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.
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David Greer
Director of Communications
(202) 550-1381 or [email protected].
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Community Collaborative Programs Work to Improve Health Outcomes for CLPHA Housing Authority Members in Durham, Louisville and Norfolk, among Others
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(Washington, D.C.) May 8, 2026 – Housing Is, a non-profit organization dedicated to bridging gaps among the housing, health and education sectors to improve life outcomes for low-income individuals and families, and UnitedHealthcare announced today an expansion of their national collaboration to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in public housing. The expansion includes launching three additional Community Collaborative programs at Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) member housing authorities: Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (Norfolk, VA), Durham Housing Authority (Durham, NC) and Louisville Metro Housing Authority (Louisville, KY). The new locations were announced at the 2026 Housing Is Summit, the preeminent event dedicated to collaboration among the housing, education and health sectors, in Washington, D.C. Together, the organizations support public housing authorities in establishing Community Collaborative programs at the local level while providing national infrastructure to support community and systems-level advancement. The Community Collaborative programs bring together cross-sector organizations to co-develop, evaluate and sustain interventions to address community health needs. CLPHA, which founded Housing Is and operates the organization under a management agreement, and Housing Is have worked with UnitedHealthcare to foster relationships with public housing authorities (PHAs), federally qualified health centers and community-based organizations to improve the health and well-being of PHA residents and their surrounding communities. Since the collaboration between Housing Is, CLPHA, and UnitedHealthcare was established in 2020, ten PHA members of CLPHA have participated in the program, including Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, Atlanta Housing, Housing Authority of the City of Austin, Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, Detroit Housing Commission, Houston Housing Authority, King County Housing Authority, Memphis Housing Authority, Housing Authority of New Orleans and Seattle Housing Authority. The Community Collaborative programs in these locations have addressed a wide range of health and social needs from chronic disease and food insecurity to mental health and digital literacy. “Helping low-income residents improve their health outcomes is central to the missions of CLPHA’s housing authority members, and the collaborative programming greatly supports our members’ efforts to address the most pressing health needs in their neighborhoods,” said La Shelle Dozier, CEO of CLPHA. “UnitedHealthcare has long been a critical partner to CLPHA and Housing Is, and the addition of three new sites in Durham, Louisville and Norfolk builds on many successful years of collaboration. We are honored to continue our groundbreaking work with UnitedHealthcare.” This work reflects UnitedHealthcare’s broader commitment to investing in communities to help the healthcare system work better for individuals nationwide. Through its Community Collaborative program, UnitedHealthcare has established more than 40 local programs across 26 states. “By working jointly with Housing Is, we’ve opened new channels for honest, meaningful dialogue to truly understand and address the unique needs of the communities we serve,” said Mike Cotton, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community & State. “When UnitedHealthcare comes together with community members, government agencies, providers and nonprofits, we’re all better able to deliver the right resources and interventions to those who need them most. These types of collaborations are how we make the health system work better for everyone.” "Housing Is has long known that data and resident input are crucial to creating, sustaining and scaling successful health interventions, and our longstanding collaboration with UnitedHealthcare helps PHAs to implement health programming in their communities that is driven by this information,” said Abra Lyons-Warren, director of Housing Is. “With this collaborative expansion into Durham, Louisville and Norfolk, we will have much more data about what health interventions low-income PHA residents in these cities need. Housing Is expresses our gratitude to UnitedHealthcare for continuing and growing this collaboration that meets low-income individuals where they live with opportunities to improve their own health outcomes.” In September 2025, Housing Is and CLPHA released a request for applications for new Community Collaborative Programs for the first time to eligible PHAs in the CLPHA membership. UnitedHealthcare, Housing Is and CLPHA staff evaluated each proposal and selected:
Media Contact: (202) 550-1381
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About UnitedHealthcare UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with physicians, care professionals, hospitals and other care facilities. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow UnitedHealthcare on LinkedIn. For more information on how UnitedHealthcare is working to build healthier communities, visit uhccs.com.
About Housing Is Housing Is 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; Housing Is 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 LinkedIn.
About CLPHA 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 85 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 LinkedIn.
