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 dgreer@clpha.org.
*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.
Congresswoman Donna Shalala (D-FL) To Discuss Importance of Cross-Sector Collaboration
(Washington, D.C.) June 2, 2020 -- The COVID-19 global pandemic has laid bare the systemic inequities in our fractured social safety net, which creates barriers for low-income individuals and families. The CLPHA 2020 Housing Is Virtual Summit on June 4 and 5 spotlights how critical collaboration at the intersection of housing, education, and health is the most effective community response to the pandemic.
Congresswoman Donna Shalala (D-FL), who also served as Secretary of Health and Human Services from 1993-2001, will bring her deep knowledge from a career in leadership positions in housing, health and education to her keynote session. “Improving health outcomes has been my life’s work. This won’t happen without a holistic approach including integrating housing and education with health. This why I am honored to be the keynote speaker at the 2020 Housing Is Virtual Summit,” said Congresswoman Shalala.
Spanning two days and featuring over 20 online sessions, CLPHA's 2020 Housing Is Summit is the nation’s pre-eminent cross-sector gathering sharing lessons learned in cross-sector collaboration, including deep dives into systems change, embedding equity practices, and the evolving impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our work and lives.
What CLPHA 2020 Housing Is Virtual Summit
When: June 4 (12:00 PM ET Start) and 5 (11:00 AM ET Start)
Where: Virtual. Register: bit.ly/HousingIs2020registration
RSVP: David Greer, dgreer@clpha.org
(Media, please RSVP and register so CLPHA can help set up interviews with conference speakers.)
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 and follow @housing_is for news on CLPHA’s work to better intersect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.
(Washington, D.C.) February 25, 2022 -- Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement about President Joe Biden’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court: “The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds President Biden’s historic nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. If confirmed, Judge Jackson will be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court after more than two centuries of the Court’s existence, and she will bring near gender parity with four women serving on the Court. Judge Jackson will bring experience as a public defender to the Court for the first time since Justice Thurgood Marshall retired in 1991. “President Biden campaigned on the promise to be intentional with his first Supreme Court pick. Intentionality is at the heart of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion movement to bring greater racial equity to our nation’s workplaces. President’s Biden choice of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for a seat on the nation’s highest court represents an important step forward for racial justice in our country.” |
|
|
(202) 550-1381
|
|
||
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
Honored to Be Only Housing Organization to Sign Commitment Letter (Washington, D.C.) December 7, 2021 — The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) applauds the Biden-Harris Administration’s Maternal Health Call to Action announced today, and CLPHA was honored to be the only housing organization to sign the letter of commitment to the action. This recognition speaks to CLPHA’s leadership in health equity and long-standing dedication to improving maternal health among residents of CLPHA’s member public housing authorities (PHAs). CLPHA launched its commitment to maternal health and many other health-related issues with the creation of the pioneering Housing Is Initiative in 2015. Housing Is helps broaden and launch efforts to align housing, education, and health organizations to produce positive long-term outcomes for those experiencing poverty. Collaboration across systems and sectors—through shared goals, focused resources, and coordinated efforts—strengthens our collective ability to serve the needs of low-income individuals and families effectively and efficiently, and our work’s focus includes young mothers who are disproportionally impacted by housing insecurity. “The Biden-Harris Administration’s decision to lift maternal health to a White House initiative reflects their continuing commitment to address issues impacting low-income families,” said Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities. “From the American Rescue Plan Act that contained an expansion of emergency rental assistance and the child tax credit to the Build Back Better Act that expands housing opportunities for low-income families, the Biden-Harris Administration is proposing a transformational investment in America’s low-income women and families." Maternal health is an issue embedded with racial, health, and housing disparities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related causes than white women. With the majority of PHA residents being Black, indigenous, or people of color, PHAs understand they play a critical role in addressing racial inequities through increased focus on maternal health. CLPHA’s members have been at the forefront of developing programs around maternal health for their residents. The Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority and CelebrateOne partnered to create Healthy Beginnings at Home, an initiative to reduce infant mortality through a housing intervention. The Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority has partnered with the Full Term First Birthday Initiative to replicate the Healthy Beginnings at Home program. The Boston Housing Authority and Boston Public Health Commission created the Healthy Start in Housing Program that provides housing for homeless men and women with very small children with medical issues, as well as pregnant women experiencing homelessness. CLPHA looks forward to supporting the Biden-Harris Administration’s Maternal Health Call to Action with its own activities, including a Martin Luther King Jr. Day virtual event on January 18, 2022 that will discuss how racial discrimination has jointly impacted housing inequities and maternal health outcomes and the interaction of these two disparities. During the 2022 Housing Is Summit on May 18-19, 2022, will also hold a leadership panel to discuss how different sectors can come together to create innovative solutions for the maternal health crisis in this country. ###
|
|
|
(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 |
In an interview with radio program Marketplace for its November 4 story "Apple pledges $2.5 billion to ease California’s housing crisis," CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman told reporter Jack Stewart that Apple's recent $2.5 billion Bay Area affordable housing pledge is an important starting point in addressing the nation's affordable housing shortage, but also noted that much more money is needed to help public housing authorities provide affordable housing for low-income individuals and families. Zaterman told Stewart that public housing needs an injection of $50 to 70 billion to address its massive capital needs backlog.
