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David Greer
Director of Communications
(202) 550-1381 or [email protected].
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 (Washington, D.C.) January 11, 2022 – The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) is pleased to announce that Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) CEO Jeffery K. Patterson has been named president of CLPHA’s board of directors.
Mr. Patterson was elected at CLPHA’s December 2021 board meeting, and previously served as the board’s vice president. He follows CLPHA’s previous board president, King County Housing Authority (KCHA) Executive Director Stephen Norman, who retired on December 31, 2021. CLPHA is also pleased to announce that La Shelle Dozier, executive director of the Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency, was elected CLPHA vice president and Maria Razo, executive director of the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino, was elected CLPHA secretary at the board’s December 2021 meeting. Ed Lowndes, executive director of the Housing Authority of Kansas City, MO, was re-elected board treasurer.
"I am honored to be elected president of CLPHA’s board and would like to thank Stephen Norman for his service and leadership upon his well-deserved retirement,” said Patterson. “Decades of chronic disinvestment, an aging housing portfolio and racial inequities have long predated the pandemic. Entering the third year of pandemic, these issues have only been magnified.
“We are at a critical juncture,” Patterson added. “Historic housing investments proposed by the White House and passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in the Build Back Better Act have stalled in the Senate. CLPHA will continue robust advocacy to ensure these significant housing investments are available to housing authorities across the country who are serving low-income families every day in their local communities.”
“Congratulations to CMHA CEO Jeffery Patterson on being named president of the Board of Directors of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities. I was pleased to join him, residents, and city leaders at the recent groundbreaking of the Buckeye-Woodhill Choice Neighborhoods transformation plan, which will provide high quality affordable housing that is connected to economic, educational, and health opportunities in a vibrant neighborhood. I look forward to continuing to work with CEO Patterson in his new role to bring greater affordable housing opportunities to more people and communities in Ohio and across the country,” said Senator Sherrod Brown, Chair of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
“Jeffery has been an invaluable asset to CLPHA in his seven years on the board,” said CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman. “He leads in many ways, not only as board vice president, but also more locally through the many boards he serves on in the greater Cleveland area. Jeffery has a deep understanding of national housing issues as well as local challenges and solutions, and his commitment to CLPHA will ensure continuity through this leadership transition. I look forward to working with CLPHA’s new board leadership to advance our goals and policy priorities in these unprecedented times.”
Mr. Patterson has served as CMHA’s CEO for ten years and has over thirty years of dedicated service to the residents of Cuyahoga County. As CEO of one of the largest housing authorities in the country, he is responsible for a $230 million dollar budget, approximately 750 employees, 10,500 units of housing, 15,000 Housing Choice Vouchers, and nearly 55,000 residents and participants of CMHA's low-income Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher Programs. He also serves on the board of directors for the Housing Authority Insurance Group, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (Chairman), Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (Vice-Chairman), St. Luke’s Foundation, United Way of Greater Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Foodbank, Unify Labs Inc., University Circle Inc., the Cleveland Public Library Foundation, and the National Kidney Foundation.
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
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(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
April 9, 2021 |
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(Washington, D.C.) April 9, 2021 – The Biden Administration’s recently announced infrastructure proposal, The American Jobs Plan, includes a $40 billion commitment to recapitalize public housing infrastructure. Applying data from a report by Econsult Solutions (ESI), a private data analytics firm, CLPHA estimates that 440,000 jobs will be created and $76 billion in economic impact generated during the time when the $40 billion in funds are spent.
“Investing in public housing infrastructure offers many economic benefits beyond lifting families out of poverty and preventing homelessness,” said Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA). “The American Jobs Plan is the first to provide the size and scale of resources necessary to repair the crumbling infrastructure of public housing. In return local employers, governments, and industries will benefit from an economic activity that outpaces investment and creation of good-paying construction jobs.”
