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David Greer
Director of Communications
(202) 550-1381 or dgreer@clpha.org.
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Grants will help PHA residents with immediate and locally defined needs exacerbated by COVID-19
Washington, D.C. (February 9, 2021) -- The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) is pleased to announce the ten recipients of its COVID Resident Support Grants. The recipients are CLPHA member public housing authorities (PHAs) from across the country that will utilize their grants to meet immediate and locally defined needs exacerbated by COVID-19 for projects such as providing residents with essential household supplies, helping households successfully lease affordable units with their housing vouchers, and supplying technology and devices that will help resident children attend virtual school or connect resident seniors with healthcare resources. The recipients were chosen via a competitive selection process, and the robust response to CLPHA’s call for applications demonstrates the need for additional funds to support COVID-19 relief services and supplies for low-income Americans.
“As housing providers for some of the nation’s most vulnerable children, families, and seniors, our members are uniquely positioned to serve the low-income residents in their communities that are hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic effects,” said CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman. “We are pleased to provide these ten grants that will support PHAs in their efforts to not only keep residents stably housed, but also to provide crucial supplies and resources that will help residents cope with the new normal created by the pandemic."
The grantees are:
- INLIVIAN (Charlotte, NC)
- Elm City Communities (New Haven, CT)
- Housing Authority of the City of Goldsboro (Goldsboro, NC)
- Jersey City Housing Authority (Jersey City, NJ)
- Lucas Metropolitan Housing (Toledo, OH)
- Oklahoma City Housing Authority (Oklahoma City, OK)
- Home Forward (Portland, OR)
- Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura (Ventura, CA)
- Tacoma Housing Authority (Tacoma, WA)
- Wilmington Housing Authority (Wilmington, NC)
Learn more about CLPHA’s grantees and how they will use these funds to help meet the public health, education, employment, and basic urgent needs of their residents profoundly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic here.
These ten sub-grants are made possible through CLPHA’s grant from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s (CDP) COVID-19 Response Fund.
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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 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.
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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.
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(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.”
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(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.”
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
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(Washington, D.C.) October 28, 2021 -- Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement applauding President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better announcement this morning: “The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds President Biden’s announcement of a $1.85 trillion reconciliation framework with $150 billion targeted to affordable housing, the single largest investment in public housing ever. “For decades, millions of public housing residents have suffered from chronic disinvestment in their neighborhoods, exacerbating health, safety, climate risks, and racial inequities. The Build Back Better Act is historic and transformational in its comprehensive long-term approach by making public housing safe and sustainable for generations to come and significantly expanding rental and homeownership assistance. Stable, affordable housing is foundational to the health and economic well-being of all Americans and to our nation as a whole. This unprecedented and long overdue investment in the preservation and expansion of affordable housing, coupled with the Build Back Better Act’s other investments such as universal prekindergarten, the child tax credit, and climate change remediation, will have an historic impact on reducing poverty and improving the climate. “The Biden administration is delivering on a promise that has been decades in the making. CLPHA strongly supports the Building Back Better Act as a history-making investment in public housing and expanding housing opportunities.”
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(202) 550-1381
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October 28, 2021 |
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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.
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."
In Affordable Housing Finance's (AHF) article discussing Rep. Maxine Waters' (D-CA) draft legislation of her Housing is Infrastructure bill, CLPHA's Sunia Zaterman told reporter Donna Kimura that Waters' bill, which would allocate $70 billion for the public housing capital fund, is attempting to get the public housing industry "on an even keel."
Zaterman told Kimura, “We do have challenges moving forward in the appropriations process on the annual funding levels for public housing operating and capital funds, but what Ms. Waters is saying in this bill is that we can no longer stand by idly and watch this public investment start to crumble when we need it the most.”
Zaterman added that Congress must also consider expanding additional tools that PHAs can employ in their public housing development and renovation efforts, such as the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs).
