CLPHA Press Room

From the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles' (HACLA) press release:

The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) has been named a 2025 Digital Inclusion Trailblazer by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA).  The award marks HACLA as a national leader in the fight to ensure that high-speed internet, devices, and digital literacy are no longer luxuries--- but fundamental tools to opportunity and success.  This year, HACLA joins 58 other Digital Inclusion Trailblazers paving the way for digitally inclusive communities across the US. 

“This recognition places our agency among national leaders who are committed to measurable action including connection to jobs, education, and healthcare,” said HACLA President & CEO Lourdes Castro Ramirez. “Being named a ‘Trailblazer’ reinforces our commitment that every HACLA resident has the tools and training necessary to thrive in a digital-first world. We aren’t just providing internet; we are providing a pathway to opportunity.” 

HACLA achieved Trailblazer status by meeting rigorous national standards across seven categories of best practices.  Key initiatives that drove the agency’s success include: 

• The Digital Ambassador Program: A peer-led initiative that provides hands-on tech support and training directly within residential communities. 

• Strategic ISP Partnerships: Collaborations with providers like Starry, Verizon, AT&T, and Spectrum to bring affordable, high-speed infrastructure to public housing. 

• Device Access & Learning Centers: On-site Technology Learning Clubs (TLC) and Community Learning Centers that provide the hardware and space needed for digital growth. 

• Inter-Agency Collaboration: Partnerships with the Mayor’s Office, the Economic & Workforce Development Department, and Cal State University Dominguez Hills to integrate digital skills with career readiness. 

“Nonprofits, libraries, churches, and other community organizations can’t reach digital equity on their own. For everyone to thrive in today’s digital world, we need all hands-on-deck,” said Angela Siefer, NDIA executive director. “NDIA’s Digital Inclusion Trailblazer program exemplifies the key role of local governments in building digital opportunities for all of their residents.” 

Trailblazers provide models for other local governments to aspire to as communities build digital inclusion ecosystems. Each applicant’s materials are verified for accuracy, assessed for community impact, and posted in an interactive map and searchable database on NDIA’s website. By sharing materials with open-sourcing, NDIA provides community advocates and local governments ways to continue learning, connect with trailblazing peers, and plan their own digital inclusion solutions. 

From the Boston Housing Authority's press release:

Mayor Michelle Wu, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, the Boston Housing Authority (BHA), Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), and residents today joined federal, state, and local partners to celebrate the completion of The Amp, the third and final phase of Flat 9 at Whittier, a HUD Choice Neighborhoods redevelopment in Roxbury. 

The milestone marks the full transformation of the Whittier Street Apartments in Roxbury, which launched with the support of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Choice Neighborhoods Initiative. In 2016, HUD awarded a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods grant to the City of Boston and the Boston Housing Authority as co-grantees, supporting housing redevelopment, resident services, and broader neighborhood investment.

“Whittier has long been a foundation for Roxbury families,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “This redevelopment is transformational for the city, bringing even more affordable housing and deeper connections to the neighborhood than before the project began. I’m grateful to work with Congresswoman Pressley and our local, state, federal and nonprofit partners who helped deliver this project.” 

“The completion of The Amp at Flat 9 is a powerful example of what’s possible when we commit to investing in our communities with intention and care,” said State Senator Liz Miranda. “The transformation of the Whittier Street Apartments represents more than new buildings, it reflects a promise to Roxbury families that they deserve safe, dignified housing and vibrant community spaces. I’m proud to celebrate this milestone with the residents, partners, and leaders who made this vision a reality and who continue to show what equitable development can look like in our city.”

Originally built in the early 1950s, the 200 public housing units at Whittier Street Apartments have been home to generations of low-income Boston families. The multi-year redevelopment has replaced those units with 210 deeply-affordable homes and created 262 additional mixed-income rental units across the site and within the nearby neighborhood, a total of 472 units of housing. The project also introduced new streets, retail space, play areas, and pedestrian-friendly design that integrates the development into the surrounding community.

“This celebration is more than a decade in the making. We could not be more proud to welcome our Whittier families home and to celebrate a project that brings new life and critical new housing opportunities to the Roxbury neighborhood,” said Boston Housing Authority Administrator Kenzie Bok. “This project is a reminder of what we can achieve when federal, state, and local partners work together to deliver the housing our families deserve.”

The Amp is a 12-story, mixed-income residential building located at the corner of Tremont, Ruggles, and Whittier Streets. Completed in September 2025, it adds 172 apartment homes ranging from studios to two-bedroom units, along with shared community spaces, roof decks, a fitness room, landscaped outdoor areas, and approximately 9,000 square feet of commercial space intended to support neighborhood-serving uses.

“We are thrilled to reach this important milestone in the comprehensive redevelopment of the former Whittier public housing site into a vibrant mixed income community with access to jobs and cultural amenities,” said Aaron Gornstein, President and CEO of Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH). “The Amp furthers Mayor Wu’s and Governor Healey’s goal to expand affordable housing production near public transit while providing much needed commercial space for local business so the Roxbury community can continue to thrive.”

Flat 9 at Whittier was developed in three phases. Phase One, completed in January 2020, delivered 92 family-sized apartments with a community lounge and playground and created 76 additional mixed-income apartments—including 43 BHA replacement units—nearby in Madison Park Village. Phase Two, completed in December 2021, added 52 mixed-income units with shared community spaces. Phase Three, The Amp, completes the redevelopment and introduces a high-rise residential building with modern amenities and commercial space.

All three phases were developed through a partnership among POAH, the Boston Housing Authority and Madison Park Development Corporation. All phases include both affordable and market-rate housing.