CLPHA commissioned ESI to evaluate the economic impacts of six public housing authorities (PHAs) in diverse markets across the country. Released in late 2018, “The Economic Impact of Public Housing: Ongoing Investment with Wide-Reaching Returns” found that PHAs generate and induce multiple streams of economic activity benefiting public housing residents and their local communities. For every $1 million PHAs spend on capital investments, $1.89 million in economic activity is generated and 11 full-time jobs are supported. CLPHA applied the American Jobs Plan’s $40 billion for recapitalizing public housing infrastructure with ESI’s economic impact numbers and found the American Jobs Plan will generate $76 billion in economic activity and 440,00 jobs — a nearly 2 to 1 ratio for economic impact generated to dollars spent.
“After decades of chronic underfunding and disinvestment in public housing infrastructure, the American Jobs Plan can be game changing. Local communities have an opportunity to experience the benefits of a robust public and affordable housing system,” said Zaterman. “Whether it is improving life outcomes for low-income families, creating positive impacts in surrounding neighborhoods of well-maintained public housing, expanding local and state tax bases, or spurring regional job creation and economic growth, public housing is a benefit. It is clear from the American Jobs Plan that the Biden Administration is committed to advancing public housing.”
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
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Grants will help PHA residents with immediate and locally defined needs exacerbated by COVID-19
Washington, D.C. (February 9, 2021) -- The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) is pleased to announce the ten recipients of its COVID Resident Support Grants. The recipients are CLPHA member public housing authorities (PHAs) from across the country that will utilize their grants to meet immediate and locally defined needs exacerbated by COVID-19 for projects such as providing residents with essential household supplies, helping households successfully lease affordable units with their housing vouchers, and supplying technology and devices that will help resident children attend virtual school or connect resident seniors with healthcare resources. The recipients were chosen via a competitive selection process, and the robust response to CLPHA’s call for applications demonstrates the need for additional funds to support COVID-19 relief services and supplies for low-income Americans.
“As housing providers for some of the nation’s most vulnerable children, families, and seniors, our members are uniquely positioned to serve the low-income residents in their communities that are hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic effects,” said CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman. “We are pleased to provide these ten grants that will support PHAs in their efforts to not only keep residents stably housed, but also to provide crucial supplies and resources that will help residents cope with the new normal created by the pandemic."
The grantees are:
- INLIVIAN (Charlotte, NC)
- Elm City Communities (New Haven, CT)
- Housing Authority of the City of Goldsboro (Goldsboro, NC)
- Jersey City Housing Authority (Jersey City, NJ)
- Lucas Metropolitan Housing (Toledo, OH)
- Oklahoma City Housing Authority (Oklahoma City, OK)
- Home Forward (Portland, OR)
- Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura (Ventura, CA)
- Tacoma Housing Authority (Tacoma, WA)
- Wilmington Housing Authority (Wilmington, NC)
Learn more about CLPHA’s grantees and how they will use these funds to help meet the public health, education, employment, and basic urgent needs of their residents profoundly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic here.
These ten sub-grants are made possible through CLPHA’s grant from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s (CDP) COVID-19 Response Fund.
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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 .
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative
The Housing Is Initiative, led by the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, helps build a future where sectors work together to improve life outcomes. Housing stability is a critical first step to improve life outcomes for low-income children, families, and seniors; CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative is based on the premise that sectors can better meet needs when they work together. Housing Is establishes, broadens, and deepens efforts to align affordable housing, education, and health systems to produce positive, long-term results. Learn more at housingis.org and on Twitter @housing_is.
About The Center for Disaster Philanthropy
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s mission is to leverage the power of philanthropy to mobilize a full range of resources that strengthen the ability of communities to withstand disasters and recover equitably when they occur. CDP manages domestic and international Disaster Funds on behalf of corporations, foundations and individuals through targeted, holistic and localized grantmaking. For more information, visit: disasterphilanthropy.org, call (202) 464-2018 or tweet us @funds4disaster.
