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 Minneapolis Public Housing Authority's website:
For 35 years, the Korean Service Center (KSC) has helped residents age in place at MPHA’s Cedar High Apartments by providing culturally responsive, holistic support. From social services and in-home care to transportation and daily meals, KSC meets residents where they are and helps them remain independent.
“We are the one-stop shop for older Korean adults coming to Minneapolis,” said Kwangja Kwon, Executive Director of the Korean Service Center. “These residents rely on our daily routines and care to continue living here. We provide services that help them feel safe, supported, and at home.”
The organization began in 1989 after an MPHA intern recognized the need for a bridge between Korean residents and the social services they depended on. The Korean Service Center initially focused on helping Korean immigrants adjust to life in Minneapolis by offering English classes, citizenship application assistance, and a meal program.
Today, KSC continues to help residents navigate language and cultural barriers—no matter where they are from. Staff assist with housing applications, connect residents to social services, and partner with MPHA to complete annual housing recertifications. Center staff also provide transportation to medical appointments, helping residents navigate healthcare facilities and offering interpretation services along the way.
“Previously, when elderly residents received recertification paperwork, they didn’t know what to do with it,” Kwon said. “We help them gather the required documents and make sure everything gets back to MPHA. Our collaboration with MPHA is incredibly valuable because it makes a real difference for the residents.”
In 1999, KSC opened Grace Place, the nation’s first assisted living program for Korean Americans, located on MPHA’s Cedar High campus. With staff on-site, Grace Place supports dozens of older adults and people with disabilities through home care services, daily meals, and engaging social activities that help residents age in place.
Residents receive three traditional Korean meals every day of the year, with some ingredients grown in on-site gardens. The organization also promotes mental, physical, and social well-being through programs such as afternoon tea, art classes, weekly bingo, a community choir, walking groups, tai chi, and yoga. In 2025, a Highrise Health Alliance mini-grant helped fund a community choir performance.
As residents’ care needs grew, KSC launched the Sunflower Program in 2013 to provide 24-hour support on a dedicated floor of Cedar High. The program offers assistance with bathing, housekeeping, medication management, and other daily needs, allowing residents to remain in the community they call home. With the average participant now 87 years old, the program has become increasingly vital.
“The Korean Service Center has been an exceptional and long-term partner,” said Mary Boler, Director of Operations at the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. “Their dedication and compassion in providing quality services to MPHA residents has enriched the lives of so many people, residents and staff alike.”
For many MPHA residents, KSC staff have become like family. They provide meals, transportation, personal care, and companionship while treating every resident with dignity and respect. For MPHA, the partnership ensures residents have the support they need to remain healthy, connected, and safely housed for years to come.
From the Chicago Housing Authority's press release:
The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) today accepted a $2.3 million Jobs Plus Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), funding a five-year effort to connect working-age residents at Wentworth Gardens with employment services. CHA is one of only 10 agencies nationwide to receive the grant.
Jobs Plus is a place-based program built on three core components: employment-related services, a financial rent incentive, and community support. Through strong, sustained partnerships with local organizations, CHA will offer residents employment training, skill building, financial literacy training, and direct hire job placements. Program goals include increasing the number of residents who find employment, raising quarterly employment rates, and boosting resident income, with outcomes designed to outlast the five-year grant term.
This is CHA’s third Jobs Plus award, following grants at Altgeld Gardens (2015-2019) and Dearborn Homes (2021-2025). Wentworth Gardens program include the Wentworth Gardens Local Advisory Council, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, City Colleges of Chicago, Chicago Park District, and UI Health Miles Square are among those partners offering resources for Jobs Plus Participants at Wentworth Gardens this grant period.
The program’s impact is reflected in the staff it has helped build, as well as the residents it serves. Ethiah Williams first came to Jobs Plus as a participant and now leads as a Program Manager:
“Jobs Plus saw potential in me before I fully saw it in myself,” Williams said. “It gave me confidence, skills, leadership, and purpose. I am standing here today because someone invested in me, and now I have the privilege of investing in others.”
From the Barberton Community Foundation's press release:
Barberton Community Foundation’s Board of Directors approved $450,665 across 22 grants in the second of two 2026 competitive grant cycles. Including the total five-year commitment to Magical Theatre Company in this granting cycle’s only long-term grant, the Foundation’s current grants and future commitments from this grant cycle total $590,665.
“Each grant is connected to larger goals for our community’s success,” said Executive Director Josh Gordon. “We are investing in the organizations and partnerships that will help us develop systems that help children start strong, connect our residents to opportunity, strengthen family stability, and bring more activity to our downtown. That alignment and focus is how these grant dollars maintain Barberton’s momentum.”
The cycle begins with $142,500 for early learning, strengthening the network of families, educators, preschool providers, and community partners working to help Barberton children enter kindergarten ready to learn and thrive.