In addition to its transformational housing investments, the HUD Choice Neighborhood initiative invests in people and in community-based programs to help residents achieve their personal and financial goals. With the help of this programming, four Whittier families were able to purchase a home with support from BHA and the City of Boston, while others achieved new educational and professional milestones.

The City of Boston invested $8.8 million towards Flat Nine at Whittier, including direct investments in the first two phases, and significant infrastructure and neighborhood investments that supported the whole project. The State Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) invested more than $24 million in direct subsidy, and significant state and federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits towards the project.

Residents and community stakeholders were deeply involved in planning the redevelopment, which began in 2013. Community priorities—including open space, public art, bike infrastructure, and access to transit—shaped the final design.

From the Chicago Housing Authority's press release:

At its January 2026 meeting today, the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Board of Commissioners took significant steps toward redeveloping Loomis Courts and ensuring continued renovations at the Lathrop and Robert Brooks Homes sites.

Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) selected as partner for Loomis Courts

The CHA Board approved the selection of Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) as the developer on the mixed-finance redevelopment of Loomis Courts, a 126-unit, two-building affordable housing community on the Near West Side. CHA will contract with POAH on the comprehensive rehabilitation of the property, including a significant renovation of all units, replacement of major systems to ensure the buildings’ longevity, and the construction of new property management offices and resident amenity spaces. The exterior and interior upgrades will preserve affordability, improve safety and usability, and modernize apartments for residents.

Loomis Courts is currently operating under a Project-Based Rental Assistance contract, which limits CHA’s ability to access federal funding for major repairs.

Leaseholders who relocated from Loomis Courts as early as January 2020 will have a priority return after rehabilitation. This timeline was developed in collaboration with a Loomis Courts planning committee of current and former residents and community stakeholders.

POAH is a nationally recognized non-profit developer with extensive experience in renovation, redevelopment and new construction of affordable housing. POAH presently works with the CHA on the preservation and rehabilitation of Levy House, a 57-unit senior building in Rogers Park, as well as managing project-based voucher contracts at multiple properties.

Lathrop Phase 1C to move forward

The CHA Board of Commissioners has cleared the way for completion of the third phase of the Lathrop redevelopment project. The board has approved an additional $4 million in CHA loan funds. The third phase will preserve seven residential buildings and one new construction building, delivering a total of 309 new and renovated mixed-income residential rental units.

The overall revitalization plan is a multi-phased, mixed-income, mixed-use redevelopment effort. The first two phases delivered 179 CHA units and 488 total units. The CHA board previously approved a maximum loan of $37 million in March 2024 but since that time, construction costs have significantly increased, resulting in a financing gap for this phase of Lathrop development to proceed. 

The financial closing for this project is anticipated in the Summer 2026 and construction is anticipated to start at the same time. 

Robert Brooks Homes Retrofit moves to phase III and beyond

The Board also approved an Architect of Record (AOR) services contract to KOO LLC for the Robert Brooks Homes Retrofit (Phases III-VIII). Six two-story row home buildings are currently being renovated as part of phase II of that project. In the next phase of that work, 38 two-story buildings at Brooks Homes will undergo comprehensive renovations, including new plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems. The Robert Brooks Homes development was built in 1943 and consists of 44 rowhouses. 

From HUD's Choice Neighborhoods Spotlight newsletter:

This month’s Spotlight article describes how Atlanta Housing partnered with Morehouse School of Medicine in its two Choice Neighborhoods sites to dramatically improve health outcomes for residents, many of whom have chronic health conditions. At University Homes, Atlanta’s first Implementation Grant awarded in 2015, this partnership resulted in the percentage of residents with medical homes (defined as having a regular place of healthcare other than the emergency room) increasing from 72% to 100%.  Atlanta’s second Implementation Grant, awarded in 2023, is already demonstrating strong progress among former Bowen residents with medical homes rates rising from 50% to 86%. These results go beyond access to medical care and impact residents’ economic mobility.  Choice Neighborhoods residents often report health conditions as a major barrier to employment and struggle obtaining or keeping a job due to major illnesses, lack of dental care, or chronic conditions. And for senior residents aging within public housing, providing access to care helps maintain their well-being and ensures they can remain in their homes as their health needs change.

Read HUD's Choice Neighborhoods Spotlight on Atlanta Housing's health partnership.

From the Spokane Housing Authority's press release:

The Spokane Housing Authority (SHA) has received two awards totaling $7.48 million from the Washington State Department of Commerce to develop Chalice Place, an 85-unit affordable housing project located at the intersection of North Wall and Country Homes Boulevard, adjacent to the Country Homes Christian Church. The development will serve seniors and individuals with disabilities, offering housing affordable to households earning less than 50% of the area median income.

$6.5 million, awarded from the Housing Trust Fund, will subsidize construction costs. $980,550, awarded through the Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program (CHIP), will be used to expand water supply, enabling high-density residential development on the urban infill site. SHA thanks Spokane County for partnering on the joint application for this CHIP funding.

In addition, SHA recently learned that the Washington State Housing Finance Commission ranked the project second in the Metro Pool for federal 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits for 2026. SHA expects these tax credits to drive significant private investment and establish a strong public-private partnership.

SHA secured an option to purchase the land in early 2025 from the Country Homes Christian Church. The development was named Chalice Place to reflect the prominence of the chalice in the Church’s theology. This initiative aligns with SHA’s mission to create and sustain high quality affordable housing options that encourage individual prosperity and support healthy communities.

Construction on the project is intended to commence in fall 2026, with completion anticipated by spring 2028. The waiting list is not yet available. SHA is committed to a development process that is transparent, accountable, and responsive to our community’s needs.

To follow the development of Chalice Place and for more information about Spokane Housing Authority, follow the organization on Facebook or visit www.spokanehousing.org.