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Grant to Support Housing Is Will Be Used to Address Homelessness for Infants, Toddlers, Expectant Parents, and Their Families
(Washington, D.C.) November 6, 2025 – Housing Is, a non-profit organization dedicated to bridging gaps among the housing, health and education sectors to improve life outcomes for low-income individuals and families, announced today that the Pritzker Children’s Initiative (PCI) has awarded the organization $600,000.
“Housing Is is honored to receive this grant from the Pritzker Children’s Initiative. The support of our operations enables us to continue our partnership with Prevent Child Abuse America, ZERO TO THREE, and SchoolHouse Connection on our shared goal of addressing homelessness for infants, toddlers, expectant parents, and their families,” said Jeffery K. Patterson, president of the Housing Is board of directors. “Public housing authorities and other affordable housing providers are committed to addressing homelessness in their communities, especially for infants, children, and families, and we know the value of cross-sector partners in these efforts. We at Housing Is are thankful that PCI believes in our work and that they will continue to support us in our critical mission to build a future where all people can thrive from the start of their lives.”
Housing Is will use funds from PCI to help further its work with a network of organizations, including Prevent Child Abuse America, ZERO TO THREE, and long-time partner SchoolHouse Connection, on Thrive from the Start. Thrive from the Start is an initiative dedicated to ensuring all expectant parents, infants, toddlers, and their families have the resources and opportunities to thrive. This coordinated multi-sector effort helps national, state, and local partners and networks to build stronger systems of support for families experiencing homelessness and housing instability during pregnancy and in the first three years of life.
Each year, more than 364,000 infants and toddlers experience homelessness in the U.S., and nearly 70,000 babies are born to parents who experienced homelessness during pregnancy. Homelessness during pregnancy or in the first three years of a child’s life has lifelong consequences on physical health and mental well-being. These years are foundational to development, and trauma—including homelessness—can disrupt this growth, leading to long-lasting effects. Homelessness is preventable, and stakeholders must take action to address it. Homelessness in early childhood—recognized as an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE)—can lead to developmental delays, physical and mental health issues, and lasting effects on well-being. If partners act early—before families reach a crisis point—they can prevent and solve homelessness and mitigate the resulting impact on the developing child.
“We deeply appreciate PCI’s deep commitment to our work,” said Abra Lyons-Warren, director of Housing Is. “For over a decade, Housing Is has been driven by the premise that systems that serve low-income individuals are stronger and more effective when they work together. We are able to extend this commitment and continued to work with a network of partners across issue areas who are aligned by our mutual devotion to ensuring that infants, toddlers, expectant parents, and their families have access to safe and stable housing opportunities.”
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About Housing Is
Housing Is 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; Housing Is 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 LinkedIn.
Dozier Brings More Than 30 Years of Affordable Housing Leadership to New Role
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“Replacing a leader as well-respected as Sunia was no easy task, however, we were fortunate to have found the perfect candidate in La Shelle,” said CLPHA Board President and Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority CEO Jeffery K. Patterson. “La Shelle offers an unparalleled skill set to her new role, including leading a housing and redevelopment agency, advocating for public policies at the local, state, and federal levels, and driving innovations in public housing preservation and affordable housing development. She is the right person to lead CLPHA into a future filled with opportunities to impact the greater affordable housing community.” Dozier brings more than 30 years of experience in the public and affordable housing industry. Prior to joining CLPHA, Dozier served as executive director of the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency for 18 years. She also served as the vice president of CLPHA’s Board of Directors and as co-chair of the 10 Year Roadmap for Public Housing Sustainability, a broad-based coalition of stakeholders that will be producing a rigorous capital needs estimate for recapitalizing public housing and recommending financial tools to preserve the public housing portfolio for the next generation. “It is an honor to lead the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities at this critical moment,” said Dozier. “Sunia has built one of the most significant advocacy organizations for public housing in Washington, D.C. It is my goal to build on her accomplishments to ensure that public and affordable housing remains at the center of solving the nation’s affordable housing crisis and ensuring CLPHA’s members have the resources and tools to serve our nation’s most vulnerable families.” “I couldn’t leave CLPHA in better hands than La Shelle’s,” said Zaterman. “Her experience as a senior leader in public housing combined with her wisdom and passion for advancing the mission of CLPHA’s public housing members makes her the best candidate to lead CLPHA into its next chapter.” |
