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CLPHA Begins Nationwide Search for Next Executive Director
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 19, 2025) -- The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) today announced that CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman plans to retire at the end of 2025. Zaterman has led CLPHA, a national non-profit membership organization that works to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis, and public education, for over thirty years. The CLPHA Board of Directors has engaged Sally M. Sterling Executive Search to lead its nationwide search for a new executive director.
“For over three decades Sunia has been one of the most influential leaders in the housing industry,” said Jeffery K. Patterson, CLPHA Board President and Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority CEO. “CLPHA, under Sunia’s leadership, has helped shape the evolution, innovation, and development of public and affordable housing. Our housing industry will forever be grateful for her advocacy, dedication, and commitment, as well as the many significant contributions that Sunia has made which have been so beneficial to communities across the nation. CLPHA’s Board of Directors deeply thanks her for her stewardship, vision, and friendship, and wish her all the best in her next chapter.” Under Zaterman’s leadership CLPHA has been at the vanguard of the public and affordable housing industry’s most successful advancements, pushing for the tools and resources that PHAs need to evolve with national trends and respond to local challenges. Throughout her tenure CLPHA has been a staunch advocate for considering affordable housing for low-income households a key aspect of the social safety net on par with Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. At the beginning of Zaterman’s tenure, she established and directed the Housing Research Foundation (HRF), a CLPHA affiliate, to serve as the information and technical assistance clearinghouse for the nascent HOPE VI program under a cooperation agreement with HUD. HRF was instrumental in bringing new tools and ideas to PHAs on public/private finance, urban design, community building, resident service supports, and peer learning. “Sunia will leave CLPHA with a legacy of compassion, leadership, and transformative impact upon her retirement,” said La Shelle Dozier, CLPHA Board Vice President and Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency Executive Director. “Throughout her significant career at CLPHA and many years in the public and affordable housing industry, Sunia has ensured that improving the life outcomes of low-income individuals remains at the heart of CLPHA’s mission. Countless individuals served by PHAs have enjoyed increased housing stability, economic security, and access to critical services thanks to the initiatives and innovations that CLPHA has championed under Sunia’s leadership. Our industry will miss her greatly.” Under her leadership CLPHA was instrumental in the creation and subsequent expansions of the Moving to Work (MTW) demonstration, a HUD program that allows PHAs greater flexibility to develop local solutions for local housing challenges. MTW PHAs have pioneered and scaled successful programs and greater efficiencies that improve lives and more effectively address the nation’s housing crisis. Many initiatives stemming from MTW PHAs have been adopted into law and regulations. CLPHA supported the creation of the MTW Collaborative, a non-profit membership organization that advocates on behalf of current and future MTW agencies. CLPHA continues the partnership with the Collaborative through a management agreement. “During her extraordinary tenure as CLPHA’s executive director Sunia has played a critical role in improving national housing policy and strengthening the affordable housing industry,” said Joshua Meehan, MTW Collaborative Board President and Keene Housing Executive Director. “Her leadership at CLPHA has consistently supported public housing authorities in doing better work for the people we serve. Her focus on amplifying the role public housing authorities can play in improving educational, economic, and health outcomes for residents and voucher holders is especially noteworthy and appreciated, and I know the entire industry is grateful to her for her hard work and dedication. I wish her the very best in her well-deserved retirement.” Recognizing the need for PHAs to expand cross-sector collaboration to better serve residents and create platforms for opportunity, under Zaterman’s leadership CLPHA developed Housing Is, an initiative to foster collaboration across the health, education, and housing sectors through shared goals, focused resources, and coordinated efforts. At its core, Housing Is helps build a future where systems work together to improve life outcomes. Housing Is has convened 11 national summits with a wide array of cross-sector partners. CLPHA continues its partnership with Housing Is under a management agreement. “Sunia has been a champion of housers and affordable housing for decades,” said George Guy, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) President and CEO/Executive Director of the Fort Wayne Housing Authority. “Sunia has helped cultivate collaboration and innovative ideas that have provided useful resources and tools to assist agencies in serving their communities. She is a true servant leader. I am grateful for her hard work, her leadership, and her tireless advocacy on behalf of public housing agencies and the residents they serve." During Zaterman’s tenure CLPHA was also instrumental in the creation of the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD), a HUD program that preserves and improves affordable housing by allowing PHAs to leverage public-private partnerships to convert public housing units to long-term, project-based Section 8 rental assistance. CLPHA convened the RAD