AHF also quoted Zaterman's April 30 press statement on Waters' draft legislation and the House Committee on Financial Services April 30 hearing “Housing in America: Assessing the Infrastructure Needs of America’s Housing Stock":
“Public housing is as a much a part of the national infrastructure as Route 66, the Lincoln Tunnel, and the Hoover Dam,” said Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities. “Public housing helps communities and families thrive by providing more than 1 million low- and very low-income families, children, elderly, and persons with disabilities with a stable place to live, connecting low-income workers to economic opportunities, and spurring regional job creation and economic growth.”
“But, years of chronic underfunding have led to the deterioration of the public housing stock, and, since 1990, at least 300,000 units have been lost because of the lack of adequate resources to maintain them. The federal disinvestment in public housing has contributed to an untenable shortage of stable housing for low-income households,” Zaterman added.
From Affordable Housing Finance:
Officials have closed on the financing for the construction of a new $62 million apartment development and $8 million in major infrastructure work for the redevelopment of the Mary Ellen McCormack public housing complex in Boston.
Led by WinnCompanies and the Boston Housing Authority, the move kicks off the first phase of the much-anticipated 3,300-unit, large-scale mixed-income and mixed-use project.
When completed in the fall of 2026, the first 112,000-square-foot building will provide 94 modern apartments for low-income families currently living at the Mary Ellen McCormack community, offering 37 one-, 44 two-, 12 three-, and one four-bedroom units.
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“This milestone represents our unwavering commitment to the families of Mary Ellen McCormack,” BHA administrator Kenzie Bok said. “We are not only preserving deeply affordable homes but also creating a new, thriving mixed-income community to which current residents will have the right to return. With this first building, we are laying the foundation for a neighborhood that will be greener, more connected, and full of opportunity for all.”
From WHRO Public Media:
Planning has officially begun for the redevelopment of two more public housing neighborhoods near Norfolk’s downtown.
Young Terrace and Calvert Square comprise 55 acres of land next to downtown. The two neighborhoods of 1950s-era housing are currently home to more than 2,000 across 1,056 apartment units.
Redevelopment plans call for tearing down the barracks-style brick apartments over the next decade, giving way to modern mixed-income housing and commercial spaces similar to what’s happening in the former Tidewater Gardens neighborhood a block away.
Nathan Simms, the head of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, told WHRO if the plan leans into density, there could be twice as many housing units once the mixed-use redevelopment is complete.
What exactly the plan will look like has to be hashed out over the next several months, and Simms said it will be shaped by input from residents and community members.
“Folks feel like it’s time,” Simms said.
From the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles' (HACLA) press release:
Today, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), in partnership with The One San Pedro Collaborative – composed of National CORE, Century Housing and the Richman Group – breaks ground on the construction of 47 new climate-friendly affordable apartments in San Pedro.
This site, known as 327 Harbor, is the first off-site phase of a multi-year redevelopment and revitalization initiative of Rancho San Pedro public housing, an aging 1940s era public housing site. When complete, 327 Harbor will include 12 one-bedroom, 23 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom apartments and will be home to low-income working families and individuals.
“We are taking a foundational first step to build more homes affordable to the San Pedro community while also improving the quality of life for Angelenos,” said Lourdes Castro Ramírez, HACLA President & CEO. “Once the full redevelopment of Rancho San Pedro is complete, it will be a signature destination on the harbor, with vibrant mixed-use spaces that includes retail shops, dining, and pedestrian friendly amenities. This is the vision the community created and HACLA is proud to be part of One San Pedro community --- as we work together to expand housing options, strengthen the local economy and create more jobs that will help families prosper.”
The project will be all-electric, designed with sustainable, energy-efficient materials and tools, including solar panels, to reduce impact on the environment, benefit resident health and reduce utility costs. It is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification. Amenities will include a community room, landscaped courtyard with seating, a children’s play area, fitness room and supportive service offices. Rancho San Pedro residents are expected to move into the new property in early 2027.
