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!
Announcing the New CLPHA.org
(WASHINGTON) January 7, 2019 - The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) is pleased to announce the launch of our newly-redesigned website.
The new CLPHA.org showcases our member PHAs and offers industry news and updates with a bright, modern look and dynamic, user-friendly content that is easy to navigate on a desktop computer or a mobile device.
DYNAMIC: A carousel of stories and the latest news on the front page keeps the content fresh. CLPHA.org is a website to bookmark and visit regularly.
INFORMATIONAL: At the new CLPHA.org, you will find articles and information about the latest developments on Capitol Hill and from HUD, facts and updates about programs important to public and affordable housing, and news from CLPHA about our work on behalf of our members.
USER-FRIENDLY: The new CLPHA.org features sections on each of CLPHA's priorities: Public Housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, Moving to Work, RAD, and our cross-sector initiative Housing Is. Plus, dedicated sections for Legislation & Policy, Press, News & Events, and Membership.
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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.
Experts to Present First National Snapshot of Health Partnerships in Public Housing
Free Webinar Aug. 29, 12 PM ET
WASHINGTON (August 28, 2018) - Half of the nation’s public housing authorities (PHAs) are engaged in a resident health initiative, most with a health organization partner according to Health Starts at Home: A National Snapshot of Public Housing Authorities' Health Partnerships, the latest report released by the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) and the Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation (PAHRC). The report provides the first national snapshot of PHA efforts to address residents’ health care needs and emphasizes opportunities for collaboration between the health and housing sectors.
Report authors Steve Lucas, MPH, CLPHA Health Research and Policy Manger for the Housing Is Initiative, Keely Stater, PHD, PAHRC Director of Research and Industry Intelligence, and Kelly McElwain, PAHRC Research Analyst III, will present their analysis during a free webinar on August 29, 2018 at 12:00 PM ET.
“Housing and health systems need to work together,” said Lucas, who designed and implemented the original survey that led to the report. “Public housing authorities are significant providers of housing to those in need, offering the health sector scale and expertise. We found that PHAs across the country are engaged in a wide range of partnerships with different health organizations that address various target populations and health priorities. Though there are barriers to housing-health collaboration, such as funding and staffing capacity, these can be overcome with cross-system partnerships that seek to address these needs.”
Lucas published the initial survey findings in an issue of CityScape, a research publication of the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development. The article, “Connecting Fragmented Systems: Public Housing Authority Partnerships with the Health Sector,” is posted to the HUD User website.
What: Free Webinar: Building PHA Health Initiatives and Cross-Sector Partnerships
When: Wednesday, August 29, 2018, 12:00 PM ET
WEBINAR RECORDING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5-jm5eF_YU&t=24s
Webinar Presenters
Steve Lucas, MPH
Health Research and Policy Manager, Housing Is Initiative,
Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
Keely Stater, PhD
Director of Research and Industry Intelligence,
Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation,
HAI Group's Research Division
Kelly McElwain
Research Analyst III,
Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation,
HAI Group's Research Division
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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 26 percent 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 Housing Is
CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative helps establish, broaden, and deepen efforts to align affordable housing, education, and health systems to produce positive, long-term results. We are building a future where systems work together to improve life outcomes for low-income people. Learn more at HousingIs.org and on Twitter @Housing_Is.
CLPHA Opposes Administration Proposal to Increase Rent Burden on Lowest-Income Residents
WASHINGTON (May 14, 2018) - The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) strongly opposes the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) recently announced proposal to increase rent burdens on low-income residents residing in public housing and assisted housing.
The core of HUD’s rent reform proposal is to shift the burden of chronic federal underfunding of assisted housing to low-income residents who can least afford it. While there are advantages to a proposal that simplifies rent calculations and reduces administrative burdens for public housing authorities (PHAs), this proposal requires that PHAs raise rents in order to benefit from common sense rent simplification. Even with the benefit of housing assistance, many public housing residents are already spending more than 30% of their income on rent. A 2017 HUD study reported that the average Housing Choice Voucher recipient had a rent burden of 37% in 2015. Nationally, we represent PHAs serving residents in the most expensive housing markets in the country, where voucher holders are especially likely to have to incur high rent burdens to gain access to higher opportunity neighborhoods of their choice.
