Welcome to CLPHA's Press Room
CLPHA experts welcome interview requests from print, radio, television, and online reporters and are happy to provide their insights on issues of public housing and related legislation and policy.
For media inquiries, please contact:
David Greer
Director of Communications
(202) 550-1381 or [email protected].
*Please let us know if you are working on deadline.
To view all of CLPHA's press releases, click here.
To view all of CLPHA's press statements, click here.
You can subscribe here to our biweekly newsletter, events invite list, and topic specific newsletters. You can also follow us on Twitter at @CLPHA. Or, send us an email with your interests and we would be happy to add you to our press lists.
Thanks again for your interest in CLPHA!
|
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
November 20, 2020
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.
New Funds Will Develop and Sustain Public Housing Authority Initiatives to Improve Postsecondary Achievement for Low-Income Households
WASHINGTON (November 25, 2019) – The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, a housing advocacy organization and leader in efforts to improve life outcomes for low-income individuals and families, announced today that it has been awarded $300,000 from The Kresge Foundation to deepen connections between public housing authorities and their postsecondary education partners.
The three-year grant enables CLPHA to build on work that began last year, in partnership with The Kresge Foundation, to convene cross-sector housing and education partners who are collaborating to improve postsecondary achievement for students served by public housing authorities, including residents and housing insecure college students.
“Last year we showcased how these two sectors are working together to improve educational outcomes for low-income households. With generous funding from The Kresge Foundation, we will help more cross-sector partners develop and sustain their work,” said CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman. “As a national organization representing 70 of the largest public housing authorities in the country, CLPHA is well-positioned to identify promising innovations and facilitate peer-learning among those doing the work with the goal to scale successful initiatives that can be replicated nationally. We are very grateful to The Kresge Foundation for its multi-year support of our work.”
With the funds, CLPHA, through its Housing Is Initiative, will establish a leadership institute for a cohort of public housing authority staff and their partners who demonstrate the experience and capacity for postsecondary collaboration. In addition to virtual meetings aimed at institutionalizing their cross-sector work, members of the cohort will travel for in-person site visits to learn about the different projects in the field.
“By supporting stronger partnerships between housing authorities and postsecondary stakeholders, CLPHA’s leadership institute will help increase college access and success for both public housing residents who have postsecondary aspirations but need support to realize their dreams, and current college students, whose housing insecurity threatens to derail their educational progress," said Bethany Miller, program officer with the Kresge Education Program.
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 Kresge Foundation
The Kresge Foundation was founded in 1924 to promote human progress. Today, Kresge fulfills that mission by building and strengthening pathways to opportunity for low-income people in America’s cities, seeking to dismantle structural and systemic barriers to equality and justice. Using a full array of grant, loan, and other investment tools, Kresge invests more than $160 million annually to foster economic and social change. For more information visit kresge.org.
###
|
(Washington, D.C.) August 5, 2022 -- Council of Large Public Housing Authorities Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement on the Federal Communications Commission’s adoption of the Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program and the Your Home, Your Internet Pilot Program:
"The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) applauds the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) adoption of the Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program and the one-year Your Home, Your Internet Pilot Program at its Open Commission Meeting today. CLPHA has worked closely with the FCC to help shape these programs through direct dialogue with members of Congress, the FCC, and submitted comments throughout the regulatory process. CLPHA has also been a long-time proponent for digital equity through working with partners, disseminating information via webinars, spotlighting promising practices at conferences, and conducting outreach on opportunities. Today is a strong step forward for serving low-income families living in assisted housing with improved access to high-quality, affordable broadband and devices.
"These initiatives will improve the Biden administration’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a $14 billion long-term initiative that offers up to $30 a month for the costs of internet service for eligible households and builds on the Emergency Broadband Benefit in order to provide more permanent assistance. Public housing authorities have long understood that digital access is critical to improve life outcomes for low-income families living in assisted housing and we are excited for additional support to get more assisted households connected.
