CLPHA Press Room

From DigitalC's press release:

Today, DigitalC announced it has connected its 5,000th household to high-speed home internet, marking a historic milestone in Cleveland's transformation from one of the worst-connected large cities in the country to a national model for broadband access.

"It's hard to overstate how special this moment is — for our team, for our city and for the thousands of families now connected," said Joshua Edmonds, chief executive officer at DigitalC. "This is what transformation looks like. Today, 5,000 homes are online with state-of-the-art connectivity — and that's thanks to the trust of our residents, the commitment of our team and the generous support of our funders and partners."

The milestone was achieved as part of the Pinnacle Cleveland Initiative, a four-year plan launched in January 2024 to expand internet access citywide — particularly in neighborhoods long underserved by traditional providers. The 5,000th connection was celebrated with a surprise visit to a Fairfax resident in Cleveland's Ward 6, complete with a visit from DigitalC's chief executive officer, a certificate and tokens of appreciation.

"Broadband is no longer a luxury — it's a necessity for work, learning and health care," said Cleveland City Council President Blaine A. Griffin. "We need to ensure that everyone, everywhere has access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet. I'm thrilled to see a Ward 6 neighbor now online with affordable internet access!"

Since January 2024, DigitalC has rapidly deployed next-generation fixed wireless access (ngFWA) technology across the city. Historically, Cleveland has ranked as one of the worst-connected large cities in the United States, according to the 2019 American Community Survey. At that time, nearly 31% of households lacked broadband access, and nearly 46% had no wired internet connection.

"Today, we celebrate a milestone in our mission to close the digital divide in Cleveland," said Ricardo Reinoso, digital adoption manager at City of Cleveland. "DigitalC's 5,000th household isn't just a number — it's a neighbor who now has the tools to learn, work, connect and thrive in the 21st century. This partnership between the city of Cleveland and DigitalC proves what's possible when we invest in bold, community-driven solutions."

The service, Canopy, Powered by DigitalC, offers 100/100 Mbps symmetrical internet for $18 per month — or 200/100 Mbps at no cost to households with Cleveland Metropolitan School District students. In parallel, DigitalC provides free digital skills training, reaching more than 10,000 Clevelanders within 18 months.

DigitalC is driving success through a coalition that includes the City of Cleveland, Cleveland City Council, the State of Ohio, and key partners such as the Mandel Foundation, Gund Foundation, Microsoft Airband, the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

"This work is taking Cleveland from worst to first in connectivity," Edmonds said. "And we're just getting started."

A new one-pager from the Chicago Housing Authority outlines the economic impact of CHA's public housing portfolio on the city's rental market, construction and development, and low-income families and explains how the Trump Administration's FY26 budget proposal would negatively impact the economy. View the one-pager here.

Kenzie Bok, CLPHA board member and Boston Housing Authority administrator, spoke with CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith on The Codcast to discuss the threat of President Trump’s budget on rental assistance spending. Listen now. 

From the San Diego Housing  Commission's press release:

After living on San Diego’s streets or in shelters, 161 households—including Jaylen—will have affordable rental apartments of their own at a former extended-stay hotel that has been transformed into housing through extensive collaboration.

“Not having a home is one of the toughest things to deal with,” said Jaylen, one of the new residents of Presidio Palms in Mission Valley. “This is a safe space. It feels good to be in a clean living environment. You don’t realize how important that is until you don’t have it.”

Federally funded rental housing vouchers that the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) committed to Presidio Palms will help Jaylen and all other Presidio Palms residents pay their rent.

“Presidio Palms is a powerful example of what can be accomplished through strong collaboration—between HUD, local government, nonprofit partners, and service providers. By leveraging HUD tools like project-based vouchers and pairing them with local innovation, this development will give hundreds of San Diegans a second chance—and a place to call home,” said William Spencer, the Region IX Administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The State of California’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) awarded $35 million through the Homekey program toward SDHC’s purchase and rehabilitation of Presidio Palms. Including Presidio Palms, the State has awarded more than $105 million in Homekey funds to SDHC collaborations since 2020 to create more than 600 affordable housing units with supportive services for people experiencing homelessness.

“Permanent supportive housing like Presidio Palms reflects the future of affordable housing in California, as HCD’s new Homekey+ will replicate and build on the successes of Governor Newsom’s Homekey program,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “Through communities like this, we are able to first meet housing need and then provide the services that help Californians who are struggling maintain housing stability and connect to opportunity. This is especially critical for people facing behavioral health challenges, and young people exiting foster care without familial support.”

