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].
*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!
|
(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
March 10, 2021 |
|
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.
|
(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
March 4, 2021 |
|
|
(Washington, D.C.) March 4, 2021 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement urging the swift passage of the American Rescue Plan Act in the U.S. Senate: “The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities calls for the Senate to pass the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which includes desperately needed $30 billion in emergency rental assistance, $5 billion in single-use vouchers, and a significant extension of the eviction moratorium. “This legislation is critical to addressing the rental crisis facing the nation. The situation has only grown more dire since the Biden Administration announced the American Rescue Plan in mid-January. Renters have continued to accrue past-due rent at an alarmingly high rate. While the eviction moratorium has provided important protections for renters financially impacted by the pandemic, the moratorium has meant that millions of renters have accumulated significant arrears. Economists estimate that unpaid rent at the end of January 2021 totals $52 billion, which amounts to $5,600 for the average renter. “The $5 billion in emergency housing vouchers will help transition persons-at-risk and homeless persons to stable housing. Emergency rental assistance is not only vital to renters, but its impact on the economy and public health is far-reaching. The Senate must act swiftly to provide emergency rental assistance and prevent a wave of evictions and housing instability that will tragically disrupt the lives of millions of Americans.” |
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
||
|
(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
February 27, 2021 |
|
|
(Washington, D.C.) February 27, 2021 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement upon tonight’s passage of the American Rescue Plan Act in the U.S. House of Representatives:
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds the House of Representatives' bipartisan passage of the American Rescue Plan Act, which includes $35 billion in emergency rental and utility assistance and a significant extension of the eviction moratorium.
“This legislation is critical to address the rental crisis facing the nation. The situation has only grown worse since the Biden Administration announced the American Rescue Plan in mid-January. Renters have continued to accrue past-due rent at an alarmingly high rate. While the eviction moratorium has provided important protections for renters financially impacted by the pandemic, the moratorium has meant that millions of renters have accumulated significant arrears. Economists estimate that unpaid rent at the end of January 2021 totals $52 billion, which amounts to $5,600 for the average renter. With the March 31 moratorium on evictions rapidly approaching, additional rent assistance is urgently needed to help renters stay in their homes by addressing back rent. The Senate must act swiftly to provide emergency rental assistance and prevent a wave of evictions that will tragically disrupt the lives of millions of Americans.”
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
||
Of the complex’s 68 units, 34 are funded by Section 8 project-based vouchers, and 15 of those apartments are set aside for individuals with disabilities. The construction of Key’s Pointe Residences is part of HABC’s massive revitalization plan for Baltimore’s O’Donnell Heights neighborhood.
At the CLPHA Fall Meeting earlier this month, Bruce Katz, former Centennial Scholar at the Brookings Institution and founding Director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program,discussed how housing authorities, cities, and other stakeholders can seize the opportunity of the new Opportunity Zone tax incentives. Below is additional information and resources for CLPHA members on Opportunity Zones, including a CLPHA analysis of public housing developments in Opportunity Zones for members and a policy prospectus from Katz on how to best leverage these new tax incentives.
Background
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 established the new tax incentive, which will
“Allow any taxpayer to defer paying tax on capital gains from the sale of property if those gains are timely invested in Qualified Opportunity Funds, which in turn must invest 90% of its assets in businesses located or property used in a low-income community. If investors invest for ten years, they also pay no capital gains tax on the appreciation on that investment.”
Following the establishment of the tax incentives, U.S. governors designated more than 8,700 “Opportunity Zones” in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico; many overlap with locations where CLPHA members have public housing communities. Opportunity Zone incentives are unique because they rely on individual investment decisions instead of government distributions, can be utilized for all manner of projects (residential, commercial, industrial, or infrastructure), are not contingent upon pre-specified outcomes or metrics for success, and there is no cap to the amount of benefits investors can receive.
Current Status
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has released a notice of proposed rulemaking and notice of a public hearing on Investing in Qualified Opportunity Zones. There are two provisions related to housing in the proposed rule: a working capital safe harbor for the acquisition, construction, and rehabilitation of property for up to 31 months and also a provision stating that the basis attributable to land will not be taken into account when determining whether the building has been substantially improved. According to the rule, excluding the basis of land will help facilitate the repurposing of vacant buildings in Qualified Opportunity Zones.