"Public housing authorities offer the most effective avenue to connect the highest number of low-income families to broadband access and accomplish the goals of the Affordable Connectivity Program. At CLPHA’s 8th Annual Housing Is Summit in May, Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Geoffrey Starks noted this point in his keynote speech, 'When I look at the data where we can reach more vulnerable households…, I consistently come back to housing. I see a clear synergy between housing and connectivity; if we are helping a family secure housing, we should be able to help them secure an internet connection as well.'
"In May 2022 Commissioner Starks also visited Nickerson Gardens, a property of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), a CLPHA member. With 1,000 units, Nickerson Gardens is the largest public housing community west of the Mississippi River. He reported that the ACP Pilot Program had connected 78 percent of the Nickerson Garden units to the internet.
"During today’s open meeting, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel also named CLPHA member the Jersey City Housing Authority (JCHA) and its executive director Vivian Brady-Phillips as an exemplary PHA working on digital inclusion. CLPHA highlighted both HACLA and JCHA during this year’s Housing Is Summit.
"The Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program will provide eligible governmental and non-governmental entities with funding to conduct outreach to eligible low-income households in order to increase awareness of and encourage participation in the Affordable Connectivity Program. The one-year Your Home, Your Internet Pilot Program aims to increase awareness of the Affordable Connectivity Program among recipients of federal housing assistance and facilitate enrollment in the ACP by providing targeted assistance with the ACP application.
"CLPHA will work with its members to ensure they are taking advantage of these programs to help residents access not only to affordable, high-quality broadband and devices, but also digital literacy to utilize these resources."
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
|
|
|
(Washington, D.C.) March 9, 2022 -- Council of Large Public Housing Authorities Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement about the HUD budget in fiscal year 2022 spending omnibus package:
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds the $4 billion increase in funding for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development over last year in the fiscal year (FY) 2022 omnibus appropriations bill released last night. The increase amounts to $53.7 billion for HUD in this omnibus bill. "Subcommittee Chairman David Price and the Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee recognized the critical role that public housing and Housing Choice Vouchers play with several funding increases. First, an expansion of up to 25,000 new incremental vouchers for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including survivors of domestic violence and veterans as part of the $200 million increase in the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program. Second, the Project-Based Rental Assistance budget increase of $475 million over the FY 2021 budget will continue to safely house 1.2 million very low- and low-income households.
“For public housing a $645.5 million increase over FY 2021, including $3.2 billion to meet the full annual capital accrual need in order to improve the quality and safety of public housing for more than 2 million residents. Finally, the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative received an increase of $150 million above FY 2021, which represents a 75 percent increase. While America’s housing crisis continues, these funding increases recognize that public and affordable housing programs are the most effective way to keep low-income families housed.”
|
|
|
|
(202) 550-1381
|
||
|
|
||
|
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
||
|
(Washington, D.C.) November 19, 2021 -- Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement after the House passage of the Build Back Better Act today:
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds the U.S. House of Representatives' passage of the $1.9 trillion Build Back Better Act. The $150 billion targeted to affordable housing is the single largest investment in public housing ever.
“Today represents a fundamental change in America’s approach to public and affordable housing. The Build Back Better Act is historic legislation that seeks to remedy two generations of chronic disinvestment that has left millions of public housing residents suffering and exacerbated health, safety, climate risks, and racial inequities. These long-term investments to public housing, along with significant expansion of rental and homeownership assistance, will increase housing stability, reduce poverty, provide substantial climate benefits, and spur economic activity that strengthens local communities.
“CLPHA is thankful the House continued to listen to housing advocates by re-inserting provisions that will strengthen the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit’s ability to better leverage the capital required to develop and redevelop aging public housing infrastructure.
“As the Act moves to the Senate, CLPHA will continue its work with Senators to ensure that the public and affordable housing funding levels remain intact in the Senate version.”
|
|
|
|
(202) 550-1381
|
||
|
|
||
|
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
||
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman in an article about the government shutdown's impacts on Section 8 Voucher holders if the shutdown continues beyond March 1.
Zaterman said, “Without a guarantee from HUD that funding will be available in March, many [public housing authorities] will need to notify landlords and residents next month that delayed payments are a possibility. Anxious residents and landlords fearful of missed payments, combined with other cascading impacts due to lack of staffing at HUD, including program grants not being renewed and affordable housing development deals not being approved, amount to an unmitigated disaster for millions of low-income families.”