Summit Education Initiative received $57,500 for the second year of the Barberton Preschool Collaborative work supporting cradle-to-career education. The partnership supports professional development, curriculum alignment, kindergarten transitions, and better use of kindergarten readiness data. Funding will also help develop a Birth-to-Grade 3 dashboard so partners can identify and respond to trends affecting local children and families.
Child Guidance & Family Solutions received $35,000 for programs that help educators respond to challenging behaviors, strengthen children’s emotional and social skills, and support healthier parent-child relationships. The grant will also expand the Incredible Years® Parent and Child program to the organization’s Barberton office.
Two additional grants bring kindergarten preparation and family support directly into children’s homes. The Early Childhood Resource Center received $25,000 for SPARK, an in-home kindergarten readiness program for 3- and 4-year-olds. Building for Tomorrow, the nonprofit arm of Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, received $25,000 for home visits, developmental screenings, readiness activities, and connections to community resources for children from birth to age 5.
From the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation's website:
On a blustery July day in Valdez, Alaska, community members, builders, developers and congressional representatives gathered in a neighborhood nestled beneath green mountains to celebrate the completion of 20 new affordable housing units that local residents will soon call home.
The July 8 ribbon cutting at Blueberry Terrace celebrated the completion of years of work, spearheaded by the Alaska Corporation for Affordable Housing, a subsidiary of Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, in partnership with the City of Valdez.
In 2011, the Alaska Legislature passed HB119 allowing AHFC to create a subsidiary to develop affordable housing throughout Alaska. As a subsidiary of AHFC, ACAH develops, manages, and operates affordable housing and provides services to support the mission of AHFC: providing Alaskans access to safe, quality, affordable housing. In addition to the latest development in Valdez, ACAH properties include a combined 208 units of housing in Anchorage and 58 units in Fairbanks.
The design at Blueberry Terrace aims to create the feeling of single-family properties for the residents while maintaining affordability. The development consists of 10 duplexes making each of the 20 units an end unit. The units are separated by garages, meaning that residents don’t share walls with their neighbors’ living spaces. The result is a cost-effective development that also enhances privacy.
Duplex design at Blueberry Terrace takes into account a range of housing needs – from Older Alaskans looking for a small and affordable space to help them maintain their independence to growing families looking for an affordable neighborhood to raise their children.
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The property serves as evidence that partnership between local governments, investors and AHFC can help meet the housing needs of Alaskans. In Valdez, the lack of available and affordable housing is so severe that the Valdez City Council established housing availability as their top priority for 2025.
“We have more jobs than there are people in Valdez but we lack housing for middle and low-income families,” says Valdez Mayor Dennis Fleming.
“There was a big need for us to have housing in the community of Valdez and Alaska Housing was our partner in this.”
Senator Lisa Murkowski echoed this priority during her remarks at the ribbon cutting, commended the community for taking a tangible step toward addressing their top identified need:
“We can focus on healthcare or we can focus on education, or we can focus on tourism or what needs to happen within our fisheries. But at the end of the day, everybody who's involved in education, in healthcare, in tourism and fisheries – they all need a place to live. And so it all comes back to housing…So to the people of Valdez: you have led by example, you've set the standard today.”
From The Spokesman-Review:
Offering 240 units of affordable housing in the Dishman Hills area of Spokane Valley, the Orchard Vista Grand Opening marks the completion of an affordable housing project that broke ground this time last year.
A household qualifies for the affordable complex if gross income is at or below 60% of area median for the Spokane metro area. Under 2025 HUD figures, that is about $42,350 for one person and $48,400 for two.
“Our one-bedroom apartments are $1,165,” said Nicole Gose, a property manager at Orchid Vista Apartments. “At a regular market-rate property, you’d be looking at $1,500 to $1,600 a month.”
The project came in at roughly $68 million, receiving funding from the state, the city of Spokane Valley, Seattle Foundation’s Evergreen Impact Housing Fund, along with CitiBank and Washington Trust Bank.
“It’s the largest project that we’ve ever done in our history,” said Pamela Parr, the executive director of Spokane Housing Authority.
Out of 240 total units, 106 are currently leased, with 58 currently occupied. Gose expects the remaining units to fill up within the next few months. She says the project has been very efficient, in both speed and spending.
“We were able to produce the units for 30% less than it would have cost us otherwise by creating this public-private partnership with the Inland Group, and it was also delivered much faster,” Parr said of the contractor for the project.
Mayor Laura Padden praised the group for coming in under budget, saying that affordable housing is important in addressing the growing Valley population.
“As the city grows, there’s always a need for more housing at all levels, so this is one of the steps, and a pretty large number of units,” Padden said.
“We’re all for affordable housing and also homeownership, so we’re trying to go across the spectrum,” she said.
The site is also going to include a childcare center, which is planned at 4,500 square feet on the northwest corner of the complex. The SHA won $126,000 from the state for the center, which will be YMCA operated. The SHA estimates the site to include two classrooms of 18 to 20 children.