“The giving back here [by Apple] should be seen as necessary and required,” said Zaterman, “because these corporations are benefiting from the workforce, from the transportation systems, health systems, that are already in their communities.”
Read or listen to Marketplace's story.
In a new op-ed for The Hill, a prominent political newspaper widely read by policymakers, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman underscores the role of public housing authorities (PHAs) as essential partners in local efforts to house those who are particularly vulnerable to housing insecurity, including unsheltered families, veterans, people with disabilities, youth aging out of foster care, victims of domestic violence, and returning citizens. Programs like the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority’s Stable Homes Stable Schools and the Oakland Housing Authority’s Building Bridges are examples of how PHAs are leveraging their limited resources and local partnerships to create more opportunities for housing stability.
Yet, the President’s proposed FY2020 HUD budget would reduce the agency’s funding by more than 16 percent and slash the public housing operating and capital funds by $4.6 billion, which would seriously impede PHAs’ and their communities’ abilities to address the housing needs of low-income and housing-insecure people.
Though House and Senate appropriators propose modest funding increases in their FY20 spending bills, Zaterman argues that level funding is not enough to meet the growing and urgent demand for housing that is safe and affordable. “We can address the crisis of homelessness in America, and public housing authorities are prepared to help solve it with appropriate resources.”
Part two of Affordable Housing Finance’s special report “Turning Point for Public Housing,” explores tools such as the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) that public housing authorities can use to recapitalize and redevelop properties for their residents and communities. In the face of unsustainable federal funding levels, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman tells the magazine that public housing is at a crossroads, but with the right tools, “we could have the portfolio totally recapitalized in 10 years.”
Zaterman was also featured in part one of the series to discuss the impact of the federal disinvestment in public housing. “We have lost about 10,000 units a year from underfunding,” she said. But, “the number of public housing units lost may have slowed to about 8,000 a year, thanks to RAD, in the last couple of years.”
Read the series, which includes interviews with housing advocates, policy experts, and policymakers, online here.
On May 21, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Ben Carson, testified before the House Financial Services Committee at a hearing entitled “Housing in America: Oversight of the U.S. Department of Housing and Development” where he received pointed questions from the committee Democrats on recent HUD proposals such as rent reform, the non-citizen rule, and HUD’s FY20 budget request which would slash funding for public housing.
After the hearing, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman was asked by USA TODAY reporter Nicholas Wu about the accuracy of Carson’s justification of the non-citizen rule – that, based on Section 214, the Secretary may not support housing for people who are not here legally. Zaterman told Wu that the law “explicitly authorizes both those with eligible and ineligible immigration status to occupy units in ‘covered housing programs.’”
“This is a punitive act,” she said. “Even HUD’s justification laid out the negative impacts of doing this on the households themselves which often include children that are eligible and parents and heads of household who are not.” Read the USA TODAY article.
NPR’s May 16 story, which also aired May 22 on NPR’s Morning Edition, “Trump Administration Wants To Cut Funding For Public Housing Repairs,” featuring District of Columbia Housing Authority Executive Director Tyrone Garrett and CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman, underscores the need to reinvest in public housing with funding for the capital needs backlog and more tools for recapitalization and redevelopment.
Of the Trump Administration’s proposal to slash funding for public housing, Garrett says, “Other housing authorities throughout the country are in the same boat. We're looking for opportunities to be able to improve the lives of our families, and it's becoming increasingly difficult with the funding cuts."
From the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority's press release:
The VI Housing Finance Authority’s (VIHFA) Board of Directors announce the appointment of Eugene Jones, Jr. as its new Executive Director, effective Monday, April 8, 2024. With a strong track record of transformative leadership in public housing agencies across the United States and Canada, Mr. Jones brings a fresh perspective and a bold vision to address the housing challenges in the Virgin Islands.
“I am thrilled to announce that after a rigorous and thorough search process, the Board of Directors of the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority has selected Mr. Eugene Jones as the new Executive Director. Mr. Jones brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise, having previously served in numerous roles, including most recently as the Executive Director of the Atlanta Housing Authority,” shared VIHFA Board Chair Jenifer O’Neal.
“His leadership and vision will undoubtedly steer our organization towards greater heights, furthering our mission of providing affordable housing solutions to the residents of the Virgin Islands. As Chair of the Board, I join the other members in extending a warm welcome to Mr. Jones as he embarks on this new journey with us,” she added.
Mr. Jones has spent his entire career dedicated to improving housing conditions and fostering vibrant communities. Renowned as "Mr. Fix-It" within the industry, he has been instrumental in revitalizing troubled housing agencies in cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Toronto, New Orleans, and Detroit.