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(Washington, D.C.) August 19, 2024 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement upon the release of Vice President Kamala Harris' and Governor Tim Walz's housing plan at a rallty in North Carolina on Friday: "The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds the Harris-Walz campaign for its historic call for more affordable housing measures in its economic plan released on Friday in North Carolina. By every measure, low-income Americans are experiencing crisis levels of housing instability and homelessness. CLPHA strongly supports the Harris Walz campaign’s call for an expansion of tax incentives for affordable rental housing, an innovation fund for low-income housing, and expansion of the child tax credit, which would contribute to decreasing housing instability and homelessness among American’s most vulnerable families. 'We are hopeful that the tax incentives for affordable rental housing are at a scale that would generate as much affordable housing production or more as the low-income housing tax credit provisions in the bipartisan tax bill. The child tax credit improves a low-income parent’s ability to afford housing, which increases housing stability and improves children’s health outcomes. 'CLPHA will continue to advocate for policies that prioritize the affordability and sustainability of public and affordable housing throughout this campaign which includes fully funding the public housing capital and operating funds, expanding the Housing Choice Voucher program, and prioritizing cross-sector approaches for housing, health and education." |
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities |
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(Washington, D.C.) November 17, 2023 — Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement upon the Biden-Harris administration’s announcement yesterday of the U.S. Playbook to Address Social Determinants of Health and the CHIP Health-Related Social Needs Framework:: “The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds the Biden-Harris administration’s publication of the U.S. Playbook to Address Social Determinants of Health and the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Health-Related Social Needs Framework. President Biden and HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge have led the nation in raising awareness of the foundational role that housing plays in improving life outcomes for low-income Americans throughout the President’s term. “CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative has driven the conversation for a decade on how best to bridge the housing and health sectors to improve the life outcomes of residents living in federally assisted housing. CLPHA has long supported public policies cited in the Framework such as evidence-based interventions to support housing and nutrition needs for certain Medicaid enrollees. CLPHA has also advocated for innovative solutions like waivers for Medicaid through its 1115 demonstration that allow for housing-related assistance. “With current programs proving beneficial and innovative programs being developed we know we have the answers. Yet, for these programs to be successful they must be funded at a level that meets the need. Unfortunately, they are not funded at those levels currently. While announcements like these are important in raising the awareness of the foundational role of housing in improving health outcomes, we must continue to advocate for increased resources, including incentivizing PHA/Medicaid partnerships, so they can deliver the benefits they are designed to achieve.” |
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
(Washington, DC) November 30, 2022 -- Statement from Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, on the importance of finalizing the FY23 appropriations legislation:
“For the millions of families served by public housing authorities, it is critical for Congress to complete the FY23 appropriations legislation before the start of the 118th Congress in January. The leading public housing advocacy organizations, in one voice, call on Congress to get this legislation passed so that our most vulnerable families are not put at risk.
“The consequences of a government shutdown or a series of continuing resolutions, which lock the previous year’s funding levels in place, create uncertainty for PHAs by not accounting for inflation or current shortfalls that could be severe and would amount to a budget cut. It will tie the hands of housing authorities and impact their abilities to provide their residents with safe, secure, and affordable housing.
“These consequences are preventable if Congress passes the FY23 appropriations legislation at the funding levels requested by the public housing organizations in the letter sent to Congress. We look forward to working with Congress as they finalize the legislation.”
Media Contact:
David Greer, CLPHA
(202) 550-1381
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
In Affordable Housing Finance's article "Turning Point for Public Housing," CLPHA' Executive Director Sunia Zaterman says of the massive capital needs backlog facing public housing authorities that “[t]he handwriting has been on the wall. The funding levels were not sustainable."
Zaterman adds, "We have lost about 10,000 units a year from underfunding," but that "[t]he number of public housing units lost may have slowed to about 8,000 a year, thanks to RAD, in the last couple of years.”
With RAD, says Zaterman, “[w]e have achieved proof of concept,... We could have the portfolio totally recapitalized in 10 years.”
Read Affordable Housing Finance's article here.
Vancouver, WA newspaper The Columbian quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman about the disastrous effect President Trump's budget proposal would have on pubic and affordable housing in their article "Trump’s budget would cut social safety nets:"
"The administration wants us to think beyond investing in bricks and mortar, and instead think about investing in people. This budget does neither of those things. The disinvestment in housing and supportive services is a disinvestment in our nation’s most vulnerable populations, including the 2.2 million low- and very low-income families, children, elderly and persons with disabilities who are served by public housing. Congress has previously rejected draconian budgets that shred our safety net, and we call on them to do so again."