"This groundbreaking not only puts us on a path of much-needed affordable housing to address our housing crisis but also sets the foundation for a strong, inclusive development where families can thrive. I am proud of our local community for its consistent support of this project and grateful for the One San Pedro Collaborative, which is advancing a future that prioritizes opportunity, equity and sustainability for all its residents," Councilmember Tim McOsker said.
HACLA partnered with National CORE, Century Housing and the Richman Group to create the One San Pedro Collaborative as the master developer for the Rancho San Pedro revitalization. The selection followed an extensive process to ensure alignment with community goals.
The One San Pedro Transformation Plan reflects input gathered through resident surveys, one-on-one conversations and large community gatherings. The Plan proposes to replace the outdated 478-unit public housing site with upward of 1,600 units of rental and homeownership opportunities across all affordability levels, including deeply subsidized, moderate income and market-rate units. This new community will feature modern amenities, parks, retail spaces, sports facilities, walking paths, bike lanes and high-quality housing options.
“National CORE is proud to be part of this initiative to create one of Southern California’s most extraordinary communities,” said Alexa Washburn, National CORE’s chief development officer. “One San Pedro will be a haven, creating a robust and rich environment with affordable housing and the highest level of amenities.”
Construction is being financed with loans and equity investment from Wells Fargo Bank and an Infill and Infrastructure Grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development. HACLA contributed additional resources, including securing a Community Development Block Grant (CBDG) loan from the City of Los Angeles for the purchase of the land.
"The Community Investment for Families Department (CIFD) is proud to partner in the development of Harbor Apartments, a key step toward providing San Pedro families with the affordable housing and amenities they deserve. Affordable housing is critical to addressing our City’s poverty crisis and through the strategic use of CDBG funding, we are able to invest in neighborhoods and create lasting opportunities for low-income residents. We remain committed to working alongside our City partners to uplift communities and demonstrate that poverty is not an insurmountable challenge, but a problem we can solve together," said Abigail R. Marquez, CIFD General Manager.
From the District of Columbia Housing Authority's website:
The DC Housing Authority (DCHA)’s Office of Public Safety (OPS) joined classrooms at several District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) during Read Across America Week, March 2nd through March 7th. This year’s theme celebrates a nation of diverse readers with story, sound, and song.
On Monday, DCHA Police Chief Michael Reese read to children at Cleveland Bilingual School during the students’ library time. His reading tour continued on Friday, when he attended Peabody Elementary School, where the students got t for a “Wiggle Dance.” He was joined by Security Officer Nijae Williams and Police Officer Angela Robinson.
Detective Jose Campos and Major Lewis Douglas also joined the nationwide reading event with visits to DCPS classrooms. Detective Campos read a Spanish book to first graders.
Celebrated and recognized in the first week of March, Read Across America is a year-long program that encourages reading and a lifelong love of books through elevating stories that feature the diverse cultural experiences of children so they can see themselves in the stories being told.
This national program was created by the National Education Association (NEA) in 1998 and is a call to communities to read to children and promote literacy.
From the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority's website:
In 2023, MPHA started a partnership with Twin Cities R!SE (TCR) to connect MPHA families with career development resources to help residents gain meaningful employment and/or advance in their career, building on MPHA’s successful family housing program. Through this partnership, residents, like Latendra Prince and Audrey Reed, are gaining new skills and reaching their career goals.
MPHA and TCR have made it easy for residents to learn about and sign up for the program. After a family has lived with MPHA for a month, agency staff connect with them to provide information about the new, voluntary TCR programming. When residents express interest, MPHA staff connect them with TCR to get enrolled in their career training program. The TCR program consists of an initial 8-week training course covering both career skills training and personal empowerment, ongoing one-to-one support on applications and interviewing while searching for a job, followed by lifelong access to resources and support through their Career Club.