Reflecting on his appointment by the VIHFA Board of Directors, Mr. Jones remarked, "I am honored to join the Virgin Islands community as the Executive Director of VIHFA. Throughout my career, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of safe and accessible housing. It's not just about providing shelter; it's about building communities where people can truly call home, where they can thrive, and create lasting connections."
Mr. Jones is known for challenging conventional thinking in the housing sector and emphasizes the importance of creating inclusive communities. As Executive Director, Mr. Jones will lead VIHFA in its mission to provide quality housing and promote economic development throughout the Virgin Islands.
CLPHA congratulates Mr. Jones on his new role!
We are pleased to announce that the Brookline Housing Authority has become a member of CLPHA!
The Brookline Housing Authority provides rental assistance to over 1,500 households in Brookline, MA. Michael Alperin serves as the agency's Executive Director. Learn more at brooklinehousing.org.
Please join us in welcoming BHA to CLPHA – we look forward to working together to improve life outcomes for families served by PHAs!
Seattle Housing Authority’s Pioneering Foster Youth Wraparound Services Highlighted
HUD announced $12.7 million will be available to PHAs on a competitive basis through HUD’s Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Initiative to provide housing assistance to young adults transitioning out of foster care. These FYI vouchers will be used to provide housing assistance to young adults in between the ages of 18 years and not more than 24 years old who left foster care or will leave foster care in the next 90 days and are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Eligibility requirements to apply for the FYI Competitive vouchers can be found here.
FYI makes Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) assistance available to PHAs in partnership with Public Child Welfare Agencies (PCWAs). This funding helps connect youth and young adults in foster care with stable housing and mitigate experiences of homelessness during their transition out of foster care.
Questions regarding the FYI Competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024 should be directed to FYICompetitive@hud.gov.
HUD’s new Northwest Regional Administrator and former CLPHA Board Member Andrew Lofton made the announcement in Seattle at an event with the Seattle Housing Authority. In nearly 15 years of working with youth exiting the foster care system, the Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) has developed an integrated model to provide personalized wraparound services designed to equip youth with the housing and education, training and employment services they need to stabilize and build toward self-sufficiency. Based on its success, and a regional network SHA partners with, it was one of the first housing authorities to receive an allocation of Foster Youth to Independence vouchers, followed by a second allocation approximately a year later. SHA’s funding flexibility through HUD’s Moving to Work program has also enabled SHA to extend the time frame for voucher and service support to formerly foster youth who are actively working to establish independence but need a little more time to be successful.
From the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC):
Lack of affordable housing is a barrier for many in America and has left many community college students facing homelessness.
More than a quarter (26.6%) of all public community colleges have on-campus housing. And in the last year, more community colleges have been working—often in partnership with outside organizations — to provide affordable housing options for their students.
In early March, Columbus State Community College announced plans for Opportunity Pointe, a $47 million housing project adjacent to the college’s downtown campus.
The Ohio college has an independent real estate nonprofit, Columbus State Community Partners (CSCP), which was authorized in 2019 by Columbus State’s board of trustees to “advance, encourage and promote real estate development that supports the college’s mission,” according to the college’s website.
CSCP is partnering with housing developer Woda Cooper Companies, Inc., which will build and manage the 160-unit affordable apartment complex. Twenty units in the complex will be set aside for Columbus State students.
CSCP will contribute seven parcels to the project through a long-term land lease with Woda Cooper, which aims to secure additional parcels on the block.
Read AACC's article "Expanding affordable housing options for students."
From the Fairfax County and Redevelopment Authority's press release:
The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) plans to implement a major increase in the rental assistance to individuals with serious mental illness.
During their March 14, 2024 meeting, the FCRHA’s commissioners approved a $20 million agreement with the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) to increase access to supportive, affordable rental housing options for individuals with serious mental illness. The additional funding is expected to help prevent homelessness among individuals with serious mental illness, as well as reduce census at state psychiatric hospitals.
“Increasing access to affordable housing reduces homelessness. To be successful, we need to think about the individual’s whole life and what is needed to get them back on their feet. That is why this funding is so important – it provides critical support services along with rental assistance needed for people to be successful in their new home,” said Tom Fleetwood, Director, Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development.
Beginning in May 2024, the approved Memorandum of Agreement between the FCRHA and DBHDS will:
- Add 300 new supportive rental assistance vouchers available to Fairfax County residents over three years
- Create three new staff positions at the FCRHA to operate the program
Through a separate partnership with Pathways Homes, 50 participants will receive critical supportive services such as psychiatry, case management, and skill-building services with psychosocial rehabilitation. They can also gain access to funds for moving expenses, security deposits, and other expenses needed to lease a unit. The remaining 250 participants will be coupled with two Supportive Housing Teams under a separate contract.
The Fairfax County Community Service Board (CSB) will be coordinating referrals from various stakeholders such as state hospitals and the homeless Continuum of Care. The program prioritizes individuals experiencing long-term or repeated episodes of homelessness, individuals and those whose housing instability frequently leads to crisis, hospital visits, or contact with criminal justice systems. It also emphasizes those who are leaving state psychiatric hospitals, and people residing in congregate care settings with a high concentration of individuals with serious mental illness.