CLPHA will be reviewing the proposed rule to understand how PHAs can take advantage of Opportunity Zones to further local housing goals. Comments on the notice are due December 28 and the public hearing will be held on January 10, 2019.
Resources for Members
CLPHA Analysis of Members in Opportunity Zones: Using the list of designated Qualified Opportunity Zones and HUD data on public housing buildings, CLPHA performed a comparison analysis to determine which public housing buildings are located in designated Opportunity Zones. We found that 57 CLPHA members had at least one public housing building in a qualified Opportunity Zone. In the attached spreadsheet, you can find a full list of properties, including census tract and geographic data, located in Opportunity Zones, as well as a quick-glance table that lists the housing authority and property development name. Click here to download CLPHA’s Analysis from our Dropbox.
Policy Brief – From Transactions to Transformation: How Cities Can Maximize Opportunities –Bruce Katz and Evan Weiss: This brief details a vision for the potential economic and social outcomes of the Opportunity Zone tax incentives and offers ten steps for cities to leverage local resources in order to take advantage of them. Download the brief from Drexel’s website.
Additional Resources:
Opportunity Fund Directory: The National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) has released this new online resource that provides descriptions and contact information for publicly-announced Opportunity Funds. View the Directory on NCSHA’s website.
Opportunity Zone Explorer: Enterprise Community Partners has created this mapping tool to help those interested in opportunity zones determine which tracts in their regions have been designated and how they related to other federal programs. Use the Opportunity Zone Explorer on the Enterprise website.
The Tacoma Housing Authority (THA) and Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) were recognized for their work in addressing homelessness among community college students and other barriers to higher education in a recent article for Inside Higher Ed. THA’s College Housing Assistance Program began in 2014 in response to rising rents in Tacoma and Pierce Counties. High rates of homelessness among Tacoma Community College students created opportunities for partnership between the College and THA, which now serves 150 students — many of whom have children of their own — who are homeless and near homeless. With the help of a housing voucher and additional financial aid, students are able to continue pursuing their degrees.
CHA is taking a slightly different approach to a similar problem. In working with City Colleges of Chicago through a program known as Partners in Education, the housing authority covers tuition and other fees for residents. Over 600 CHA residents are currently enrolled in Chicago’s community colleges, and while many receive federal and state financial aid, additional assistance from the housing authority ensures continued enrollment. As Moving to Work (MTW) agencies, both THA and CHA are able to engage in postsecondary partnerships as a result of program flexibility.
THA and CHA will further discuss these partnerships with the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, and Louisville Metro Housing Authority at a postsecondary convening co-sponsored by CLPHA, Housing Is, and Kresge next month. CLPHA looks forward to discussing how initiatives like these can be replicated and brought to scale across the country.
Hunt Capital Partners has provided $4.2 million in capital federal LIHTC equity financing for Rhododendron Place, a future 30-unit Vancouver, WA housing community funded in part by the Vancouver Housing Authority. Rhododendron Place will house individuals experiencing homelessness with behavioral health disorders or mental disabilities and offer related supportive services.
The San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) and partners held a groundbreaking ceremony for Pacifica at Playa Del Sol, a future community of 42 affordable rental apartments, 12 of which will be set aside for individuals and families with developmental disabilities. SDHC contributed $10.8 million in tax-exempt Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds towards the project, which is expected to cost $17.3 million.
From WKRG 5 News Mobile:
Cheers and applause filled the new Maryvale Place Apartments Tuesday afternoon after the city opened its newest affordable housing complex.
“It’s a huge first step,” Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson emphasized.
The Maryvale Place apartments sit on Hurtel Street, which is where the Mae Eanes Middle School used to sit before it was torn down. Mobile Housing Authority CEO Michael Pierce explained how rent will be divided between the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the tenants.
“HUD’s going to pay about 70% of the rent via what’s called a hap payment,” Pierce explained. “That’s the payment directly to the landlord. And then the tenant pays about up to 30% of their adjusted income to the landlord to complete that 100%.”
Mobile City Council President CJ Small said the new housing will bring more residents to his district.
“They are used to living in the Maysville community, so this is one step that moving them back into the community and especially moving them back in a more up-to-date modern living facility versus what they was living in,” Small said.
Read WKRG 5 News' article "New affordable housing apartment complex opens in Mobile."