Collaborative, an initiative to build a community of practice and support to recapitalize the public housing portfolio, and offered stakeholders national and regional conferences, webinars, and policy analysis. Building on the successes of RAD to leverage private investment and responding to the need for expanded recapitalization tools and resources, CLPHA spearheads, under Zaterman’s leadership, the 10 Year Roadmap for Housing Sustainability. The Roadmap convenes a broad-based coalition of experts in housing, finance, development, and cross-sector approaches to develop and advance a 10-year reinvestment plan that establishes a sustainable, affordable, and service-enriched housing platform for residents to achieve their life goals. "Congratulations to Sunia on her upcoming retirement,” said Mark Gillett, Public Housing Authorities Directors Association (PHADA) Immediate Past President and Oklahoma City Housing Authority Executive Director. “Her years of work with CLPHA reflect a deep commitment to housing policy and public service. Sunia has played a consistent role in shaping national conversations around affordable housing. As she steps into retirement, her presence in the field throughout her long career is much appreciated. We wish her the very best in the next chapter." In addition to her leadership of CLPHA, Zaterman currently serves on the board of the Emerald Cities Collaborative. She has also served on the Harvard Joint Center on Housing Studies' America's Rental Housing 2024 Advisory Group, Convergence Collaborative on Social Determinants of Health, American Rescue Plan Evaluation National Expert Panel, and Johns Hopkins HOPES Policy Advisory Board. She began her career in housing as a New York State governor’s fellow at the New York State Housing Finance Agency. She also served as the judiciary committee clerk in the Texas State Legislature. Zaterman served as the executive director of the Travis County, TX Housing Authority, and the director of research and development Alexandria, VA Redevelopment and Housing Authority. She was nominated for the Hanley Award for Vision and Leadership in Sustainable Housing. Zaterman holds a master’s degree in urban planning from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree in history from Barnard College. In advance of Zaterman’s retirement, CLPHA has begun a nationwide search for its next executive director through Sally M. Sterling Executive Search. To inquire about the position, email [email protected].
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Throughout her tenure Zaterman has remained a steady and thoughtful steward of the needs of CLPHA members, who today number more than 85 of the largest and most innovative public housing authorities (PHAs) across the country. CLPHA’s members collectively own and manage nearly 40 percent of the nation’s public housing stock, administer more than a quarter of the Housing Choice Voucher program, and provide a wide array of other rental assistance. Above all, CLPHA under Zaterman’s leadership has centered the needs of low-income families that PHAs serve when charting the organization’s goals and priorities.|
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CLPHA, PBCHA, and Sponsors Support Continuation of 2025 Competition
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 1, 2025) – The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) is pleased to announce that four graduate student teams have been selected as finalists of the 2025 Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Design and Planning Competition. The four finalists include two teams from the University of California, Berkeley and one team each from the University of Kansas and Yale University. The 2025 competition partnered with the Palm Beach County Housing Authority (PBCHA) in Palm Beach County, Florida. CLPHA was chosen to host the competition after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development was unable to continue as host. “CLPHA is honored to serve as host for the Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Design and Planning Competition,” said Sunia Zaterman, CLPHA executive director. “CLPHA hopes this competition will inspire and support students in fields such as architecture, planning, policy, and finance in advancing affordable and sustainable housing for low- and moderate-income Americans. We also thank PBCHA and the numerous sponsors whose gracious contributions have enabled us to continue this competition.” Each year, the Innovation in Affordable Housing competition invites graduate students enrolled in accredited educational institutions in the United States to form multi-disciplinary teams to respond to an existing affordable housing design and planning issue. The competition requires teams composed of graduate students in architecture, planning and policy, finance, and other areas to address social, economic, environmental, design, financial, and construction issues in addition to an affordable housing design challenge. The theme for the 2025 competition is “designing for disasters.” The graduate student teams were challenged to address the lack of affordable housing in Palm Beach County due to a shortage of land for development, while also considering the property is subject to Florida weather related to heat, heavy rains resulting in flooding, hurricanes and high winds, as well as post-disaster safety concerns. The student teams were tasked with redeveloping an underutilized 13+ acre of land owned by PBCHA that currently has a 134-unit public housing development and a maximum density of 350 units. “PBCHA wishes to thank CLPHA for stepping in at a crucial juncture so that the Affordable Housing Student Design and Planning Competition would continue this year,” said Carol Jones-Gilbert, PBCHA CEO. “We are proud to partner with CLPHA for the 2025 competition. The challenge to design affordable and sustainable housing in disaster prone areas couldn’t be timelier with natural disasters increasing in intensity and frequency.” On May 8, the finalist graduate student teams will present their final projects to a jury of practitioners. Jurors will determine the winning team later in May. That winning team will be awarded a cash prize and present their design at CLPHA’s Summer Meeting, hosted by Atlanta Housing, on June 13, 2025 in Atlanta, GA. The jurors include:
The design competition is supported by sponsors from across the architecture, real estate, and finance sectors, including Bank of America, CSG Advisors, Enterprise, Merritt Community Capital Corporation, The Pacific Companies, Raymond James Affordable Housing Investments, Redstone Equity Partners, Related California, and US Bankcorp Impact Finance. |
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About the Palm Beach County Housing Authority Located at 3333 Forest Hill Boulevard in West Palm Beach, Florida, PBCHA advocates for those who need housing and strives to provide Palm Beach County residents with affordable housing options, self-sufficiency programs, and leadership opportunities. The agency is committed to providing quality living environments through new and existing housing developments. To contact PBCHA, call 561-684-2160 or visit the website at pbchafl.org. |
Grant to Support Policy Agenda Addressing Homelessness for Infants, Toddlers, Expectant Parents, and Their Families
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(Washington, D.C.) February 3, 2025 – We are pleased to announce that the Pritzker Children’s Initiative (PCI) has awarded $150,000 to support the work of Housing Is to strengthen the intersection of housing and early childhood development. Housing Is received this grant from PCI to work with a coalition of organizations, including Prevent Child Abuse America, Zero to Three, and our long-time partner SchoolHouse Connection, to build a policy agenda addressing homelessness for infants, toddlers, expectant parents, and their families and promoting strong early childhood development and economic security among this population. 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. “Housing Is is proud to receive this grant from the Pritzker Children’s Initiative and to join this coalition focused on improving housing opportunities and life outcomes for some of our nation’s most vulnerable individuals: infants, toddlers, expectant parents, and their families,” said Jeffery K. Patterson, president of the Housing Is board of directors and CEO of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority. “The early childhood, housing, and homelessness sectors must work together to build a coordinated, holistic support system for these children and their families. Public housing authorities play a critical role in providing affordable housing to this population, and Housing Is will represent the voices of PHAs and other housing organizations in this coalition. PCI’s support will enable Housing Is and our coalition to build and disseminate a policy agenda and messaging campaign that will address homelessness for these infants and young children and their families.” “Housing Is extends our gratitude to the Pritzker Children’s Initiative for their recognition of our work to align sectors that serve low-income families,” said Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA), which manages Housing Is under an operating agreement. “As Housing Is has stressed throughout our ten-year history, systems that serve low-income individuals are stronger and more effective when they work together. With this grant, PCI is helping Housing Is to further our mission to improve life outcomes for low-income families through cross-sector collaboration.” |
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About Housing Is |
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(Washington, D.C.) January 21, 2026 – La Shelle Dozier, CEO of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA), released the following statement regarding Secretary Scott Turner of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s testimony at the House Financial Service Committee’s hearing entitled “Oversight of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Housing Administration” today: "We thank Secretary Turner for appearing before the House Financial Services Committee today to address the critical issue of housing affordability. We agree with the Secretary’s assessment that a severe lack of housing supply is the primary driver of the current housing affordability crisis facing millions of Americans. It is heartening to see bipartisan legislation such as the ROAD to Housing Act and the Housing for the 21st Century Act being introduced in this Congress. "Every day, public housing authorities work tirelessly on the front lines to ensure that America’s most vulnerable families—including seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities—have access to safe, secure, and affordable housing. Public housing is not just a roof over one’s head; it is a vital foundation for economic stability and community well-being. "To address this crisis effectively, we must prioritize the preservation of our existing public housing portfolio. Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY), whose district includes the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), noted during his questioning that it would take nearly 100 years to recapitalize NYCHA’s public housing portfolio at current capital funding levels. This is unacceptable. “The 10 Year Roadmap for Public Housing Sustainability found that the baseline cost to preserve the nation's current public housing portfolio is $169.1 billion, or approximately $188,000 per unit. Per unit costs to rehab a home built with low-income housing tax credits or build a new single-family home today range from $217,000 to $600,000. When comparing these figures, preserving our current public housing portfolio is among the most cost-effective and fiscally responsible method to ensure long-term housing affordability for low-income Americans. "Public housing remains one of our nation's most enduring and essential assets. We look forward to working with Secretary Turner and the Administration to find a sustainable path forward that preserves this critical resource for the next generation of American families." |