Vancouver Housing Authority (VHA) Executive Director Roy Johnson, who contributed comment for the story, explained how Trump's proposed budget would negatively impact the individuals and families served by VHA. Johnson told the paper that losing public housing funding would result in 114 planned units losing subsidy, including Caples Terrace, an under-construction project in Vancouver for homeless youth and youth aging out of foster care slated to open in July, and two other public housing projects the housing authority hopes to start at the end of 2019.
Read Zaterman's full statement on Trump's proposed 2020 budget
Scotsman Guide, a resource for mortgage originators, quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman about how President Donald Trump's proposed FY 2020 budget will affect affordable housing in their article "2020 budget: How does it affect the mortgage industry?":
“The administration wants us to think beyond investing in bricks and mortar, and instead think about investing in people. This budget does neither of those things,” said Sunia Zaterman..."The disinvestment in housing and supportive services is a disinvestment in our nation’s most vulnerable populations, including the 2.2 million low- and very low-income families, children, elderly and persons with disabilities who are served by public housing."
Read Zaterman's full statement on Trump's proposed 2020 budget
In yesterday's article "Trust in Public Housing at Stake Over Looming Government Shutdown," YES! Magazine quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman and CLPHA members Kurt Wiest, Bremerton Housing Authority Executive Director, and Mark Gillett, Oklahoma City Housing Authority Executive Director, on how another government shutdown could continue to sow mistrust in public housing authorities (PHAs) and HUD.
Zaterman, who noted that landlords could shy away from participating in voucher programs if there is concern that PHAs will not pay them, asked, “Just the prospect of payments not being made will have a very disruptive impact—will the federal government contract be honored?”
Wiest stressed the importance of PHAs maintaining a good rapport with landlords. “We work really, really hard to have good relationships with local landlords. And if there’s the slightest hint that they won’t get their subsidy payments as promised, it erodes trust,” said Wiest. “And this program operates on trust.”
Gillett added that if PHAs cannot pay their landlords, there could be dire consequences for tenants. “There is a provision in the law saying if a housing assistance payment isn’t paid, it shouldn’t be grounds for eviction,” Gillett said. “But it’s never been tested.”
On January 31, HUD, the City of New York, and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) announced an agreement to address longstanding issues at the housing authority’s properties. The agreement establishes specific requirements and milestones for property improvements and establishes a federal monitor who will be selected by HUD and the Southern District of New York, with input from the city.
On Tuesday, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio appointed Kathryn Garcia, the city’s sanitation commissioner, to succeed Stanley Brezenoff as interim chair until a permanent head of the authority is selected.
Brezenoff, who also serves on CLPHA’s Board of Directors, called the job as NYCHA’s interim chair and CEO, “one of the toughest and most rewarding jobs in America.” In Tuesday’s press release announcing his successor, Brezenoff said, “I will leave this interim role knowing that we are putting NYCHA in very capable hands. I am confident that Commissioner Garcia is the right person to continue our efforts to improve the quality of lives for residents, and preserve public housing for generations to come.”
From the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA):
CNN’s recent segment on unhoused veterans in Los Angeles highlights the critical importance of coordinated, housing‑first strategies — and showcases why HACLA’s work matters. The report underscores how veterans benefit when local agencies, the VA, and service providers align around permanent housing solutions and supportive services.
For HACLA, the story reinforces the momentum already underway: expanding affordable housing opportunities, accelerating veteran voucher placements, and strengthening cross‑agency partnerships that help veterans move from encampments into stable homes. The segment serves as a reminder that when housing resources and supportive services come together, Los Angeles can deliver real, lasting progress for those who served our country.
Last month, HACLA President & CEO Lourdes Castro Ramirez appeared on FOX 11's Good Day LA to discuss the House Our Vets Initiative, a collaboration with Mayor Karen Bass to get homeless veterans off the street and into stable housing. She speaks on the success of the initiative thus far, and answers questions, concerns and more.