(Washington, D.C.) September 26, 2025 — The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA), a national non-profit that advocates for the resources and policies to preserve and improve public and affordable housing in the United States, announced today the appointment of La Shelle Dozier as Chief Executive Officer. Dozier will be succeeding Executive Director Sunia Zaterman, who is stepping down after more than 30 years of service to CLPHA and the public housing industry. Dozier will be joining the CLPHA team on November 3, 2025, and will begin the transition process throughout the remainder of 2025. This selection was made after a nationwide search led by Sally M. Sterling Executive Search. |
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
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Applauds Removal of Burdensome MTW Provisions
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Washington, D.C., May 18, 2026 — La Shelle Dozier, CEO of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA), released the following statement in support of the revised bipartisan House housing package, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act: "CLPHA supports passage of the revised 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and commends Chair French Hill and Ranking Member Maxine Waters for their bipartisan work to advance meaningful housing legislation. We encourage House leadership to bring the bill to the floor promptly and urge the Senate to act swiftly to send a final package to the President. The amended House bill reflects important improvements that directly benefit the public housing authorities (PHAs) and the low-income families our members serve. Most notably, the removal of the Senate's problematic Moving to Work provisions is a significant win. Those provisions would have imposed burdensome and infeasible reporting requirements on existing MTW agencies and proposed an expansion cohort with limited flexibilities that would have undermined agencies' abilities to respond to local housing needs. Their removal reflects the legitimate concerns CLPHA and our members raised throughout this process. We are also encouraged by the inclusion of meaningful National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) streamlining reforms, which will reduce regulatory barriers to housing development and preservation, which is a priority for large PHAs working to expand and modernize their housing stock. The urgency of this legislation cannot be overstated. The 10 Year Roadmap for Public Housing Sustainability recently estimated that the baseline cost to preserve the nation's public housing portfolio stands at $169.1 billion, which reflects decades of chronic federal disinvestment and an aging public housing stock that continues to deteriorate. The NEPA reforms and other provisions in this bill that reduce barriers to development and preservation are exactly the kind of solutions our members need to begin making meaningful progress against this crisis. This bill is an important step in the right direction. We recognize that no piece of legislation is perfect. The removal of the provision to eliminate the RAD program cap is a setback, and we hope a conference process will create an opportunity to restore this important provision. We will also continue to closely monitor remaining provisions, including the HUD study on work requirements under Section 803. Even so, this bill represents meaningful bipartisan progress toward addressing the nation's housing affordability and supply crisis. Congress should move quickly to pass this legislation and build on the momentum it creates for the communities and families that need it most." |
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
Media Contact: Kirsten Greenwell, CLPHA (202) 638-1300 |
(Washington, D.C.) January 29, 2026 – Abra Lyons-Warren, director of Housing Is, released the following statement celebrating today’s new research findings from Opportunity Insights which demonstrate that children who grew up from birth in revitalized public housing units earn about 50% more as adults:
“Housing Is applauds Opportunity Insights for contributing this research that will guide and inform the many sectors that serve low-income individuals, from housing to healthcare, education, and beyond.
“Housing stability is critical for babies and children to get the best start in life, and this groundbreaking research that children who grew up from birth in revitalized public housing units earn about 50% more as adults shows that investing in place-based solutions improves not only their development, but also their life outcomes. When we invest in housing, we invest in people, and that investment pays huge dividends in the adult lives of babies and children from low-income families through increased financial security and economic mobility.
“This research supports what public housing authorities and their partners have long known: that housing stability improves the life outcomes of their youngest and most vulnerable residents. Lawmakers must utilize these learnings to support more cross-sector and place-based solutions, including investments in public housing revitalization, that ensure individuals avoid homelessness in their infancy and childhood and access greater economic opportunities.”
Media Contact:
David Greer, CLPHA
[email protected], (202) 550-1381
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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 85 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.
(Washington, D.C.) January 29, 2026 – La Shelle Dozier, CEO of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA),released the following statement praising today’s new research findings from Opportunity Insights which demonstrate that children who grew up from birth in revitalized public housing units earn about 50% more as adults:
"The research released today by Raj Chetty and his team at Opportunity Insights provides irrefutable evidence that revitalized public housing is a powerful engine for economic mobility. By demonstrating that children raised in HOPE VI properties see significantly increased adult salaries, this study proves that smart, place-based housing policy is one of the most effective fiscal tools we have for breaking the cycle of poverty.