Today, Gray News Bureau published a comprehensive article "SNAP, WIC, Section 8: Separating fact from fiction in the government shutdown" featuring a quote about the shutdown’s effects on HUD programs from CLPHA Executive Sunia Zaterman. Gray News pulled the quote from CLPHA’s January 16 joint press release with the Campaign for Housing & Community Development Funding (CHCDF), of which CLPHA is a member of the Steering Committee.
On the shutdown's effect on housing authorities' future rental assistance payments, Zaterman said, "Without a guarantee from HUD that funding will be available in March, many Public Housing Authorities will need to notify landlords and residents next month that delayed payments are a possibility. Anxious residents and landlords fearful of missed payments, combined with other cascading impacts due to lack of staffing at HUD, including program grants not being renewed and affordable housing development deals not being approved, amount to an unmitigated disaster for millions of low-income families.”
You can read the article via Gray News Bureau TV affiliates:
CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman spoke to the Pew Charitable Trust's Stateline blog about the looming crisis facing public housing authorities (PHAs) if the shutdown continues. In today's article "Cities Scramble as Shutdown Leaves Families in Federal Housing Vulnerable," Zaterman warned that if the shutdown is still in effect by the end of February, many PHAs will not have enough funds to continue rental assistance payments for March and beyond.
“It’s definitely an all-hands-on-deck, high-urgency red alert for agencies that don’t have sufficient reserves for a sufficient amount of time,” Zaterman said. “And most don’t.”
Pacific Standard quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman in today's article "The Government Shutdown Could Decimate America's Subsidized Housing Programs." Of the partial government shutdown's impact on the housing market, Zaterman said, "Owners in many cities will be faced with financial disruption, foreclosure, or bankruptcy if they're not able to pay their mortgage or meet the other costs of the property... This really is going to ripple through the whole housing market system."
Zaterman added that the shutdown is likely to negatively impact landlords' perceptions of the HCV program and other federally funded rental assistance programs, observing that in light of the shutdown landlords may be discouraged from participating in the HCV program because now "[funding] is something an owner would have to calculate as a risk now that was previously not seen as a risk."
CLPHA’ Executive Director Sunia Zaterman spoke to Multi-Housing News about the disastrous effect the shutdown will have on not only on Housing Choice Voucher funding and other rental assistance programs, but also affordable housing projects, if it continues beyond February. Zaterman added that if the shutdown continues into March, for smaller landlords and property owners especially “there is a huge concern about the ripple effect and concerns about bankruptcy and foreclosure.”
However, as Zaterman noted in a January 16, 2019, joint press release accompanying a national conference call about the effects of the partial government shutdown on low-income people and communities and the affordable housing programs that serve them, the shutdown is already a catastrophe for millions who rely on HUD funding. “Anxious residents and landlords fearful of missed payments, combined with other cascading impacts due to lack of staffing at HUD, including program grants not being renewed and affordable housing development deals not being approved, amount to an unmitigated disaster for millions of low-income families,” said Zaterman.
From the San Diego Housing Commission's press release:
The long-vacant former site of a City of San Diego public library will be transformed into nearly 60 affordable rental apartments for families through the development of Serra Mesa Apartments, which celebrated its groundbreaking today. Half of the apartments will be set aside for veterans experiencing homelessness.
“I think this project is particularly poetic. It's focused on veterans. Many of you know that Serra Mesa has long been home to many of our region’s military families. We have incredible military housing, literally across the street. Serra Mesa has long supported San Diego's role as America's premier military town,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “And so, the integration of this project that has this emphasis on veterans really is a continuation of the story of this great community.”
For 55 years, rents for the 59 affordable rental units at Serra Mesa Apartments will remain affordable for San Diegans with incomes ranging from 30 to 60 percent of the San Diego Area Median Income, up to $79,380 per year for a two-person household.
“When families don’t have to worry as much about affording their rent each month, they have a better chance to thrive by focusing more on their career, schooling, health and their family life,” said Colin Miller, SDHC’s Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development.
