 9% LIHTCs is fierce in many states and that there have been concerns within the affordable housing community about increased demand from the public housing portfolio. Increasing the allocation authority by 50 percent would support the preservation and construction of up to 400,000 additional affordable apartments over a ten-year period, including the renovation of vital public housing units that are currently at-risk. Additionally, the legislation allows for an increased basis boost for projects serving extremely low-income households. This would be particularly beneficial to housing authorities, as 75 percent of public housing residents are extremely-low income.
CLPHA has been strongly supportive of the legislation. In addition to the Statement of Record above, CLPHA has also engaged in this work as a member of the A.C.T.I.O.N. Campaign Steering Committee (A Call to Invest in Our Neighborhoods). The A.C.T.I.O.N. Campaign has taken a lead role in promoting the expansion of LIHTC, including support of S.548. Last month the Campaign submitted a letter to Senator Hatch in response to his request for comments on tax reform, urging Congress to expand and strengthen the housing credit. Along with other Steering Committee members, CLPHA endorsed and signed the letter.
As Congress takes on tax reform in the upcoming months, we will continue to support this important legislation that would provide needed resources to public housing. CLPHA members should support the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act by contacting their senators during recess to urge them to support the bill.
Two-Generation Economic Act reflects the cross-sector collaboration that CLPHA’s Housing IsInitiative promotes.
Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) recently reintroduced bipartisan legislation in the Senate, calling for the development of support programs that improve family economic security by breaking the cycle of multigenerational poverty through a comprehensive strategy that addresses the needs of parents and children. The Two-Generation Economic Act of 2017, or S. 435, seeks to align and link existing service systems and funding streams that currently support parents and children separately. Heinrich and Collins believe that aligning the support systems to help parents and children together will increase the whole family’s chances for success in life. The bill also establishes the Interagency Council on Multigenerational Poverty to provide guidance on two-generation programs; establish a system of coordination among agencies and organizations; identify best practices; and identify gaps, research needs, and program deficiencies.
The Two-Generation Economic Act of 2017 is a significant step in the fight against poverty. It would be the first piece of legislation to incorporate a two-generation approach aimed at increasing economic security, educational success, social capital, and health and well-being for parents and children together. In seeking to better align service systems and funding streams, the bill would give states, local governments, and tribes more flexibility to develop programs that meet their specific needs. The approach outlined in S. 435 would greatly improve the effectiveness of service delivery, and it highlights the same principles and goals around which CLPHA’s Housing Is initiative was founded, to better intersect housing and other sectors in order to improve life outcomes. CLPHA has long promoted two-generation initiatives as a best practice and has been a leader in fostering partnerships to encourage innovative solutions to address generational poverty.
The Interagency Council on Multigenerational Poverty will create a national focus on multigenerational poverty by facilitating coordinated efforts across multiple agencies and departments. This interagency collaboration will align and link fragmented systems and funding streams, resulting in holistic approaches that simultaneously address the needs of children and their parents or guardians.
A collaboration that has been in the works for several years, the Two-Generation Economic Empowerment Act includes a balance of input and interests from local service providers, families, administrators, and other stakeholders. Heinrich and Collins hope that this innovative approach will help collectively ensure that people will have an opportunity to use already existing federal resources or attract private investment to implement the two-generation approach in their community, regardless of one’s zip code.
When Senator Collins first introduced the bill, she told the story of a five-year-old girl named Arianna who was homeless, living in a tent with her family outside of Portland, ME. A state social worker worked with the Maine Homeless Veterans Alliance to provide support services to the girl and her family, who are now living in an apartment near where Arianna is attending school. This is a small-scale example of the holistic approach that Collins and Heinrich wish to achieve with their legislation.
“Just as a child’s ZIP code should not determine his or her future success, neither should bureaucratic inflexibility make it so difficult for families to get the help they need to escape intergenerational poverty,” Senator Collins said.
You can learn more about the Two-Generation Economic Act of 2017 by reading this fact sheet that explains the principles of the bill or view a copy of the bill by clicking here.
From The Columbian:
The Vancouver Housing Authority plans to buy a 98-unit apartment building still under construction in the Van Mall neighborhood to expand the city’s affordable housing stock.
The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, a federal program administered by the states, as well as a loan from the city of Vancouver, will help cover the $28 million cost.
All units in the five-story Cascara Apartments complex will be designated for households earning no more than 60 percent of the area median income — that is, $49,560 annually.
Read The Columbian's article "Vancouver Housing Authority buying 98-unit apartment building to expand affordable housing."