"These findings come at a critical moment. As Congress deliberates on the 2026 federal government funding bill, we are confronted with the reality that current funding levels do not meet the needs of the millions of families who qualify for assistance but remain on years-long waiting lists. Unfortunately, programs like the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative—the successor to HOPE VI—have faced recent budget pressures despite their proven track record of transforming high-poverty areas into vibrant, mixed-income communities.
"Investing in public housing brings untold dividends. It creates stronger neighborhoods, lessens the strain on the social safety net, and prepares the next generation to be productive contributors to our nation. We urge our Congress to consider these findings as a call for bold reinvestment and preservation of public housing. Ensuring every child has access to a stable, high-opportunity home is not only a moral decision, but also the smartest, most cost-effective investment we can make in our nation's future."
Media Contact:
David Greer, CLPHA
[email protected], (202) 550-1381
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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 85 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.
From Vox:
In the last issue of this newsletter, I wrote about what went wrong with public housing in the United States — how it didn’t necessarily fail, but was routinely sabotaged because of bad policy choices that contributed to neglect and mismanagement. So this week, I want to look at what successful public housing can look like.
Oftentimes, when looking for models to emulate, many Americans look abroad for answers — Austria, Denmark, and Singapore, for example, are frequently cited as places to learn from. But one of the problems with turning to other countries is that their politics and governments are fundamentally different, and simply copying them isn’t always an option.
That’s why I’m particularly interested in looking at examples of public housing models that have worked quite well here in the United States. After all, if one American city or county can pull off an ambitious program, then what’s stopping others from doing the same?
Earlier this year, my colleague Rachel Cohen highlighted a place where local leaders are expanding public housing: Montgomery County, Maryland.
Montgomery County has long prioritized affordable housing. Developers, for example, are required to make at least 15 percent of units in new housing projects available for people who make less than two-thirds of the area’s median income.
But the county got creative with how it could provide public housing: It set aside a fund to finance and develop housing projects. And while the county partners with private developers, its investment makes it a majority owner of a given project. As the New York Times put it, the county, as an owner, becomes “a kind of benevolent investor that trades profits for lower rents.”
For background, the county’s Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) is not just a public housing authority, but a housing finance agency and public developer as well. “We have these three different components that ultimately work together to help us really advance a very aggressive development strategy that we have deployed over 50 years,” said Chelsea Andrews, executive director of HOC.
Read Vox's article "A public housing success story."
CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman was quoted in BisNow’s recent article “Biden's Budget Includes 'Once in a Generation' Investment in Vouchers, Public Housing. Now Landlords Need to Get on Board,” offering CLPHA’s perspective on the Biden administration’s American Jobs Plan that would allocate $30 billion the Housing Choice Voucher program and $40 billion to public housing.
“To propose this level of investment in one fell swoop, it’s extraordinary,” Zaterman told BisNow. “There’s now a strong consensus that more could have and should have been done in 2008 and 2009 for reinvestment,” she added. “This $40B [proposal] does not meet the overall need, but it is extraordinary in the level that it raises the funding from our current baseline.”
Read BisNow’s article. (requires free registration for access to the article)
NPR’s Pam Fessler quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman in a story about the challenges of utilizing the $5 billion in emergency housing vouchers included in the American Rescue Plan. Zaterman told Fessler that while balancing landlord, tenant and taxpayer interests has always been hard, the situation is more dire than ever in the pandemic with millions of Americans struggling with rent. “There is a need for all of our members, a crying need, for additional vouchers that are serving a wide range of populations,” Zaterman said.
Sunia Zaterman participated in a recent story on the unique opportunities presented by the new administration to address the nation’s dire affordable housing shortage as part of Fast Company’s Home Bound, a series that examines Americans’ fraught relationship with their homes.