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and the San Diego City Council have strongly advocated and supported efforts to secure State Homekey funds for San Diego, which provide an opportunity to bring much-needed housing online faster and cheaper than traditional new-construction affordable housing. The City also allocated $17.8 million for Presidio Palms.

“With support from the state’s Homekey program and strong local investment, 161 San Diegans now have a safe place to call home—along with the supportive services they need to stay housed,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. “Presidio Palms shows what’s possible when we act with urgency and work together to deliver housing that ends homelessness. This is precisely the kind of collaboration we must continue as we keep working toward our goal of a putting a roof over the head of every San Diegan at a price they can afford.”

“The best way to tackle our homelessness crisis is through housing,” said Council President Joe LaCava. “I thank the San Diego Housing Commission, the state’s Housing and Community Development Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for improving the lives of our most vulnerable populations. I look forward to continued local, state, and federal collaboration as we deliver more paths from the streets and shelters and into housing.”

“I am thrilled to see residents move into Presidio Palms in District 3,” said Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, whose Council District includes Presidio Palms and another SDHC-owned, Homekey-funded property, Valley Vista, which consists of 190 affordable housing units. “These residents have experienced homelessness and many live with disabilities. At Presidio Palms these residents will have access to invaluable supportive services on-site. San Diego needs more places like Presidio Palms for residents to thrive. I applaud the San Diego Housing Commission for bringing this Project Homekey housing complex in Mission Valley to fruition.”

“Solving our homelessness and housing affordability crises requires creativity and collaboration. Presidio Palms has transformed an aging hotel into 161 homes that will move over 200 San Diegans out of homelessness and into stability and supportive services,” San Diego City Councilmember Seah Elo-Rivera said. “The rapid reconstruction and opening of Presidio Palms and other Homekey projects prove that San Diego can create new housing quickly and efficiently when we think outside the box and work together. I thank the Governor for his innovative Homekey Program and for everyone at the City, the County of San Diego, the San Diego Housing Commission, and the Regional Task Force on Homelessness.”

The County of San Diego also allocated $17.8 million in capital funds for Presidio Palms and committed $8.3 million over five years toward the necessary behavioral health supportive services for Presidio Palms residents, subject to County Board of Supervisors approval.

“Presidio Palms is a wonderful example of how we as a region are working together to bridge the gap between homelessness and housing by leveraging funding across our agencies to support the creation of affordable homes,” said David Estrella, Director of the County’s Health and Human Services Agency’s Housing and Community Development Services department.

SDHC owns and manages the property and administers the federal rental assistance for Presidio Palms residents.

“Today, Presidio Palms is a home and a source of hope for many of our previously unhoused neighbors,” SDHC President and CEO Lisa Jones said. “Reaching this point is possible because of collaboration among all levels of government as well as local organizations. We appreciate and value all the partners we collaborated with on this project as we work together for everyone in San Diego to have a home they can afford.”

As a leader in many regional initiatives to prevent and resolve homelessness, RTFH also awarded $1.1 million to support the purchase and rehabilitation of Presidio Palms.’

“Homelessness is driven primarily by a lack of affordable housing and our region’s housing crisis has left too many people without a place to live, which is why today is such an important day for San Diego,” said RTFH CEO Tamera Kohler. “Presidio Palms is not just a new community providing homes and wraparound services to people experiencing homelessness. It’s also a guiding light, the latest example highlighting what we can achieve together. RTFH is proud to partner in this effort and looks forward to more collaborative work to create more of the housing our community needs to address this crisis.”

Residents began moving into their new rental homes at Presidio Palms on May 27—less than seven months after construction began. Residents are identified through RTFH’s Coordinated Entry System, which screens individuals experiencing homelessness for the most appropriate housing options based on who is most in need and what housing options are available and then matches them to housing resources available from housing providers.

Presidio Palms includes on-site access to supportive services, provided by Telecare through a contract with the County of San Diego. These services include outreach and engagement; mental health services; healthcare/physical health services; behavioral health services; substance use services; case management; care coordination; life skills training; education and employment services; assistance obtaining benefits; and essential documentation.

Presidio Palms is within a quarter of a mile of Metropolitan Transit System bus stops for route 88, which provides quick connections to major regional transit hubs in Old Town and Fashion Valley.