CLPHA Press Room

From Home Forward's press release:

Home Forward and partners celebrated completion of Phase 1 of the Dekum Court Apartments redevelopment in the Concordia neighborhood of Northeast Portland today. Originally built in 1972, Dekum Court will house at least 360 residents across 187 homes when complete. The community is being redeveloped in two phases to minimize disruption to residents currently living in 40 units. The 2018 Metro Affordable Housing Bond served as the catalyst for an additional 147 units.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate the 50-plus residents moving into their brand new homes, while breaking ground on the remaining 147 units,” said Home Forward CEO Ivory Mathews. “The stability of current residents has always been our top priority. And we’re beyond thrilled to provide many more homes to new families. We are also incredibly grateful to Portlanders who voted in support of the 2018 Metro Affordable Housing Bond. This is proof of progress.”

The first phase of the redevelopment is now complete and the second phase will be completed in summer of 2025. Phase I focused on replacing all 40 apartments currently on site before starting demolition to minimize disruption to families during the school year. Upon completion, the development will include 80 two-bedroom, 41 three-bedroom, and seven four-bedroom apartments.

“When families have a stable and affordable place to call home, along with the right support, they can thrive,” said Commissioner Rubio. “Dekum Court is an inspiring example of community involvement in the redevelopment planning process. It demonstrates our continued commitment to helping address Portland's affordable housing shortage.”

Households with incomes at or below 60% of the median family income will be eligible. Sixty-one of the new homes will be affordable to those earning 30% of area family income. Affordable homeownership options are also planned along the western boundary.

“Every family deserves a place to call home that they can afford,” said Metro Regional Housing Director Patricia Rojas “Metro was proud to provide funding for Dekum Court to help fill a well-known gap in familyfocused affordable housing. With multiple play areas, community spaces, and proximity to Faubion Elementary School, Dekum Court promises stability and success for the children who will grow up in this community.”

Dekum Court will not only enhance livability for current residents but will provide quality, affordable housing options for more Portland residents. This 5.3 acre property was identified as a prime location to add more units to the community. The organization says that as stewards of taxpayer dollars, it’s critical to maximize density to serve as many people as is reasonably possible. Home Forward is committed to strengthening the Dekum community reflecting its existing character and amenities while creating pedestrian-friendly connections, abundant access to shared outdoor spaces, and comfortable, well-lit environments for residents. The redevelopment will boast a spacious community room and multiple outdoor play areas.

Home Forward led robust community engagement efforts with residents' voices at the center, beginning the process by hosting a dinner with residents. The organization listened to their aspirations, concerns and suggestions, forming a bond that guided the design process. Home Forward also formed a large community advisory committee which provided input into the physical design of the property over 18 months.

Construction and design of Dekum Court is being led by Walsh Construction and Lever Architecture. With a firm commitment to offering living wages for women and people of color, the median wage for women working on Phase 1 was approximately $31 per hour. People of color performed 58% of the construction labor hours. 40% of the residents at Dekum Court, located in the historically Black Concordia neighborhood, identify as Black.

In addition to the voter-approved 2018 Metro Affordable Housing Bond dollars, other funding was made possible by Oregon Housing and Community Services, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Portland Housing Bureau, Chase Bank and Wells Fargo.

From the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority's press release:

The Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) Board of Commissioners announced today it has approved a combined total of $64.9 million in new investments that will rehabilitate or preserve 242 apartments for seniors and/or Columbus-area families.

“The Board’s decision is just the latest example of CMHA being laser-focused on providing affordable housing and meeting the needs of our neighbors in Columbus and throughout Franklin County,” said CMHA Board Chair James L. Ervin, Jr. “Our goal is to ensure CMHA remains an innovative agent for change and continues to evolve to meet the region’s housing needs.”