“Our focus now is assembling the tools to give housing authorities more ability to acquire properties and to bring to neighborhoods other types of affordable housing,” Zaterman told Fast Company of CLPHA’s goals to capitalize on this inflection point in the public and affordable housing industry. She added that while the new HUD administration’s more flexible rules help housing authorities create more affordable housing in their communities, the main need facing PHAs and affordable housing providers is more money: “You may have heard this before—money is the key obstacle.”
This morning, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman appeared on C-SPAN's Washington Journal to discuss public and affordable housing issues and President Biden's proposed American Jobs Plan.
Ms. Zaterman answered questions from host Pedro Echevarria and members of the public from around the country, explaining what public housing authorities do, who they serve, and why increasing funding for public housing, vouchers, and other HUD programs is crucial to preserving affordable housing opportunities, strengthening the social safety net, and improving the life outcomes of low income Americans. She also discussed the positive impacts of the American Jobs Plan -- CLPHA estimates that 440,000 jobs will be created and $76 billion in economic impact generated during the time when the $40 billion in funds from the Plan are spent.
On Friday, April 9 from 8:45 to 9:30 a.m. ET, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman will appear on C-SPAN's Washington Journal to discuss President Biden's proposed American Jobs Plan, public and affordable housing, and related issues. Read Ms. Zaterman’s statement applauding President Biden’s announcement of the American Jobs Plan here.
You can watch Ms. Zaterman’s interview on the C-SPAN channel or live on C-SPAN's website and ask questions of Ms. Zaterman during the program via phone:
Outside U.S. and Text: (202) 748-8003
Republicans: (202) 748-8001
Democrats: (202) 748-8000
Independents: (202) 748-8002
Viewers can also share their thoughts and questions via email (j[email protected]), Twitter, Facebook and text messages (202-748-8003).
From the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development's press release:
The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) today launched the Supportive Preservation Program (SPP), a new initiative aimed at stabilizing and preserving the City’s vital supportive housing stock. The program will establish a dedicated team to manage all supportive housing preservation projects with the goal of addressing the specific needs and policy issues faced by the supportive housing portfolio.
The program will assess the needs of each project and develop a long-term preservation strategy to ensure the financial and physical needs of the project are met and that affordability is preserved. HPD can provide various forms of assistance to projects to address financial needs including granting residential real estate tax exemptions, providing below-market loans, and modifying existing HPD loans in ways to induce conventional financing.
“Supportive housing plays a critical role in our city, providing stability and services to New Yorkers in need. I am proud to be launching the new Supportive Preservation Program to ensure that providers and residents are able to succeed for many years to come. My thanks to the HPD and provider teams who have shaped this program,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning. “This program will be an important part of our holistic approach to provide and protect the housing that New Yorkers rely on.”
"New York City has been at the forefront of the supportive housing movement since its inception more than forty years ago. We are proud to once again lead the way with the Supportive Preservation Program, a new initiative which will help stabilize and preserve our supportive housing stock,” said Housing and Preservation Commissioner Dina Levy. “Supportive housing is a vital resource for New Yorkers facing homelessness and other complex challenges. For those struggling with immense challenges, the Supportive Preservation Program will offer an opportunity to live more stable and dignified lives in homes that are safe and affordable."
The launch of the program is an important step to implement Block by Block, the Mamdani administration’s housing plan. The plan, launched on May 26, highlights SPP as a part of its preservation agenda. Block by Block brings the ambition, urgency and investment to address the housing crisis that New Yorkers deserve, including building 200,000 new affordable homes and preserving 200,000 more over the next decade.
From the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy's Land Lines Magazine:
Musician Curtis Hunter approaches the world with a smile—even if the world doesn’t always return the gesture. But fate seemed to smile on Hunter last June, at least, when he moved into a new senior housing development built on county-owned land in Fairfax County, Virginia.
A few years before, at 58, Hunter had been assaulted near his old apartment building in Seven Corners, suffering a collapsed lung and broken bones. A difficult stretch followed, including a bout of homelessness and another violent attack. But last year, a Fairfax County caseworker suggested Hunter look into a new affordable housing development for seniors, called Belmont at One University. It’s one of several recent projects that have seen Fairfax County leverage the value of its publicly owned land to spur new affordable housing.
A former handyman and touring musician (he played guitar and harmonica in bands that opened for Los Lobos and Donovan, among other acts), Hunter now lives on disability income and says he’s grateful for his new home.
