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].
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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.
New Funds Will Develop and Sustain Public Housing Authority Initiatives to Improve Postsecondary Achievement for Low-Income Households
WASHINGTON (November 25, 2019) – The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, a housing advocacy organization and leader in efforts to improve life outcomes for low-income individuals and families, announced today that it has been awarded $300,000 from The Kresge Foundation to deepen connections between public housing authorities and their postsecondary education partners.
The three-year grant enables CLPHA to build on work that began last year, in partnership with The Kresge Foundation, to convene cross-sector housing and education partners who are collaborating to improve postsecondary achievement for students served by public housing authorities, including residents and housing insecure college students.
“Last year we showcased how these two sectors are working together to improve educational outcomes for low-income households. With generous funding from The Kresge Foundation, we will help more cross-sector partners develop and sustain their work,” said CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman. “As a national organization representing 70 of the largest public housing authorities in the country, CLPHA is well-positioned to identify promising innovations and facilitate peer-learning among those doing the work with the goal to scale successful initiatives that can be replicated nationally. We are very grateful to The Kresge Foundation for its multi-year support of our work.”
With the funds, CLPHA, through its Housing Is Initiative, will establish a leadership institute for a cohort of public housing authority staff and their partners who demonstrate the experience and capacity for postsecondary collaboration. In addition to virtual meetings aimed at institutionalizing their cross-sector work, members of the cohort will travel for in-person site visits to learn about the different projects in the field.
“By supporting stronger partnerships between housing authorities and postsecondary stakeholders, CLPHA’s leadership institute will help increase college access and success for both public housing residents who have postsecondary aspirations but need support to realize their dreams, and current college students, whose housing insecurity threatens to derail their educational progress," said Bethany Miller, program officer with the Kresge Education Program.
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 Kresge Foundation
The Kresge Foundation was founded in 1924 to promote human progress. Today, Kresge fulfills that mission by building and strengthening pathways to opportunity for low-income people in America’s cities, seeking to dismantle structural and systemic barriers to equality and justice. Using a full array of grant, loan, and other investment tools, Kresge invests more than $160 million annually to foster economic and social change. For more information visit kresge.org.
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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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(202) 550-1381
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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.) 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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(202) 550-1381
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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
For Immediate Release
October 28, 2021 |
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
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In Affordable Housing Finance's article "Turning Point for Public Housing," CLPHA' Executive Director Sunia Zaterman says of the massive capital needs backlog facing public housing authorities that “[t]he handwriting has been on the wall. The funding levels were not sustainable."
Zaterman adds, "We have lost about 10,000 units a year from underfunding," but that "[t]he number of public housing units lost may have slowed to about 8,000 a year, thanks to RAD, in the last couple of years.”
With RAD, says Zaterman, “[w]e have achieved proof of concept,... We could have the portfolio totally recapitalized in 10 years.”
Read Affordable Housing Finance's article here.
Vancouver, WA newspaper The Columbian quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman about the disastrous effect President Trump's budget proposal would have on pubic and affordable housing in their article "Trump’s budget would cut social safety nets:"
"The administration wants us to think beyond investing in bricks and mortar, and instead think about investing in people. This budget does neither of those things. The disinvestment in housing and supportive services is a disinvestment in our nation’s most vulnerable populations, including the 2.2 million low- and very low-income families, children, elderly and persons with disabilities who are served by public housing. Congress has previously rejected draconian budgets that shred our safety net, and we call on them to do so again."
Vancouver Housing Authority (VHA) Executive Director Roy Johnson, who contributed comment for the story, explained how Trump's proposed budget would negatively impact the individuals and families served by VHA. Johnson told the paper that losing public housing funding would result in 114 planned units losing subsidy, including Caples Terrace, an under-construction project in Vancouver for homeless youth and youth aging out of foster care slated to open in July, and two other public housing projects the housing authority hopes to start at the end of 2019.
Read Zaterman's full statement on Trump's proposed 2020 budget
Scotsman Guide, a resource for mortgage originators, quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman about how President Donald Trump's proposed FY 2020 budget will affect affordable housing in their article "2020 budget: How does it affect the mortgage industry?":
“The administration wants us to think beyond investing in bricks and mortar, and instead think about investing in people. This budget does neither of those things,” said Sunia Zaterman..."The disinvestment in housing and supportive services is a disinvestment in our nation’s most vulnerable populations, including the 2.2 million low- and very low-income families, children, elderly and persons with disabilities who are served by public housing."
Read Zaterman's full statement on Trump's proposed 2020 budget
In yesterday's article "Trust in Public Housing at Stake Over Looming Government Shutdown," YES! Magazine quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman and CLPHA members Kurt Wiest, Bremerton Housing Authority Executive Director, and Mark Gillett, Oklahoma City Housing Authority Executive Director, on how another government shutdown could continue to sow mistrust in public housing authorities (PHAs) and HUD.
Zaterman, who noted that landlords could shy away from participating in voucher programs if there is concern that PHAs will not pay them, asked, “Just the prospect of payments not being made will have a very disruptive impact—will the federal government contract be honored?”
Wiest stressed the importance of PHAs maintaining a good rapport with landlords. “We work really, really hard to have good relationships with local landlords. And if there’s the slightest hint that they won’t get their subsidy payments as promised, it erodes trust,” said Wiest. “And this program operates on trust.”
Gillett added that if PHAs cannot pay their landlords, there could be dire consequences for tenants. “There is a provision in the law saying if a housing assistance payment isn’t paid, it shouldn’t be grounds for eviction,” Gillett said. “But it’s never been tested.”
On January 31, HUD, the City of New York, and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) announced an agreement to address longstanding issues at the housing authority’s properties. The agreement establishes specific requirements and milestones for property improvements and establishes a federal monitor who will be selected by HUD and the Southern District of New York, with input from the city.
On Tuesday, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio appointed Kathryn Garcia, the city’s sanitation commissioner, to succeed Stanley Brezenoff as interim chair until a permanent head of the authority is selected.
Brezenoff, who also serves on CLPHA’s Board of Directors, called the job as NYCHA’s interim chair and CEO, “one of the toughest and most rewarding jobs in America.” In Tuesday’s press release announcing his successor, Brezenoff said, “I will leave this interim role knowing that we are putting NYCHA in very capable hands. I am confident that Commissioner Garcia is the right person to continue our efforts to improve the quality of lives for residents, and preserve public housing for generations to come.”
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.