From the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority:
For many students, Spring Break is a time to unplug for a week. But from April 6-10, Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA) is presenting its youth residents with different opportunities to be active and thrive.
This year, NRHA is pairing a sports-inspired Spring Break Sports Jam, which blends high-energy athletic programming with a high-tech STEM Boot Camp designed to keep students engaged and focused on the future.
The Sports Jam week kicks off with a heavy emphasis on community and movement with a football clinic on Monday, April 6, followed by a kick-ball tournament on Tuesday, April 7. Both events will be at the Calvert Square Envision Center from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
NRHA Youth Services Specialist Breion Taylor said the football clinic will feature structured skills and drills sessions led by local coaches from the Community 1st organization. These partners are coming out to mentor the youth, focusing on teamwork and athletic fundamentals.
Taylor is hopeful the tournament, and all the events, will foster stronger bonds between the community’s generations and the agency.
“Depending on turnout, we’d like to get some kids versus adults games going,” Taylor said. “And it would be funny to get some NRHA staff to go against some youth – it’s something everyone is looking forward to.”
Another event the agency has been intentional about planning is the Southside Field Day at Diggs Town on Thursday, April 9. Far from a typical park outing, Duane Rollins, another youth services specialist, explained that the Field Day will comprise of many retro games and activities, such as bean-bag tossing, three-legged races and a dunking booth.
“We’ve got a whole lot of different ideas to make it fun for the kids,” Rollins said.
The Spring Break Sports Jam week concludes with a Sneaker Ball on Friday, April 10 from 5-8 p.m. Youth are encouraged to dress to impress, following the night’s theme of Fresh Fits, Fresh Kicks.
“We’ll have a DJ and photo opportunities for the kids,” Rollins added. “And there will be different prizes for best sneakers and best dance.”
While the fields are buzzing with sports, another group of students will be embarking on the academic arm of the week – a STEM Boot Camp, in partnership with Community Outreach Coalition, Inc., and Coastal Virginia STEM Ecosystem.
NRHA Youth Programs Manager, Tashonna Thorne, said the program is designed to bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world application.
“The first day will be a learning day at the Calvert Square Envision Center with our partners,” said Thorne, adding that represented fields include healthcare, engineering, computer science and STEM-focused skilled trades. “However, the exciting part will be when the students head out on field trips.”
Students will travel to the Tidewater Community College (TCC) Apprenticeship Program Skilled Trades campus in Portsmouth, the TCC Norfolk campus and Old Dominion University. There, participants will receive a front-row seat for modern apprenticeship programs and technical training facilities.
The goal is to demystify high-tech career paths. By visiting local campuses and seeing apprenticeship programs in action, NRHA youth get an early look at the certifications and skills required for the rapidly changing job market, Thorne said.
NRHA Vice President of Client Services, Julius Norman, said the agency’s goal is widespread engagement for all its spring break offerings.
“By providing a safe, structured environment throughout the day, the agency ensures that the fun of Spring Break also serves a functional purpose,” he said. “That purpose is building resilience and showing students what they can achieve.
From the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino's newsletter:
Liberty Lane, a new affordable housing community in Redlands dedicated to serving veterans and individuals with special needs, began leasing to new residents in January. The development features 80 affordable apartment homes, including 62 permanent supportive housing units specifically reserved for homeless and at-risk veterans.
These homes will provide long-term stability combined with comprehensive supportive services designed to promote housing retention, wellness and self-sufficiency.
Developed by A Community of Friends in partnership with the San Bernardino County Community Development and Housing Department, the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB), the Department of Behavioral Health, the Loma Linda VA Medical Center, and U.S. VETS, Liberty Lane reflects strong collaboration across agencies committed to serving those who have served our country. Residents will benefit from high-quality, affordable housing and on-site case management, and clinical services.
HACSB Deputy Executive Director Rishad Mitha praised the success of the new community: “This development is a testament to what can be accomplished when mission-driven partners come together. Working alongside A Community of Friends, San Bernardino County, the Loma Linda VA Medical Center, and U.S. VETS, Liberty Lane demonstrates how coordinated housing development and supportive services can create much- needed affordable housing for veterans. With the occupancy of Liberty Lane, our veterans now have a place to call home and access to supportive services that promote health, stability, and independence."