“I appreciate it so much, it’s a very wonderful thing. I really appreciate that they allow my pet,” he says. Unlike three of his former cats—who would accompany Hunter outside, perched on a carpeted platform he would attach to a backpack or bike rack—his latest cat, Sophie, is timid; adopted at nine and a half, she prefers lounging in the window, gazing at the nearby sports complex and neighbors walking along the bike path.
The field house across the street, where Hunter has taken in the occasional lacrosse or soccer game, is part of George Mason University, a public university with about 40,000 students.
One University is located next door to the college, on a 10.8-acre property owned by the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA). The parcel previously held an FCRHA affordable housing complex of 46 townhomes, called Robinson Square. In 2021, those tenants were relocated to temporary housing until the new homes were ready—a step that was not without challenges or misgivings, but which allowed for a fivefold increase in the number of affordable housing units on site.
The property now comprises three new buildings: Robinson, named for the former townhome complex, which holds 120 affordable one- to four-bedroom units for all ages; Belmont, with 120 affordable one- and two-bedroom apartments reserved for seniors aged 62 and older; and Main on University, with over 300 market-rate student apartments.
The three buildings sit on county-owned land leased at a nominal rate for 99 years—the land added an estimated $12 million subsidy to help the projects get built. However, the buildings are privately owned and managed, and thus pay the county hundreds of thousands of dollars apiece in local property taxes.
This kind of arrangement—a ground lease that allows communities to hold onto their land while sharing in the revenue generated by development on that land—is one of several ways communities are putting public land to use in order to expand affordable housing. And it’s providing new opportunities for tenants of all ages.
From the City of Boston's press release:
Mayor Michelle Wu today joined the Boston Housing Authority (BHA), The Community Builders (TCB), the Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED), MassHousing, and the Mildred C. Hailey Tenant Organization to celebrate the completion of phase one of Mildred C. Hailey Apartments in Jamaica Plain, creating 223 new units of housing at 2 and 6 Lamartine Street for Boston residents. This announcement builds on Mayor Wu’s efforts to create more housing across Boston neighborhoods, deliver much-needed improvements to the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments, expand workforce development opportunities for residents and improve quality of life for families.
“Boston is taking every step to create more housing while expanding workforce opportunities for residents, and the Mildred C. Hailey project shows how we can do both through thoughtful redevelopment,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “As we continue to invest in new homes and reconnect this neighborhood, we’re also investing in the supports that help residents move forward—with training and access to good jobs—so that this progress leads to lasting financial stability for families.”
In addition to creating housing, the first phase of the redevelopment of Mildred C. Hailey also creates a new community center named in honor of Anna Mae Cole, a transformational tenant leader who dedicated her life to empowering residents in the Mildred C. Hailey community. The redevelopment also ensures residents have access to a new ground-floor commercial space and the creation of Lamartine Street will increase neighborhood connectivity and smoother travel for residents, families and visitors. The two modern, sustainable buildings delivered through this project provide 91 deeply affordable units and 132 units of affordable and moderate income housing.
“Today’s ribbon cutting marks the completion of 223 new homes for Boston residents,” said BHA Administrator Kenzie Bok. “And at the Boston Housing Authority, we know that building strong communities means investing not only in buildings but in people. This $3.95 million in workforce development funding from HUD and the Cummings Foundation is going to transform the trajectory of residents’ lives, ensuring that alongside stable housing, they have stable, good-paying, and rewarding careers. Together, these investments in housing and economic mobility will create lasting benefits for generations of Bostonians.”
Mayor Wu also announced two important investments from city and federal sources to support workforce development for low-income residents citywide. With a $250,000 investment from the Cummings Foundation, the City is creating a new site for workforce training of proven-risk young adults at Mildred C. Hailey, with programming open to all eligible Boston residents. In addition, the City has also received $3.7 million through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Jobs Plus Initiative, which aims to connect public housing residents with employment, education and financial empowerment services. The investment will create three additional sites for workforce training and career coaching at the BHA’s Ruth Barkley, Alice Taylor, and Franklin Field communities.