Given existing rent burdens, this proposal raises serious concerns about the negative impact the proposed rent calculations would have on residents. Through changes to 35% of unadjusted income for families and 30% of unadjusted income for the elderly and disabled, many assisted households would see significant rent increases. For example, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) estimates that public housing residents would see an average 36% rent increase while Housing Choice Voucher households would experience an average 23% rent increase. With an average annual household income of $21,000 for public housing residents and $16,000 for voucher holders served by HACLA, these increases represent substantial burdens that may interfere with a household’s ability to afford other necessities.
Beyond concerns regarding the fairness of further cost-burdening residents, there is some evidence to suggest that increased rents do not financially benefit PHAs and may have the opposite effect. When the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) implemented a HUD-mandated flat rent increase in 2014, impacted residents experienced an average rent increase of 46%. NYCHA saw their rent collection rate decrease among those impacted by the increase. NYCHA’s experience reflects the reality that increased rent payments only exacerbates affordability issues and puts more residents at risk of delinquency and eviction, resulting in more challenges for PHAs and less predictable revenue.
In addition to our concerns about the impacts of the proposed rent calculations, we note that the timing of these proposed changes are problematic for two reasons. First, some components of the proposal contradict important changes to housing assistance made through the recent federally enacted Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA) in 2016 by unanimous vote of the House and Senate. HUD has yet to publish implementation regulations for some of the key provisions in the bill. For example, HOTMA increased the deduction of medical expenses for elderly and disabled families and tied the deduction to inflation, while HUD’s proposal eliminates these deductions entirely. A significant number of elderly and disabled households currently use medical deductions, many of whom have substantial medical costs. We question the elimination of this deduction particularly when it is already undergoing a very different set of changes through congressionally-mandated HOTMA.
We also question the timing of these proposed changes given the fact that in 2012, HUD commissioned a four-site demonstration from MDRC to study several rent reform elements included in the proposal, including triennial recertification, elimination of income deductions, and ignorable asset limits. One of the research questions the demonstration is explicitly testing is whether these reforms reduce work disincentives and increase family self-sufficiency among families receiving vouchers. With results expected in 2019, HUD should use insights from the study to inform design of a rent reform model that most effectively promotes self-sufficiency.
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
CLPHA, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit organization working to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis and public education. It represents most of the nation’s largest public housing authorities.
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(Washington, D.C.) June 17, 2021 – The nation's leading advocacy organizations representing public housing authorities have come together to support universal housing vouchers. The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, the Moving to Work Collaborative, the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, and the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association have released the joint letter below:
"Safe, secure, and stable housing is as essential to America’s social safety net as are Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. Housing stability is central to improving life outcomes and economic mobility for low-income Americans. However, only one in five low-income households that are eligible to receive housing assistance can be served by existing programs due to limited funding. The pandemic has reinforced that rental assistance, such as the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, is critical to ensuring housing stability and managing sudden losses in income. Just as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are structured to be available to all who are eligible, rental assistance must be too. Expansion of the voucher program offers a proven and effective approach to scale universal housing assistance to address housing instability and prevent homelessness in America.
Housing Choice Vouchers are a proven source of permanent housing stability. They are highly effective at providing long-term financial stability to formerly homeless populations and others experiencing housing instability. A recent HUD study found that offering families a permanent housing voucher resulted in greater housing and family stability compared to short-term interventions. Furthermore, a recent study from Columbia University found that expanding housing vouchers to all eligible households could help reduce poverty by 9.3 million people as well as reduce racial disparities in poverty. Vouchers are also frequently paired with supportive services to offer comprehensive assistance to individuals with complex mental and physical health conditions. Public housing authorities are uniquely positioned to aid low-income families in their challenges to regain employment and support children’s virtual learning because of their partnerships with nonprofit and government service providers that focus on education, health, and employment. Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies recently reported on the critical role that service coordinators in publicly funded housing have played in providing food and supplies, assisting with technology, and combatting resident anxiety and loneliness. Housing Choice Vouchers are a proven and effective rental assistance delivery system to scale universal housing assistance because they can be quickly distributed through the existing network of 2,200 state and local housing agencies that administer vouchers in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Housing authorities are trusted experts and partners in their local rental markets, have been administering the voucher program for nearly 50 years and are accountable to local and federal oversight and operate with significant public input. With the proper funding, housing authorities have the capacity for a rapid expansion. Housing vouchers power local communities. Landlords, many of whom operate as a small business, understand that the voucher program is a guaranteed, reliable income source and provides the benefit of long-term stability. PHAs have been using the additional funding and regulatory relief provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to expedite administrative processes most often cited by landlords as reasons for preferring unassisted tenants. With this funding, PHAs have also been able to offer incentives and support to increase landlord participation in the HCV program. We must strive to be a nation that believes that all people deserve the security that comes from having a home. Housing Choice Vouchers are the path to achieving this vision." |
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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
May 11, 2021 |
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(Washington, D.C.) May 11, 2021 – CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement supporting the New York City Housing Authority’s call to double the public housing infrastructure investment proposed in the American Jobs Plan to $80 billion:
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities urges the Senate Majority Leader to stand firm on his call to double the public housing infrastructure investment in the American Jobs Plan to $80 billion in his meeting today with President Biden, Speaker Pelosi and GOP leadership.