From the Oakland Housing Authority's press release:
The Oakland Housing Authority (OHA) has launched Building Bridges: Hospital to Home (H2H), an innovative pilot program that recognizes stable housing as critical to children’s health. The program is supported by a $1.37 million funding award from Alameda Alliance for Health and delivered in partnership with Oakland Affordable Housing Preservation Initiatives (OAHPI) and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.
Today’s announcement celebrates the enrollment of the first two families into the program.
The program provides 50 two- and three-bedroom apartments in Oakland at a deeply affordable rent of $250 per month for up to five years, along with comprehensive wraparound services to support the families’ health and long-term stability. OHA is subsidizing the housing units and administering the program.
H2H serves families with children who are being or were treated in the Neonatal or Pediatric Intensive Care Units (NICU or PICU) at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland; are insured through Alameda Alliance Medi-Cal; live in Alameda County; and are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
“This program is rooted in compassion for families navigating one of the most difficult moments in their lives,” said Patricia Wells, Executive Director of the Oakland Housing Authority. “When a child is facing a serious medical crisis, stable housing becomes part of the care families need to heal and move forward. By connecting families to housing and coordinated support, we’re helping create the stability and dignity every child and parent deserves, along with a pathway to long-term economic independence.”
Mayor Barbara Lee praised the collaborative effort and the program’s focus on prevention and family stability.
“In Oakland, we know that housing stability and family wellbeing are deeply connected—especially when a child is facing a medical crisis,” said Mayor Barbara Lee. “Building Bridges: Hospital to Home compliments the City’s long-standing partnership with the Oakland Housing Authority, including initiatives like the Building Bridges and Oakland PATH Rehousing Initiative that have already supported approximately 180 households. Delivered through community-based partners, with the City providing supportive services and OHA ensuring long-term housing stability, this work reflects more than a decade of collaboration to help families move from instability to security with dignity and care.”
How the Program Works
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland social workers refer families to housing units near the hospital that have been set aside so families can stay close to their children during medical treatment. Families must meet the program’s referral criteria, including being an Alameda Alliance Medi-Cal member residing in Alameda County, experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and having a child admitted to the Neonatal or Pediatric Intensive Care Units (NICU and PICU). OHA determines eligibility through its intake process.
“At UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, our mission to care for our patients, their caregivers, and their loved ones extends beyond our walls,” said Nicholas Holmes, MD, President of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. “Safe, stable housing has an enormous impact on children — supporting how quickly they recover from injury and illness, as well as their long-term health outcomes. Through this partnership, we’re building on our long-standing commitment to the health of Oakland and the East Bay, and our continued investment in this community.”
In addition to affordable housing, participating families receive wraparound services, including two years of utility assistance and two annual $800 stipends to help cover basic needs such as clothing and personal items, as well as two annual community events. Families also may have the opportunity to enroll in OHA’s Family Self‑Sufficiency (FSS) program to support long‑term economic independence.
Cross-Sector Partnership to Improve Health Outcomes
The program is funded through Alameda Alliance for Health’s Housing and Homelessness Incentive Program (HHIP). In addition to HHIP’s $1.37 million award, OHA will contribute up to $5.4 million in Moving to Work (MTW) rental assistance over the life of the program to offset housing costs, with participating families contributing up to $250 per month toward rent.
“Housing stability is a fundamental determinant of physical and mental health,” said Alameda Alliance for Health CEO Matthew Woodruff. “We are proud to support this critical pilot program, where Oakland families will have access to a safe place to live, which will ultimately lead to healthier outcomes for our entire community.”
Advancing Long-Term Stability
The pilot program aligns with OHA’s mission to promote civic involvement and economic self-sufficiency among residents while expanding affordable housing options in Oakland. The program seeks to address disparities in housing and healthcare access among low-income families in Alameda County.
OHA and OAHPI hope to sustain and expand the program beyond the pilot to include unhoused families with children experiencing long-term hospitalizations. For more information about the Building Bridges: Hospital to Home program, email [email protected] with the email subject H2H.