“Cummings Foundation is delighted to support the Opportunity Hub, which will bring proven adult education, workforce training, and career support directly to the Mildred C. Hailey community,” said Joyce Vyriotes, executive director of Cummings Foundation. “This initiative reflects the kind of practical, community-based investment that can help residents build skills, access opportunity, and move toward safer, more stable futures.”
The partners for this initiative include the BHA, the Office of Workforce Development (OWD), ABCD, Private Industry Council (PIC), Best Hospitality Training, Lisc Massachusetts, Building Pathways, New England Culinary Arts Training, PowerCorps, EMPath, Roxbury Community College, Santander Bank, Boston Medical Center, Whittier Street Health Center, the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC), and Greater Boston Legal Services.
“This investment comes at the perfect time, as the Office of Violence Prevention and Boston Housing Authority continue to fund strategic new ways to work together. This brings resources directly to youth and young adults who deserve to see these types of investments in their immediate neighborhoods. Moreover, this is also an investment in Boston’s Live Long and Well population health equity agenda that aims to improve life expectancy and reduce racial and ethnic health disparities and also our long-term Plan to End Violence,” said Isaac Yablo, Senior Advisor for Community Safety and Director of Boston Public Health Commission’s Office of Violence Prevention.
Together, the $3.95 million in awarded funding will connect residents with workforce development training, individual career counseling, and case management. This will allow students to build job readiness, identify and secure employment, and be successful in the workplace. This funding builds on the City’s ongoing efforts led by the City’s Worker Empowerment Cabinet to expand workforce development opportunities and ensure residents across neighborhoods are connected to resources.
From the Tacoma Housing Authority's press release:
THA was proud to join Mercy Housing on June 9 and celebrate the grand opening of their new 129-unit building at Aviva Crossing.
This is a major step in our effort to develop more than 500 units of affordable housing at James Center North, next to Tacoma Community College and the future light rail extension. THA and our partners are working to build a new, affordable residential community, from new buildings to utility improvements that will support hundreds of new residents.
“This building and any future buildings would not have been possible on this site if not for the partnership between THA and Mercy,” said THA project manager Annette Massari. “It would not have been possible for Mercy to complete the incredibly important infrastructure work if not for the CHIP and EPA grants that THA secured. It would not have been possible for THA alone to leverage the project management resources to build both the infrastructure and housing project amidst its other work. It would not have been possible for the funders to commit as they did, if not for the depth of affordability possible on this project achieved thanks to THA’s commitment of project-based vouchers in all 129 apartment homes, or the promise of over 300 additional future homes now possible at James Center North.”
The project includes utility improvements and other infrastructure work that will support the hundreds of new affordable housing units coming to Aviva Crossing.
“It’s thrilling to be at the grand opening of this building,” Massari said, “not only because it faced real perils in the way of funding hurdles, restricting easements, and tight timelines, but also because this project, in some ways literally, paved the way for future housing, extending the reach of this project and the impact of our mission.”
We are also providing support with project-based vouchers to help Mercy’s Aviva tenants afford the rent.
Congratulations to Mercy Housing and all our partners who are helping to bring new affordable housing to Aviva Crossing.
POLITICO, one of the most influential news sites read by Congress and the administration, published an article recently calling out the administration's attempt to eliminate the Restore-Rebuild program, which would have disastrous effects on the creation of new affordable housing and could impede the development of as many as 278,000 public housing units.
CLPHA CEO La Shelle Dozier spoke with Politico reporter Cassandra Dumay about the "hypocrisy" of removing a key tool in affordable houing development while CLPHA Board Member Lourdes Castro Ramirez of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles and CLPHA Member Lisa Jones of the San Diego Housing Commission explained how it is a direct hit to their development "pipeline" and how it feels like the administration is setting housing authorities "up for failure."
La Shelle Dozier also spoke with CLPHA Board President Jeffery K. Patterson of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority about what ending Restore-Rebuild would mean to public housing authorities and how CLPHA and our industry partners are opposing this detrimental action on our most recent episode of CLPHA's To The Point Podcast -- listen here.
To preserve this critical tool for affordable housing development, CLPHA has launched the Protect Restore-Rebuild Coalition on behalf of more than 3,000 PHAs, affordable housing developers, and advocates for low-income families. We are still accepting participants into the coalition. To join the Coalition and receive meeting invitations, email [email protected].