The communities approved for new investments by CMHA’s Board include:

• Country Ridge: $34.8 million to renovate this 96-unit multifamily residential apartment complex at 5656 Farmhouse Lane. The total funding package includes $8.6 million in CMHA General Revenue Bonds; $10.9 million in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits; a $2 million grant from the City of Columbus; a $10 million CMHA loan; $2 million from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency; and other sources. The planned improvements include new windows, kitchen cabinets, countertops, flooring, interior and exterior doors. Replacing all refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, and range hoods with energy-efficient appliances. ADA updates include ramps & roll-in showers, landscaping, and the renovation of the community center. This project will pursue National Green Building Standards Silver Certification.
• Mapleworrd Heights Apartments: $13.7 million to renew CMHA’s Project-Based Vouchers (PBVs) through 2043 for the residents living at the 71-unite complex of on bedroom apartnets located at 91 Maplewood Avenue, which serves senior families and provides comprehensive support services.
• Sugar Grove Square Apartments: $16.4 million to provide Project-Based Vouchers through 2043 to residents living at the at 75-unit complex of one-bedroom apartments located at 530 S. State Street. The apartment complex serves senior families and provides comprehensive support services.

CMHA’s Project-Based Voucher program is part of the federal Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Most Housing Choice Vouchers are “tenant-based,” meaning families can use them to rent any private apartment that meets program guidelines. PBVs, in contrast, are attached to a specific unit whose landlord contracts with the state or local public housing agency to rent to lower wage-earning families. Families can move without losing rental assistance if another voucher is available. If a family in a project-based voucher unit moves out, another low-wage earning family moving in benefits from the rent subsidy it provides.

Families or individuals in units with PBVs contribute 30% of their income for rent and utilities; the voucher pays the difference between the tenant contribution and the unit’s total rent and utility costs. Tenants in PBV units are assisted as long as they live in the unit and continue to qualify for the program.

PBVs are the largest, most available tool to create new project-based rental assistance, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a nonpartisan research and policy institute which works at the federal and state levels on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and individuals.

From CBS New York:

Some senior citizens in New Jersey who were once homeless will be sleeping in new homes tonight.

It's part of an effort to get more benefits to people.

There is no place like home. That's especially true for someone who knows what it's like to be without one.

Kenneth Cauley just got the keys to his new studio apartment in Jersey City. He's been staying at his daughter's house lately, and before that, he was living in a shelter. So his small apartment feels huge.

"It took a real long time getting here, but I got here," Cauley said.

...

Cauley was one of eight seniors who were welcomed home Tuesday.

"Words can't even describe it. Some of these folks were homeless. Some of them were sleeping on couches of family members," said Tamika McReynolds, with the Hudson County Department of Housing and Community Integration.

McReynolds says this is a collaboration with the Jersey City Housing Authority that made this happen. They're paying for the first month's rent plus security deposit, and moving forward, rent will be subsidized with Section 8 vouchers.

Read CBS New York's article "8 senior citizens get new apartments in Jersey City's effort to provide more benefits," featuring the Jersey City Housing Authority.

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

The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) today announced it is the recipient of funding for a first-of-its-kind community-led research program for The National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH Common Fund Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS) program, designed to advance health equity, will enable examination of structural drivers of health in various communities. The awarded $6 million over five years (Award Number: 1OT2OD035940-01) will allow HACLA, in partnership with UCLA and Charles Drew University, to research and study ways to address underlying structural factors within the community of Watts that affect health, such as access to safe spaces, healthy food, economic opportunities, transportation, and quality health care. 

ComPASS-supported research projects, which focus on populations that experience health disparities will study social determinants of health — the social, physical, and economic conditions where people are born, grow, live, work, age, and play — that contribute to health inequities. Each NIH awardee has a unique approach to conducting its examination of underlying conditions, engaging residents, and exploring strategies to improve those health outcomes that is localized. HACLA and its research partners will build off the work of the resident-responsive, partner-led approach HACLA has undertaken in the Watts Rising Initiative, which was initiated in 2017 and has been able to already drive a wide-range of projects focused on public and environmental health. (maybe provide link to website?) Our intention is to address the public and economic health goals that impact Watts residents and build on the already initiated structural solutions that could include food access, health education, and expansion of greenspace.

“As an Assistant Professor at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU), I am honored to continue as a Data Partner with Watts Rising. I remember when the collaborative was a thought and am proud to see its growth and have connected HACLA and CTSI as part of this continued commitment to Watts,” said Dr. Cynthia Gonzalez, faculty in the CDU Department of Urban Public Health and lifetime resident of Watts. “This grant is historic for NIH and for Watts. We’re looking forward to seeing the vision come to life and engage more residents of Watts.” 