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
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Winning Team Awarded $15,000 and Will Present Their Design at CLPHA’s Summer Meeting, Hosted by Atlanta Housing
UC Berkeley Team Gold Earns Second Place; University of Kansas and Yale University Teams Named Runners-up
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 22, 2025) – The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) is pleased to announce that the University of California, Berkeley’s Team Blue has been named the winner of the 2025 Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Design and Planning Competition. The first-place team, comprised of Omeed Ansari, Yameen Arshad, Balaji Balaganesan, Harrison Haigood, and Chelsea Hall, will be awarded $15,000 and present their winning design at CLPHA’s Summer Meeting, hosted by Atlanta Housing, on June 13 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The 2025 competition partnered with the Palm Beach County Housing Authority (PBCHA) in Palm Beach County, Florida. CLPHA stepped in to host the competition after it was terminated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
"CLPHA congratulates UC Berkeley Team Blue on winning the 2025 Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Design and Planning Competition,” said CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman. “Their ‘Mango Commons’ design incorporated innovative, climate-resilient design, thoughtful integration of resident services and programs, and comprehensive financing solutions that brought PBCHA’s community to life. This first-place team and all participating university teams represent the best and brightest in the future of affordable housing development, design, and planning, and CLPHA is honored to celebrate their ingenuity and hard work.”
Each year, the Innovation in Affordable Housing competition invites graduate students enrolled in accredited educational institutions in the United States to form multi-disciplinary teams to respond to an existing affordable housing design and planning issue. The competition requires teams composed of graduate students in architecture, planning and policy, finance, and other areas to address social, economic, environmental, design, financial, and construction issues in addition to an affordable housing design challenge.
The theme for the 2025 competition is “designing for disasters.” The graduate student teams were challenged to address the lack of affordable housing in Palm Beach County due to a shortage of land for development, while also considering the property is subject to Florida weather related to heat, heavy rains resulting in flooding, hurricanes and high winds, as well as post-disaster safety concerns. The student teams were tasked with redeveloping an underutilized 13+ acre parcel of land owned by PBCHA that currently has a 134-unit public housing development and a maximum density of 350 units.
UC Berkeley Team Blue’s winning design, named Mango Commons, is rooted in disaster resilience, long-term sustainability, and community cohesion. The 350-unit, three-phased redevelopment plan for PBCHA is innovative and resident-driven. Mango Commons makes use of built and natural systems for climate resilience, underpinned by the site’s self-sustaining circular economy. In its design, the project boasts large outdoor verandas to build social resilience and hearken to Southern “front porch” culture. Mango Commons also leverages community gardens, tech education, and culinary programming to promote food security, self-sufficiency, and intergenerational activities for the entire community. Lastly, for its financing, it incorporates a unique option-to-buy program and a partnership with Habitat for Humanity to build homes for ownership.
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“Competitions like this are so important for students to be able to address real-life situations and learn through doing,” said UC Berkeley Team Blue Faculty Advisor Lydia Tan. “UC Berkeley’s Team Blue this year was exemplary—the team dug deep into the local issues facing the Palm Beach County Housing Authority and the community, talking with a plethora of local stakeholders in an effort to truly understand the local ecosystem. The team’s ultimate proposal is realistically executable, would result in an amazing environment for current and future residents, and can act as a catalyst to bring the local community even closer together. Thanks to CLPHA and all of those who picked up the task of carrying out the competition so that all the students who competed could have their ideas shared with the public.” The University of California, Berkeley’s Team Gold earned second place in the competition and will be awarded $5,000. Runner-up teams from the University of Kansas and Yale University will be awarded $2,500 each. Eleven teams entered the competition from universities including Columbia University, University of Florida, University of Iowa, and University of Maryland College Park. On May 8, the finalist graduate student teams presented their final projects to a jury of practitioners. The jurors included:
The design competition is supported by sponsors from across the architecture, real estate, and finance sectors, including Bank of America, the Cooper Housing Institute, CSG Advisors, Enterprise, Merritt Community Capital Corporation, The Pacific Companies, Raymond James Affordable Housing Investments, Palm Beach County Housing Authority, Redstone Equity Partners, Related California, and US Bankcorp Impact Finance.