“The New York City Housing Authority deserves its fair share of Senator Schumer’s request since it serves nearly double the amount of residents than any other housing authority, and its housing portfolio is among the oldest in the nation. Decades of chronic disinvestment has driven its unmet capital repairs alone to $40 billion. The $80 billion request enjoys critical support from Congresswoman Nydia Valezquez (D-NY) and the NYC-area Congressional delegation. This investment would also be a significant step to addressing racial inequity, a key priority of the Biden administration.
“As the American Jobs Plan moves through the legislative process, political leaders must guarantee that housing will remain in the infrastructure bill and that the commitment to recapitalize public housing infrastructure be doubled to $80 billion so that the needs of NYCHA and public housing portfolios across the nation are adequately met.”
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
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April 28, 2021
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(Washington, D.C.) April 28, 2021 – CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement in response to President's Biden's joint address to Congress tonight to mark his first 100 days in office:
"President Biden’s commitment to investing in our nation’s future through the American Jobs Plan and the American Families Plan, which was released tonight, has the potential to lift the lives of more than 2 million families living in our nation’s public and affordable housing. The American Jobs Plan improves the lives of public housing residents through a $40 billion commitment to retrofit and rebuild public housing properties to 21st century codes and standards.
"The American Families Plan improves the lives of public housing residents by expanding access to quality pre-school, direct support to children and families through child care, and investing of the childcare workforce, of which many public housing residents are employed. Because public housing residents are often employed in low-wage positions that do not offer paid leave they will be among the many beneficiaries of the national comprehensive paid family and medical leave program in the Families Plan.
"Public housing has always been about more than buildings. It is about the hopes and dreams of millions of Americans. The combination of the American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan is a powerful offer to make those dreams a reality."
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
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The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles alongside partner Meta Housing Corporation, opened El Segundo Apartments and 127th Street Apartments in Harbor Gateway, two new communities offering a combined 160 units of permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless families and individuals.
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), partner Red Eye, Inc., and celebrity guests celebrated the opening of the Watts Empowerment Center Sports Complex at HACLA’s Imperial Courts community with basketball games, soccer matches, a slam dunk contest, and other activities.
Fort Worth Housing Solutions (FWHS)President Mary-Margaret Lemons penned an op-ed in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about FWHS’s efforts to increase the city’s affordable housing options, such as their utilization of the RAD program.
The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) and partners cut the ribbon on the Residences at Hayes Street, a 150-unit affordable housing community constructed with help from a $2 million DCHA loan. DCHA will also provide nearly $241,000 annually in rent subsidies to residents.
The Charlotte Housing Authority has opened The Oaks at Cherry, an 81-unit affordable housing community with resident amenities such a playground, cyber café, and fitness center in Charlotte’s historic Cherry neighborhood. You can watch a video about The Oaks at Cherry community here.
From the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh's press release:
This school year marks a major milestone for the Clean Slate E3 Scholarship Program and our valued partners at NEED. Scholarship investments in HACP youth have now exceeded $1 million since the program’s 2009 inception.
Clean Slate and NEED have awarded funds to 24 new Clean Slate E3 Scholarship recipients (which equals up to $480,000 over four years), and 14 returning students for the 2026-27 school year. This school year’s total contributions for the 38 scholarships is $187,500.
Clean Slate awards up to $4,000 and NEED awards up to $1,000 a year for four years to each recipient, with total awards of up to $20,000 to recipients who are chosen by representatives at NEED.
Monies from the scholarship fund come from HACP employee donations and other contributions; it is not funded with federal dollars.