SDHC awarded 30 Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Project-Based Housing Vouchers toward the development to assist eligible veterans, who will also receive on-site supportive services from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) San Diego Healthcare System.
These VASH vouchers are tied directly to the development, so that when a resident moves on, the voucher remains at the site to help another eligible veteran family move into affordable rental housing.
SDHC also awarded a $2.5 million loan toward the development, consisting of federal and local funds that SDHC administers for the City of San Diego: the City of San Diego Affordable Housing Fund and federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The development is also part of the City’s Homes for All of Us Initiative to create housing for San Diegans of all income levels and includes a $4 million loan from the City of San Diego’s Bridge to Home program.
The development of the former library site, which sat vacant for 20 years, was also made possible by a 65-year land lease from the City of San Diego to the developer, Community HousingWorks (CHW).
“We are transforming this former library from one community asset to a different type of community asset in terms of providing affordable housing for folks most in need,” CHW President & CEO Sean Spear said. “And then we’re also transforming lives—the notion of being able to support residents, some of whom may be formerly homeless, and giving them not only a chance to really live comfortably in a well-built home, but also truly to thrive with the layering of services that we're going to be providing for them for free.”
The VA will provide on-site services to veteran households, such as health and case management services, connections to health and food resources.
CHW will also provide on-site services for all residents of the community at no cost, which may include financial success training, multigenerational success and health and wellness programs and services.
The development, which is expected to open in fall of 2027, will include 56 one-bedroom units, three two-bedroom units, and one unrestricted two-bedroom manager’s unit.
The development will consist of a five-story building, including a 22-space parking garage on the first floor, along with a 1,012-square-foot community room space, a computer lab, laundry facilities. The second floor will have a 2,765-square-foot courtyard.
The Serra Mesa library closed in 2006, upon the opening of the Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa Branch Library on Aero Drive less than a mile away.
Nearby amenities include options for retail, transit, and parks as well as public schools, and the Kearny Mesa Veterans Affairs outpatient center, which is less than a quarter mile to the north on Aero Drive.
From WOSU Public Media:
The Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority opened its first complex in Grove City on Monday.
The $29-million, 82-unit Cobblestone Manor apartment complex at 1050 Lamplighter Drive serves low- and fixed-income senior residents.
Grove City Mayor Ike Stage said Monday that the growth in the number of residents needing affordable housing continues to grow in central Ohio. One of the fastest growing age groups is people over 60.
"Keeping them within the community is pretty important and being able to give a wide range of housing is pretty important," Stage said.
About three-quarters of the apartments will be reserved for people with incomes of $20,000 a year. The remaining apartments will go toward residents making up to $55,000 a year.
Read WOSU Public Media's article "Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority opens its first development in Grove City."
From the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority's press release:
Last week, the Minneapolis City Council approved a funding agreement enabling MPHA to begin administering a new city-funded Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program, modeled after the successful but sunsetting federal EHV program. This program will provide targeted rental assistance in partnership with Hennepin County’s Continuum of Care for individuals and families who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or have a high risk of housing instability.
The new city-funded EHV will provide up to 36 months of rental assistance for up to 100 households. The program has a goal of enrolling 50 individuals and 50 families.
“This new program offers a lifeline to some of our most vulnerable neighbors at a time of competing housing and homelessness crises in our city,” said Abdi Warsame, Executive Director/CEO of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. “I am thankful to Councilmember Wonsley and Council Vice President Osman for leading the city’s investment in this proven solution. Agency staff are eager to get this new funding in the hands of individuals and families most in need and to help address our community’s housing affordability challenges.”
The new city-funded EHV program was first established by Councilmembers Robin Wonsley and Jamal Osman in the City of Minneapolis’ 2025 budget. Following a series of challenges to establish a funding agreement in 2025, the program was excluded from Mayor Frey’s proposed 2026 budget. Councilmember Wonsley subsequently led an effort to amend the City of Minneapolis’ 2026 budget, initially restoring the $1.4 million in annual funding for the program. The City Council later amended this proposal, changing the structure to a three-year, $1 million-a-year pilot program (appropriating $2,091,786 in 2026, with 2027 and 2028 city budgets projected to include additional funding).