From the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino's newsletter:
The Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB) is honored to be recognized by Hope Through Housing (HTH) as their 2024 Government Partner of the Year. HTH was founded by National Community Renaissance (National CORE) in 1998 to bring resources and programs to residents of the housing communities they develop. HACSB was selected by HTH to receive this recognition “for its ongoing commitment to address the community’s housing challenges, creating innovative solutions and helping secure safe and sustainable housing for low-income residents.” Our collaborative work was honored at this year’s Hope Through Housing fundraising gala. Members of HACSB’s executive leadership and Board of Commissioners attended the gala to receive the award. HACSB was also honored to receive recognitions for the achievement from Representatives Judy Chu and Norma Torres, and State Assemblymember James Ramos.
HACSB and National CORE’s partnership dates back twelve years, reflecting the success of a shared vision and aligned goals. The product of this collaboration is the 30-acre Arrowhead Grove community, which includes 283 affordable housing units built over three phases and is currently entering its fourth phase of development. This development project, located in the heart of San Bernardino, brings not only new affordable housing, but also enhancements of the neighborhood such as sidewalk upgrades, bikeways, bus stop improvements, urban greening and high visibility crosswalks.
Thank you to Hope Through Housing, National CORE, and their incredible teams for this honor. We look forward to continuing our collaborative work serving the families of San Bernardino County.
From the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh's website:
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) WiFi On Wheels (W.O.W.) CyberBus is hitting the road for our nation’s capital to convene with national colleagues during the annual ConnectHomeUSA Summit.
Staff will travel to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development headquarters in Washington, D.C., Dec. 10-12, 2024, to discuss the HACP’s innovative Digital Literacy Initiatives programs, and give tours of our CyberBus.
The W.O.W. CyberBus is a mobile classroom equipped with computers and internet access that offers remote instruction in STEM education, computer science, financial literacy, and business development for students and parents in HACP communities. It was launched in an effort to bring broadband internet access to residents’ homes in the HACP’s continued mission to bridge the digital divide within the region.
The CyberBus was launched in fall 2022, in partnership with Jerome Bettis’ The Bus Stops Here Foundation and Pittsburgh’s STEM Coding Lab. Since its launch, the CyberBus has helped more than 500 clients achieve proficiency in various computer programs.
During the summit, the HACP will be presented with an inaugural ConnectHomeUSA Trailblazer Award in recognition of its groundbreaking digital literacy initiatives. Staff will also speak on the topic: “Making the Momentum Last: Building Sustainable Digital Inclusion Programs,” and share the success of the CyberBus and anticipated 2025 arrival of the Workforce on Wheels (W.O.W.) CyberBus 2.0 that will expand upon the HACP’s workforce development training opportunities across the region.
“HACP made a steadfast commitment to bridge the digital divide in our community and has made great advancements toward this goal in recent years,” said HACP Executive Director Caster D. Binion. “We are very proud to take our act on the road to showcase best practices in digital learning and to raise awareness of the ongoing struggle to bring low-income populations – both rural and urban – online and equipped to succeed in the digital age.”
In 2022, the CyberBus traveled to Phoenix, Arizona for the Super Bowl and brought technology to several underserved communities, including the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Housing Division. Residents were able to experience the many features the bus has to offer. The staff also provided 20 Samsung tablets to exceptional students, which were chosen by a local high school.
In 2024, the CyberBus headed to Detroit, Michigan during the NFL Draft and brought programming and devices to children who belong to various chapters of the Boys & Girls Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan.
“The CyberBus has previously traveled to high profile events like the Super Bowl in Phoenix and the NFL Draft in Detroit,” literature from ConnectHomeUSA reads. “The HUD CHUSA team has the honor of hosting them at HUD Headquarters so that CHUSA communities can get a first-hand view of all that the CyberBus offers and what it’s like to use a computer lab on a bus!”
From the District of Columbia Housing Authority's press release:
Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), alongside the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) and nonprofit developer Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), celebrated a historic milestone for the Barry Farm-Hillsdale community with the grand opening of The Asberry, a 108-unit mixed-use building and the first on-site building delivered under the New Communities Initiative (NCI) at Barry Farm. Officials and community members also broke ground on The Edmonson, a 139-unit affordable mixed-use property and the second new construction building on site.
“As a city, we made Barry Farm residents a promise under our New Communities Initiative – that we would welcome residents back into fantastic, safe, and affordable housing that honors and preserves the rich legacy of the community,” said Mayor Bowser. “Today, we take another step forward in delivering on our promise in a way that respects and celebrates the history – and future – of Barry Farm-Hillsdale.”