“The HACP is committed to investing in its youth,” HACP Executive Director Caster D. Binion said. “This commitment is evident by the ongoing efforts of the Clean Slate E3 Scholarship Program, and our own employee donations and other contributions that have helped us to surpass such a monumental milestone with more than $1 million in funding since 2009. We are proud of our youth who are putting in this hard work to secure bright futures, and are happy to help them by being a place to live and a path to launch.”
HACP residents — in both Low-Income Public Housing and the Housing Choice Voucher Program — who are either graduating high school or continuing their college education with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher — are eligible to apply.
“We’ve reached two milestones this year. This is the largest group of scholarship recipients that we’ve had since the inception of the scholarship program in 2009 and we’ve surpassed the $1 million dollar mark in scholarships funded to HACP youth!” Susan Lofaro, Clean Slate E3 program manager, said. “I’m excited by the momentum that this Clean Slate E3 program has made in the past year and we’ll continue our outreach efforts.”
She added Clean Slate wants families to know scholarships are given to students attending traditional four-year institutions, as well as those wishing to attend trade or technical schools.
“We continue to be grateful for our partnership with NEED to ensure a seamless process when working with both the students and schools,” she said.
“Receiving this 20,000 scholarship would help me pay for my education and reduce the stress of paying for college,” Housing Choice Voucher resident Heaven-Marie Green said. “It would allow me to focus more on my classes, learning and reaching my goals instead of worrying about money. This scholarship would also help me buy books, supplies and cover other school-related expenses, making it easier for me to succeed.” Heaven-Marie is majoring in education at Duquesne University.
“This scholarship would help with books and any supplies needed for my education, which would greatly ease my family’s financial burden, allowing them to focus on my siblings while I continue studying,” Samara Freeman. Samara, a Low-Income Public Housing resident, is majoring in psychology at Cheyney University.
From The Journal Record:
Oklahoma City is making progress on six major developments that will add hundreds of affordable housing units across the area.
Funded partly through the MAPS 4 initiative, the plan combines permanent supportive housing, public housing remodels, and workforce accommodations for families. Assistant Executive Director Greg Shinn updated the City Council on Tuesday.
“These projects are intended to intentionally target those parts of the housing need for different sectors of our population,” Shinn said. “Keep homelessness in check, try to reduce homelessness, try to have family workforce housing.”
Oklahoma City faces an estimated shortfall of 45,000 affordable housing units, according to Oklahoma City’s Key to Home Strategy Implementation Manager Jamie Caves. To tackle the deficit, the MAPS 4 Homelessness Program is investing $55.7 million in taxpayer funds. Officials expect to leverage more than $400 million in additional housing funds over the next decade.
From Lincoln Avenue Communities' press release:
Lincoln Avenue Communities (LAC), a mission-driven acquirer and developer of affordable housing, and the Housing Authority of Salt Lake City (HASLC), the largest affordable housing provider in Salt Lake Valley, broke ground on the future site of Erma’s at Fairmont, a 110-unit affordable senior housing development in Salt Lake City, during a ceremony with community leaders and public partners.
“LAC is proud to break ground on Erma’s at Fairmont, which will bring high-quality, affordable housing to seniors in the heart of Salt Lake City’s Sugar House neighborhood,” said Rusty Snow, LAC Vice President and Regional Project Partner. “This project reflects our commitment to providing high-quality in communities most impacted by the affordability crisis.”
Erma’s at Fairmont will feature a mix of one and two- bedroom apartments. The community will lease its units to seniors earning between 20% to 80% of the area median income (AMI). The development will set aside five units for residents with a history of homelessness, six units for residents with disabilities and eight units for residents with mobility impairments.
The apartments, uniquely located directly on Fairmont Park in the Sugarhouse neighborhood, will offer a picturesque view and be conveniently situated near medical facilities, shopping centers, entertainment venues, recreational areas, transportation hubs, and outdoor amenities. Communal amenities include a fitness center, community room, bicycle park with permanently installed racks, elevator service and structured parking. A second phase of housing is planned on the southern portion of the site, which will add a second tower with additional affordable units.
“This is a very unusual new project,” said Daniel Nackerman, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of Salt Lake City and President of HAME, the non-profit developer. “It is located on some of the most expensive land in Utah yet it is 100% affordable and is in the epicenter of surrounding elements for the quality of life of our seniors. It also helps with our mayor’s goal of lessening gentrification in a very booming neighborhood – where seniors can now stay close to all…”
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
From the Housing Authority of Baltimore City's press release:
In recognition of National Homeownership Month, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) and the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) today highlighted their continued partnership to help Baltimore residents achieve the dream of homeownership.