Media Contact: (916) 716-9088 |
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities About the Palm Beach County Housing Authority Located at 3333 Forest Hill Boulevard in West Palm Beach, Florida, PBCHA advocates for those who need housing and strives to provide Palm Beach County residents with affordable housing options, self-sufficiency programs, and leadership opportunities. The agency is committed to providing quality living environments through new and existing housing developments. To contact PBCHA, call 561-684-2160 or visit the website at pbchafl.org. |
CLPHA Begins Nationwide Search for Next Executive Director
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 19, 2025) -- The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) today announced that CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman plans to retire at the end of 2025. Zaterman has led CLPHA, a national non-profit membership organization that works to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis, and public education, for over thirty years. The CLPHA Board of Directors has engaged Sally M. Sterling Executive Search to lead its nationwide search for a new executive director.
“For over three decades Sunia has been one of the most influential leaders in the housing industry,” said Jeffery K. Patterson, CLPHA Board President and Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority CEO. “CLPHA, under Sunia’s leadership, has helped shape the evolution, innovation, and development of public and affordable housing. Our housing industry will forever be grateful for her advocacy, dedication, and commitment, as well as the many significant contributions that Sunia has made which have been so beneficial to communities across the nation. CLPHA’s Board of Directors deeply thanks her for her stewardship, vision, and friendship, and wish her all the best in her next chapter.” Under Zaterman’s leadership CLPHA has been at the vanguard of the public and affordable housing industry’s most successful advancements, pushing for the tools and resources that PHAs need to evolve with national trends and respond to local challenges. Throughout her tenure CLPHA has been a staunch advocate for considering affordable housing for low-income households a key aspect of the social safety net on par with Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security. At the beginning of Zaterman’s tenure, she established and directed the Housing Research Foundation (HRF), a CLPHA affiliate, to serve as the information and technical assistance clearinghouse for the nascent HOPE VI program under a cooperation agreement with HUD. HRF was instrumental in bringing new tools and ideas to PHAs on public/private finance, urban design, community building, resident service supports, and peer learning. “Sunia will leave CLPHA with a legacy of compassion, leadership, and transformative impact upon her retirement,” said La Shelle Dozier, CLPHA Board Vice President and Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency Executive Director. “Throughout her significant career at CLPHA and many years in the public and affordable housing industry, Sunia has ensured that improving the life outcomes of low-income individuals remains at the heart of CLPHA’s mission. Countless individuals served by PHAs have enjoyed increased housing stability, economic security, and access to critical services thanks to the initiatives and innovations that CLPHA has championed under Sunia’s leadership. Our industry will miss her greatly.” Under her leadership CLPHA was instrumental in the creation and subsequent expansions of the Moving to Work (MTW) demonstration, a HUD program that allows PHAs greater flexibility to develop local solutions for local housing challenges. MTW PHAs have pioneered and scaled successful programs and greater efficiencies that improve lives and more effectively address the nation’s housing crisis. Many initiatives stemming from MTW PHAs have been adopted into law and regulations. CLPHA supported the creation of the MTW Collaborative, a non-profit membership organization that advocates on behalf of current and future MTW agencies. CLPHA continues the partnership with the Collaborative through a management agreement. “During her extraordinary tenure as CLPHA’s executive director Sunia has played a critical role in improving national housing policy and strengthening the affordable housing industry,” said Joshua Meehan, MTW Collaborative Board President and Keene Housing Executive Director. “Her leadership at CLPHA has consistently supported public housing authorities in doing better work for the people we serve. Her focus on amplifying the role public housing authorities can play in improving educational, economic, and health outcomes for residents and voucher holders is especially noteworthy and appreciated, and I know the entire industry is grateful to her for her hard work and dedication. I wish her the very best in her well-deserved retirement.” Recognizing the need for PHAs to expand cross-sector collaboration to better serve residents and create platforms for opportunity, under Zaterman’s leadership CLPHA developed Housing Is, an initiative to foster collaboration across the health, education, and housing sectors through shared goals, focused resources, and coordinated efforts. At its core, Housing Is helps build a future where systems work together to improve life outcomes. Housing Is has convened 11 national summits with a wide array of cross-sector partners. CLPHA continues its partnership with Housing Is under a management agreement. “Sunia has been a champion of housers and affordable housing for decades,” said George Guy, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) President and CEO/Executive Director of the