Located at 1200 Sumner Road SE, adjacent to the Barry Farm Recreation Center, The Asberry is the first building completed as part of the redevelopment of the historically significant Barry Farm-Hillsdale community. Established in 1867, Barry Farm was created to provide formerly enslaved African Americans with the opportunity to own land and build a self-sustaining community after the Civil War.
DCHA and POAH serve as co-developers for the site. Once completed, the Barry Farm redevelopment will feature a vibrant mixed-income community with at least 900 new affordable rental and for-sale housing units, including 380 public housing replacement units. The Barry Farm redevelopment project has so far created a total of 351 construction jobs for DC residents, with the highest percentage going to residents living in Ward 7 (68) and Ward 8 (92).
“This is a watershed moment for our DCHA families who had made Barry Farm Dwellings such a special place to live,” said Keith Pettigrew, DCHA Executive Director. “The opening of The Asberry gives our returning residents an opportunity to live in new, modern homes and creates a foundation for reestablishing the vibrant, spirited Barry Farm community for generations to come. Thank you to our partners in this project for bringing quality affordable housing options to Anacostia while honoring the Barry Farm-Hillsdale legacy.”
The Asberry, which has 77 replacement units for former Barry Farm residents, is a 100% affordable, 55+ senior preference residential property with 33 units at 30% of Median Family Income (MFI), 44 units at 50% MFI, 21 units at 60% MFI, and 10 units at 80% MFI. It also includes 5,096 square feet of commercial space and amenities include a sundeck, courtyard, fitness center, recreation room, and wellness room. Construction was completed in October 2024. The Edmonson will be the second newly constructed building in the redevelopment project, which is being led by co-developers DCHA and POAH. It will include 139 affordable units, including 52 two-bedroom units. The Edmonson will also have 50 replacement units for former Barry Farm Dwellings residents, 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, shared community spaces, and outdoor amenities.
“We are excited to celebrate the progress of the Barry Farm Redevelopment Project with the grand opening of The Asberry and the groundbreaking of the forthcoming Edmonson,” said Maia Shanklin-Roberts, Vice President of Real Estate Development, POAH. “These milestones represent not just buildings, but a vibrant future for this community—one rooted in opportunity, equity, and connection. It’s an honor to be part of a development that prioritizes quality, affordability, and the preservation of the rich history of Barry Farm, while paving the way for generations to thrive.”
DMPED invested approximately $43 million in Phase 1 of the redevelopment, including roughly $14.5 million towards construction of The Asberry. The five-story building also was funded by $33.7 million in tax-exempt bonds issued by the DC Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA).
“Mayor Bowser is delivering on the promises the District made as a city to the Barry Farm–Hillsdale community,” said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Nina Albert. “DMPED is proud to be a part of this incredible partnership that is fostering inclusive growth and delivering the type of housing, amenities, and opportunities that residents want and deserve. And we’re just getting started.”
For The Edmonson, DCHFA issued $61.1 million in tax-exempt bonds and underwrote $52 million in federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity. DMPED also provided a $21 million NCI loan. A $2.5 million grant from the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia and $3 million in financing from DC Green Bank is supporting a community geothermal system, which provides energy efficiencies, cost savings, and sustainability.
“The Barry Farm community is a site full of history and culture. The Asberry is the next chapter and a resurrection of that culture. Seniors, our long-term residents can now return to wonderful homes that are beautiful, healthy, and affordable,” said Christopher E. Donald, Executive Director/CEO, DC Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA). “DCHFA is proud to continue investing in the redevelopment of Barry Farm. The Edmonson is the Agency’s second investment. We eagerly anticipate what is to come and look forward to much more in subsequent phases of redevelopment of Barry Farm.”
By using an innovative Faircloth-to-RAD conversion approach, the Barry Farm redevelopment will increase the number of affordable housing units available at the site. Once complete, the project will create at least 900 residential units across several buildings – including at least 380 affordable replacement units onsite for former Barry Farm residents, an additional 320 other affordable units and 100 homeownership units; community-serving retail spaces; and a large central park with community facilities for on-site services and programs.
Run through a partnership with DMPED and DCHA, NCI is a District government program that was created to redevelop distressed public housing communities into vibrant mixed-income neighborhoods. Barry Farm is one of four NCI projects, along with Northwest One which officially opened in Ward 6 in late 2022; Lincoln Heights – Richardson Dwellings in Ward 7, where hundreds of replacement units have been delivered; and Park Morton in Ward 1, where construction is underway.