From The Columbian:
The Vancouver Housing Authority plans to buy a 98-unit apartment building still under construction in the Van Mall neighborhood to expand the city’s affordable housing stock.
The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, a federal program administered by the states, as well as a loan from the city of Vancouver, will help cover the $28 million cost.
All units in the five-story Cascara Apartments complex will be designated for households earning no more than 60 percent of the area median income — that is, $49,560 annually.
Read The Columbian's article "Vancouver Housing Authority buying 98-unit apartment building to expand affordable housing."
From the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino's newsletter:
The Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB) is honored to be recognized by Hope Through Housing (HTH) as their 2024 Government Partner of the Year. HTH was founded by National Community Renaissance (National CORE) in 1998 to bring resources and programs to residents of the housing communities they develop. HACSB was selected by HTH to receive this recognition “for its ongoing commitment to address the community’s housing challenges, creating innovative solutions and helping secure safe and sustainable housing for low-income residents.” Our collaborative work was honored at this year’s Hope Through Housing fundraising gala. Members of HACSB’s executive leadership and Board of Commissioners attended the gala to receive the award. HACSB was also honored to receive recognitions for the achievement from Representatives Judy Chu and Norma Torres, and State Assemblymember James Ramos.
HACSB and National CORE’s partnership dates back twelve years, reflecting the success of a shared vision and aligned goals. The product of this collaboration is the 30-acre Arrowhead Grove community, which includes 283 affordable housing units built over three phases and is currently entering its fourth phase of development. This development project, located in the heart of San Bernardino, brings not only new affordable housing, but also enhancements of the neighborhood such as sidewalk upgrades, bikeways, bus stop improvements, urban greening and high visibility crosswalks.
Thank you to Hope Through Housing, National CORE, and their incredible teams for this honor. We look forward to continuing our collaborative work serving the families of San Bernardino County.
From the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh's website:
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) WiFi On Wheels (W.O.W.) CyberBus is hitting the road for our nation’s capital to convene with national colleagues during the annual ConnectHomeUSA Summit.
Staff will travel to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development headquarters in Washington, D.C., Dec. 10-12, 2024, to discuss the HACP’s innovative Digital Literacy Initiatives programs, and give tours of our CyberBus.
The W.O.W. CyberBus is a mobile classroom equipped with computers and internet access that offers remote instruction in STEM education, computer science, financial literacy, and business development for students and parents in HACP communities. It was launched in an effort to bring broadband internet access to residents’ homes in the HACP’s continued mission to bridge the digital divide within the region.
The CyberBus was launched in fall 2022, in partnership with Jerome Bettis’ The Bus Stops Here Foundation and Pittsburgh’s STEM Coding Lab. Since its launch, the CyberBus has helped more than 500 clients achieve proficiency in various computer programs.
During the summit, the HACP will be presented with an inaugural ConnectHomeUSA Trailblazer Award in recognition of its groundbreaking digital literacy initiatives. Staff will also speak on the topic: “Making the Momentum Last: Building Sustainable Digital Inclusion Programs,” and share the success of the CyberBus and anticipated 2025 arrival of the Workforce on Wheels (W.O.W.) CyberBus 2.0 that will expand upon the HACP’s workforce development training opportunities across the region.
“HACP made a steadfast commitment to bridge the digital divide in our community and has made great advancements toward this goal in recent years,” said HACP Executive Director Caster D. Binion. “We are very proud to take our act on the road to showcase best practices in digital learning and to raise awareness of the ongoing struggle to bring low-income populations – both rural and urban – online and equipped to succeed in the digital age.”
In 2022, the CyberBus traveled to Phoenix, Arizona for the Super Bowl and brought technology to several underserved communities, including the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Housing Division. Residents were able to experience the many features the bus has to offer. The staff also provided 20 Samsung tablets to exceptional students, which were chosen by a local high school.
In 2024, the CyberBus headed to Detroit, Michigan during the NFL Draft and brought programming and devices to children who belong to various chapters of the Boys & Girls Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan.
“The CyberBus has previously traveled to high profile events like the Super Bowl in Phoenix and the NFL Draft in Detroit,” literature from ConnectHomeUSA reads. “The HUD CHUSA team has the honor of hosting them at HUD Headquarters so that CHUSA communities can get a first-hand view of all that the CyberBus offers and what it’s like to use a computer lab on a bus!”