Fort Wayne Housing Authority. “Sunia has helped cultivate collaboration and innovative ideas that have provided useful resources and tools to assist agencies in serving their communities. She is a true servant leader. I am grateful for her hard work, her leadership, and her tireless advocacy on behalf of public housing agencies and the residents they serve." During Zaterman’s tenure CLPHA was also instrumental in the creation of the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD), a HUD program that preserves and improves affordable housing by allowing PHAs to leverage public-private partnerships to convert public housing units to long-term, project-based Section 8 rental assistance. CLPHA convened the RAD Collaborative, an initiative to build a community of practice and support to recapitalize the public housing portfolio, and offered stakeholders national and regional conferences, webinars, and policy analysis. Building on the successes of RAD to leverage private investment and responding to the need for expanded recapitalization tools and resources, CLPHA spearheads, under Zaterman’s leadership, the 10 Year Roadmap for Housing Sustainability. The Roadmap convenes a broad-based coalition of experts in housing, finance, development, and cross-sector approaches to develop and advance a 10-year reinvestment plan that establishes a sustainable, affordable, and service-enriched housing platform for residents to achieve their life goals. "Congratulations to Sunia on her upcoming retirement,” said Mark Gillett, Public Housing Authorities Directors Association (PHADA) Immediate Past President and Oklahoma City Housing Authority Executive Director. “Her years of work with CLPHA reflect a deep commitment to housing policy and public service. Sunia has played a consistent role in shaping national conversations around affordable housing. As she steps into retirement, her presence in the field throughout her long career is much appreciated. We wish her the very best in the next chapter." In addition to her leadership of CLPHA, Zaterman currently serves on the board of the Emerald Cities Collaborative. She has also served on the Harvard Joint Center on Housing Studies' America's Rental Housing 2024 Advisory Group, Convergence Collaborative on Social Determinants of Health, American Rescue Plan Evaluation National Expert Panel, and Johns Hopkins HOPES Policy Advisory Board. She began her career in housing as a New York State governor’s fellow at the New York State Housing Finance Agency. She also served as the judiciary committee clerk in the Texas State Legislature. Zaterman served as the executive director of the Travis County, TX Housing Authority, and the director of research and development Alexandria, VA Redevelopment and Housing Authority. She was nominated for the Hanley Award for Vision and Leadership in Sustainable Housing. Zaterman holds a master’s degree in urban planning from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree in history from Barnard College. In advance of Zaterman’s retirement, CLPHA has begun a nationwide search for its next executive director through Sally M. Sterling Executive Search. To inquire about the position, email [email protected].
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### About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities |
Pew Charitable Trust's state policy news outlet Stateline quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman and CLPHA member executive directors in an article about the COVID-19 pandemic's effects on public housing authorities.
Zaterman told Stateline that PHAs need $5 billion in emergency supplemental funding due to several challenges PHAs are facing during this crisis, including a "significant reduction" in rental income, a dramatically reduced workforce, massive cleaning-related expenses, and communications challenges with residents while PHAs' physical offices are closed. PHAs also need a further $3.5 billion in emergency supplemental funds for the for the Housing Choice Voucher program.
“I’m worried,” Emilio Salas, acting executive director of the Los Angeles County Development Authority, told Stateline. “Tremendously.”
Douglas Guthrie, president and CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, told Stateline that his PHA is working hard to address his city's homelesssness crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We can't wait for waivers from HUD to do what needs to be done today,” Guthrie said. “Shelter is the most important thing right now.”
Andrew Lofton, executive director of the Seattle Housing Authority, told Stateline that PHAs are also preparing for the inevitable surge of residents who test positive for COVID-19: "It’s just a matter of time."
Read Stateline's article "Public Housing Authorities Hit Hard by the Pandemic."
As of January 1, 2020, California has a state-wide law prohibiting landlords from rejecting potential tenants solely on their use of a housing voucher. The law, known as Source of Income (SOI) protection, replaces SOI ordinances that were previously in place in several California cities, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Santa Clara County to cover voucher holders across the state.
A recent HUD-commissioned study on landlord acceptance of voucher holders in five cities found that those cities with an existing SOI law protecting voucher holders had higher rates of landlord acceptance compared to those cities without SOI protection. While cities with SOI laws devote varying amounts of resources to enforcement, HUD’s study suggests awareness of local SOI protections meaningfully deter discrimination by landlords. The Poverty & Race Research Action Council maintains an updated list of all SOI laws in place across the country.