Through HABC’s Homeownership Program and Services and DHCD’s First-Time Homebuyer Incentive Program, the two agencies combine resources to provide residents with the support needed to purchase homes. Through HABC’s program, 120 Baltimore residents became homeowners over the last eight years, generating nearly $25 million in property sales — an average of approximately $200,000 per home — supported by more than $4 million in down payment and closing cost assistance.
HABC currently has 26 families with mortgages approved under contract or searching for a home. The agency plans to help at least 50 families purchase a home in 2026.
“We create opportunities to self-sufficiency and invest in programs that encourage economic mobility,” said Janet Abrahams, HABC’s President and CEO. “Homeownership can serve as a pathway to increased financial independence by helping families establish credit, build savings, and invest in their communities.”
Over the past fiscal year, DHCD invested $2.7 million and assisted more than 240 families on their path to homeownership through its various programs.
“We are expanding opportunities for Baltimore residents to achieve the dream of owning a home by supporting not only first-time homebuyers, but also City employees, and workforce housing initiatives,” said Acting Housing Commissioner Tim Keane. “Our partnership with HABC has been especially impactful, helping Housing Choice Voucher participants and Public Housing Residents move from renting to owning and build generational wealth through homeownership in the private market.”
Together, HABC and DHCD administer a range of programs that support residents at every stage of the homebuying journey, including:
- Homebuyer education programs that prepare residents for the homeownership process
- One-on-one homeownership counseling and financial readiness support
- Down payment and closing cost assistance programs for eligible homebuyers
- Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program supporting rental-to-ownership transitions
- City-supported housing programs designed to expand equitable access to ownership
Resident Jenise Coney recently completed HABC’s Homeownership Program and will close on her first home at the end of June.
“I always wanted to have my own home and to be able to say that it is mine,” said Coney. “HABC’s Homeownership Program is excellent and allows people to move forward, buy a house, and become their own landlords. It’s a blessing to be able to leave a legacy to your kids, grandkids, or a family member.”
Along with the programming the agencies provide year-round, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City along with partners will host Keys to the City – Homeownership and Development Showcase on June 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pleasant View Gardens, 201 Aisquith Street. The event will serve as a central access point for residents to engage directly with housing counselors, lenders, developers and program representatives offering guidance on homebuying opportunities and financial assistance.
Residents can sign up for the June 27 Homeownership program at [email protected] or call 410-396-4171.
Throughout National Homeownership Month, HABC is also highlighting Baltimore residents like Conyer who have successfully purchased homes through City-supported programs, showcasing real stories that demonstrate what is possible when residents are connected to the right resources.
“Homebuyer programs provide residents with more than financial assistance—they offer education, guidance, and pathways to wealth-building,” said Abrahams. “These programs help public housing residents turn the dream of owning a home into a sustainable reality.”
From Atlanta Housing:
Some honors recognize achievement. Others recognize a legacy of service.
Congratulations to our CEO Terri M. Lee on being named a 2026 Diamond Award Laureate by The Not Alone Foundation during The Academy of the Diamond Awards.
Terri received The Crown Jewel: Presidential Diamond Award for Transformational Housing Leadership, Community Development, Economic Empowerment, Humanitarian Service & Civic Impact, recognizing her visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to expanding opportunity, strengthening communities, and improving lives through affordable housing.
She was also honored with the inaugural Xernona Clayton Humanitarian Honor, established to preserve the extraordinary legacy of civil rights icon Xernona Clayton and to recognize leaders whose courage, compassion, and servant leadership have made a lasting impact on the communities they serve.
Reserved for extraordinary women and men whose lives have become instruments of hope, justice, compassion, and transformational service, The Xernona Clayton Humanitarian Honor stands among the Academy's highest distinctions. Established in perpetuity to preserve the enduring legacy of civil rights icon, humanitarian, and global bridge-builder Ms. Xernona Clayton, this honor recognizes individuals whose leadership transcends profession to restore dignity, expand opportunity, uplift humanity, and leave an indelible imprint upon the world. It celebrates those who do not simply witness history—they change its course through courage, conviction, and an unwavering commitment to the human spirit.
Like a diamond, transformational leadership is forged through resilience, vision, integrity, and service. Through her leadership at Atlanta Housing, Terri continues to help build stronger communities, expand economic opportunity, and create pathways to a brighter future for thousands of families across metro Atlanta.