“The UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the Community Engagement and Research Program are honored to work with the dedicated residents and community organizations of the Watts Rising collaboration, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, and our colleagues at Charles Drew University on this important and innovative program,” said Dr. Arleen Brown, Co-Director, UCLA Clinical and Translational Research Institute (CTSI). “This grant shifts the paradigm by supporting community-academic partnerships to conduct research initiated by the community.  It is a testament to the tremendous community-based work being done at Watts Rising and HACLA.” 

“We are proud to be one of the 26 awardees across the country to receive this unique funding from NIH,” said HACLA President & CEO, Doug Guthrie. “Through these awarded funds, HACLA will work closely with residents of Watts and community partners to frame the local community health indicators of greatest concern and develop sustainable solutions that promote health equity and create lasting change in HACLA’s housing communities and the Watts community.”  

The ComPASS program is funded by the NIH Common Fund and managed collaboratively by NIH staff from the Common Fund; National Cancer Institute; National Institute of Mental Health; National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities; National Institute of Nursing Research; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; and NIH Office of Research on Women's Health, with many of the NIH Institutes Centers and Offices providing input and participating in program development and management. More information is available on the ComPASS program website: https://commonfund.nih.gov/compass.   

To learn more about ComPASS, watch this brief video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVQVYQBh6KM.  

From So Others Might Eat's press release:

On Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, SOME (So Others Might Eat), a DC-based nonprofit focused on combating poverty and homelessness, unveiled its newest addition to the D.C. skyline with the official opening of Roberts Residences at 1515 North Capitol Street NE.

The 92,000 square-foot, 15-story building, now the tallest in Ward 5, stands as a testament to the ongoing commitment to provide affordable, high-quality housing to underserved residents in the nation's capital.

"Today, with the unveiling of Roberts Residences, we are not just celebrating a building. We're recognizing a dream realized, the power of collaboration, and the enduring spirit of our community,” said Ralph Boyd, president and CEO of SOME. “This building also reflects a shared achievement, made possible through the steadfast commitment of partners such as the Department of Housing and Community Development and the D.C. Housing Finance Agency. Our gratitude extends to JP Morgan Chase, Lument, and Enterprise for their unwavering belief and support in our mission."

Roberts Residences is designed for single adults, with 75 units reserved for people earning below 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI) and all units allocated for those below 50% AMI. Through a partnership with D.C. Housing Authority (DCHA), 75 out of the 139 units are subsidized, ensuring residents contribute only 30% of their rent based on their income, with DCHA covering up to the remaining 70% for subsidized units.

"Delivering this project ahead of schedule, even amid challenges, underscores our dedication to community-driven projects,” said Bill Bartling, Vice President and Business Unit Leader at Clark Construction, the company responsible for the state-of-the-art development. “We expect Roberts Residences to become a cornerstone of the neighborhood and are proud to have partnered with SOME in bringing this vision to life."

Drawing from its history of effectively using diverse financial mechanisms, JP Morgan Chase has been instrumental in bringing projects like Roberts Residences to fruition.

“Roberts Residences will have a tremendous impact on the community and the District residents who call it home,” said Caitlin Gossens, Senior Commercial Banker at JPMorgan Chase. “Chase is committed to helping SOME create quality, stable homes and providing supportive services for residents transitioning out of homelessness. Through their tireless efforts, SOME is closing the housing gap in our nation’s capital and is transforming lives.”

Tenants are scheduled to move into their new homes later this month. The building's strategic location, just blocks from SOME’s main campus on O Street NW, ensures residents have ready access to emergency, social, and healthcare services. Furthermore, residents benefit from amenities like a computer lab, library, classroom space, gym, and Wi-Fi-enabled rooms — all aimed at fostering a sense of community and viability.

“Over the life of this project, thousands of people will call this property their home. With SOME’s extensive supportive services, which include financial planning, employment support, health services and vocational programming, the Roberts Residences will be a launchpad for many people to gain their footing and move up to find financial stability,” said Scott Hutter, Director of Multifamily Lending at DC Housing Finance Agency. “SOME’s unwavering commitment to social justice through housing is unrivaled. At DCHFA, it's a privilege to continue to work with them and we look forward to doing so much more.”