To be eligible for this new program, households will need to be assessed and referred through Hennepin County’s Coordinated Entry System. Once a participant household is referred to MPHA and approved for participation, households will be offered wrap-around case management services provided by Hennepin County and county-contracted providers, including housing coordination and placement within the City of Minneapolis, up to $3,500 in assistance from MPHA to help address any obstacles in both finding and moving into stable housing, and ongoing rental assistance from MPHA to maintain housing stability for up to three years.
This unique combination of benefits mirrors the federal EHV program and are intended to increase access and remove barriers for unhoused individuals and families facing the most immediate housing challenges.
While the new program will issue 36-month vouchers, the 36 months of rental assistance may not occur over 36 consecutive months. Based on the federal EHV program, vouchers are expected to be administered for up to five years due to initial placement timelines (on average, it takes approximately six months from program enrollment for a household to find a rental unit) as well as accommodating pauses because of participant rehousing needs. When a placed household wants or is required to move without a new unit under lease, voucher use is paused until a new unit is secured. This allowance can push the actual administration of the voucher beyond 36 months.
The agency anticipates issuing its first EHV on or around June 1, with the placement of all 100 available EHVs estimated to take 18 months from the first issuance.
From the King County Housing Authority:
The first King County Housing Authority Dream to Keys home purchase is official! KCHA staff Sandeep Kamoh and Kristin Pace built this program to create a real path to homeownership. Now, KCHA residents have the opportunity to use their voucher toward a mortgage and build wealth through ownership.
And it's paying off.
Lanequia went from learning about Dream to Keys to owning her home in nearly 5 months. Once she found the right place, she closed in 16 days. An incredible result that speaks to the hard work of KCHA and our community partners, Movement Mortgage and Paul Real Estate Group.
This is a big deal. Not just because it's a first, but because it proves what's possible for long-term stability and opportunity.
Congratulations to Lanequia on her new home — and to Sandeep and Kristin for bringing this program to life!
Take a moment to watch Lanequia's story.
From the Spokane Housing Authority's press release:
The Spokane Housing Authority (SHA) has been awarded $126,000 from the Washington State Department of Commerce Early Learning Facilities Program to support predesign of the Orchard Vista Early Learning Childcare Center in the Dishman Hills neighborhood of Spokane Valley. The facility will be co-located with SHA’s Orchard Vista Apartments—240 affordable units currently under construction—and will help meet the region’s need for high-quality, affordable childcare.
The Orchard Vista Apartments will serve households at or below 60% of area median income. Through a public-private partnership with the Spokane-based Inland Group, SHA is developing the housing with working families in mind. It is centrally located in a commercial area, just minutes away from a WinCo Foods, the Valley Transit Center, the Spokane Valley Library, Spokane Valley City Hall, and Balfour Park. The first units are expected to be ready for occupancy by May 2026, with full project completion by year end.
To further support working families with children, SHA set aside a quarter-acre parcel on the same site to construct a childcare center. The planned 4,500-square-foot facility will be located on the site’s northwest corner. SHA has already invested approximately $580,000 of its own general unrestricted funds in land acquisition and site preparation.
The award will enable SHA to work with a design team, including a childcare provider, who will advise on facility design, ensuring the space is shaped by expert guidance and aligned with its operational needs. The final design and operating model will determine the number of new childcare slots the center will support. SHA currently estimates capacity for two classrooms of approximately 18-20 students each, for a total of 36-40 new Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) or Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) slots available to residents of the Orchard Vista Apartments and qualifying families in the surrounding area.
SHA will own the facility and lease it to an operator. SHA aims to minimize debt on the property to support an economically viable agreement between both the operator and SHA. SHA will collaborate with the operator to ensure the facility meets community needs, including the potential provision of extended or non-traditional childcare hours.
“Investing in this new childcare and early learning facility is really an investment in our community’s future,” said Pamela Parr, Executive Director of SHA. “Families will have access to high-quality care that supports children’s development and gives parents the peace of mind they need to thrive at work. For employers, this project strengthens the local workforce by reducing childcare barriers and helping parents stay engaged in their careers. We’re proud to help create a space that benefits families, supports businesses, and builds a strong foundation for our region.”