(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
March 10, 2021
|
|
(Washington, D.C.) March 10, 2021 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement upon the strong bipartisan confirmation of the Honorable Marcia L. Fudge, of Ohio, to become the 18th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development:
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities congratulates Secretary Marcia Fudge on her confirmation in the Senate today to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Her many years of leadership from being a Mayor, to a Member of Congress, and as a head of the Congressional Black Caucus will serve her well as she takes the reins of the nation’s largest housing agency. Secretary Fudge’s demonstrated leadership on economic justice issues such as food insecurity and education access will be an asset at HUD as she will bring needed expertise to aligning systems and services to better meet the needs of low-income Americans.
“Secretary Fudge has an opportunity to address protracted problems in public housing that have existed for decades. Years of willful neglect and chronic disinvestment in public housing has left the portfolio in disrepair. Recapitalizing the public housing portfolio is a significant step towards reversing racial inequities created by decades of racist housing policies. We encourage the Secretary to prioritize recapitalizing the public housing portfolio during her tenure at HUD and throughout the entire Biden-Harris administration.
“Secretary Fudge can also take meaningful measures toward a permanent and significant expansion of the Housing Choice Voucher program. Research has clearly shown that vouchers are the most effective and efficient tool to prevent housing instability and homelessness. A key advantage of vouchers is their distribution through the existing infrastructure of 2,400 public housing authorities across the nation.
CLPHA looks forward to working with Secretary Fudge as she works toward ensuring everyone has access to safe and affordable housing and addressing housing inequity for people of color.”
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.