In an effort to call attention to the affordable housing crisis during the 2020 election cycle and to spur presidential debate moderators to ask candidates about their affordable housing plans, the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Our Homes, Our Votes: 2020 campaign placed a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times on December 16 & 17. The ad featured OHOV: 2020’s letter urging PBS NewsHour, Politico, and debate moderators to ask presidential candidates how they would address the nation’s affordable housing crisis during the next debate, which will be held on December 19 at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. CLPHA joined more than 1,000 organizations as co-signers to OHOV: 2020’s letter.
Following the devastating November fire at the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority’s (MPHA) Cedar High apartments, Minneapolis’s Star Tribune reported on the chronic federal underfunding of public housing that contributes to the massive, nationwide capital needs backlog at public housing communities and requires PHAs to make tough choices about building maintenance and repairs.
“Our priority is to make sure that life and safety are always taken care of,” said MPHA Interim Executive Director/CEO Tracey Scott in an October interview with the paper. “Quite simply that’s the hard choice you have to make because you would like to replace a kitchen cabinet but that has to come second to life and safety. We have to make choices.” MPHA estimates that its properties need an estimated $152 million in maintenance and renovations.
New York City Housing Authority Chair & CEO and CLPHA Board Member Greg Russ, MPHA’s former Executive Director/CEO, underscored the difficult choices housing authorities have to make when it comes to prioritizing maintenance and renovation projects: “We don’t have enough funding to keep basic systems in place nationally and have to pick and choose when we do get the capital money.” Russ added that inadequate federal funding is why MPHA and other agencies employ the RAD program to diversify and their funding sources so that they can afford the important and expensive rehabilitation of their properties.
CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman said that more “organized political will and bipartisan support” is needed in Congress in order to increase funding and fully address PHAs’ capital needs. “We are at the turning point in part because the affordable housing crisis is so heightened in our communities,” Zaterman said. “This is such an essential resource, the understanding that we have to invest is more pervasive and people are beginning to understand that ... but we haven’t had the reflection in our funding yet.”
Scott further stressed the effects that insufficient federal funding has on her agency’s ability to house and serve their low-income residents. “We’re a public agency and the mission is that we provide quality, well maintained homes for families to thrive and these are members of our community that need support and that helping hand,” she said, “We are providing a roof today, but if we don’t maintain it there would not be a roof tomorrow.”
CLPHA Members Elm City Communities, Miami-Dade Public Housing & Community Development Also Featured
Affordable Housing News magazine featured Executive Director Sunia Zaterman in its Fall 2019 issue, where Zaterman discussed CLPHA’s priorities, goals, and strategies for preserving and improving public and affordable housing. “We are very focused on appropriations and polices that support public housing authorities and the people they serve,” said Zaterman, adding that “[f]rom the beginning, we’ve been very focused on supporting the most innovative housing authorities in the country.” She cited programs like the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) and Moving to Work (MTW) as flexible, locally-oriented policies that innovative housing authorities are using to improve their housing stock and resident outcomes. Zaterman also emphasized the public housing portfolio’s capital needs backlog of more than $50 billion and the chronic underfunding of public housing programs, issues that are at the center of CLPHA’s advocacy efforts.
The article also highlights CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative, which seeks to broaden and deepen efforts to align housing, education, and health organizations to produce positive long-term outcomes for low-income individuals and families. Zaterman discussed some of the Housing Is Initiative’s work, including the Housing Is Summit, an annual convening dedicated to collaboration among the housing, education, and health sectors, and the creation of a data sharing agreement template for housing authorities and school systems so that they can identify shared issues and interests and develop evidence-based interventions. “We understand that housing is absolutely essential and foundational, but often, for families and special needs populations, is not sufficient in and of itself,” Zaterman said. “Our goal with the Housing Is Initiative is to improve and enhance our partnerships in healthcare, education, and workforce development to improve life outcomes for families, seniors, and persons with disabilities who reside in assisted housing.”
Read Affordable Housing News' article (on pages 20 and 21).
CLPHA members Miami-Dade Public Housing & Community Development (Miami-Dade PCHD) and Elm City Communities (ECC) were also featured in Affordable Housing News’ Fall 2019 issue. Read about Miami-Dade PCHD’s RAD-assisted Liberty Square redevelopment on pages 34-36 and about ECC’s employment of MTW flexibilities to create innovative resident programming and redevelop its public housing portfolio on pages 64-65.
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].