Welcome to CLPHA's Press Room
CLPHA experts welcome interview requests from print, radio, television, and online reporters and are happy to provide their insights on issues of public housing and related legislation and policy.
For media inquiries, please contact:
David Greer
Director of Communications
(202) 550-1381 or [email protected].
*Please let us know if you are working on deadline.
To view all of CLPHA's press releases, click here.
To view all of CLPHA's press statements, click here.
You can subscribe here to our biweekly newsletter, events invite list, and topic specific newsletters. You can also follow us on Twitter at @CLPHA. Or, send us an email with your interests and we would be happy to add you to our press lists.
Thanks again for your interest in CLPHA!
CLPHA Begins Nationwide Search for Next Executive Director
|
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].
|
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.|
### About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities |
CLPHA, PBCHA, and Sponsors Support Continuation of 2025 Competition
|
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. |
|
###
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
|
(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.” |
|
###
About Housing Is |
|
(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." |
|
###
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
|
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.
|
“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 |
|
###
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
|
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].
|
|
### 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 Seattle Times:
After Bilal Ali graduated from high school, he wasn’t able to think about college. His father had just died, leaving him on his own, and he was scrambling to support himself.
When he turned 21, he feared he was missing his chance to get a degree entirely and he enrolled at Highline College in Des Moines. But he still had to work overnight to afford the rent for the two-bedroom apartment in Renton he shared with six older men and he was struggling with so little sleep. Looking back, he doubts he could have finished.
Then, an innovative housing program at the community college changed everything.
Since 2020, Highline College has paired students facing homelessness with housing vouchers provided by the King County Housing Authority, covering their rent for up to four and a half years or until six months after they graduate.
There are 34 community colleges and 37 housing authorities in Washington alone, yet Highline’s is the only program of its kind in the country, experts said.
Fifty students have obtained two- or four-year degrees or certificates in the program’s first five years.
Highline staff argue the results so far show the program is worth the investment.
Community colleges — which serve a broad range of people, including high school students and single parents — can be an affordable path for many to get better jobs. But their students are more likely to struggle with housing. A recent study found 14% of Washington community college students were homeless. At Highline College, it’s 18%.
...
Highline College and King County Housing Authority got the idea for the program from a similar partnership in Tacoma. The housing authority there decided to end that program in 2022, but the one at Highline kept going. It’s even expanded from 40 vouchers to 70.
Tacoma and King County have a federally designated special status that allows them to set aside Section 8 housing vouchers for students.
King County administers the rental assistance similarly to its Section 8 housing assistance program: Students find an apartment where they can use the voucher and pay up to a third of their income toward rent. The voucher covers the rest.
But unlike other government-funded housing vouchers, these are time limited and directly tied to the students’ progress in school.
Students have to go to school full time, pass their classes and meet quarterly with an adviser to make sure they’re on track to graduate — either with an associate degree or a bachelor’s of applied science.
Read The Seattle Times' full article.
From Hoodline:
Fourteen percent of Washington community college students have experienced homelessness, but at Highline College in Des Moines, a small group of them are staying in school at nearly double the typical rate thanks to a rare partnership with the King County Housing Authority. Students in the college's housing voucher program returned for a second year at an 89 percent clip during the 2024-2025 school year, compared with 45 percent for comparable students who weren't in the program. The initiative pairs homeless and housing-insecure students with Section 8-style rental vouchers tied directly to their academic progress.
The program, detailed in an investigation by The Seattle Times, covers participating students' rent for up to four and a half years, or until six months after graduation. Saido Alinur, who oversees the housing program at Highline, said the assistance encourages students to finish their degrees rather than drop out to chase stable housing. Eighteen percent of Highline students specifically have experienced homelessness, according to the same reporting, underscoring why the college built the initiative in the first place.
Students accepted into the program must attend school full time, remain on track for an associate degree or bachelor's of applied science, and pass their classes. They're also required to meet quarterly with an adviser, and if they disappear without communicating, Highline staff issue warnings before Alinur can ask the housing authority to terminate the voucher. Since launching, the program has expanded from 40 vouchers to 70, though only about one in four students offered a spot has actually secured housing — a reminder that even with a voucher in hand, finding a landlord willing to accept it in King County's tight rental market remains a real obstacle.
Takayla Lee, who enrolled at Highline at age 28, entered a shelter with her two children before joining the program. She failed her first class and took several months to secure housing, but eventually built momentum studying early childhood education; she now hopes to open her own day care and expects to stay in the program through a four-year degree. Bilal Ali also took several months to find a place before earning his associate degree in multimedia design and graduating through the program; he plans to remain enrolled as he pursues a four-year degree.
Seattle/ Community & Society
Highline College Housing Vouchers Push Student Retention to 89 Percent
By Emily Tran
Published on August 17, 2026
Source: Google Street View
Fourteen percent of Washington community college students have experienced homelessness, but at Highline College in Des Moines, a small group of them are staying in school at nearly double the typical rate thanks to a rare partnership with the King County Housing Authority. Students in the college's housing voucher program returned for a second year at an 89 percent clip during the 2024-2025 school year, compared with 45 percent for comparable students who weren't in the program. The initiative pairs homeless and housing-insecure students with Section 8-style rental vouchers tied directly to their academic progress.
How the Voucher Program Works
The program, detailed in an investigation by The Seattle Times, covers participating students' rent for up to four and a half years, or until six months after graduation. Saido Alinur, who oversees the housing program at Highline, said the assistance encourages students to finish their degrees rather than drop out to chase stable housing. Eighteen percent of Highline students specifically have experienced homelessness, according to the same reporting, underscoring why the college built the initiative in the first place.
Students accepted into the program must attend school full time, remain on track for an associate degree or bachelor's of applied science, and pass their classes. They're also required to meet quarterly with an adviser, and if they disappear without communicating, Highline staff issue warnings before Alinur can ask the housing authority to terminate the voucher. Since launching, the program has expanded from 40 vouchers to 70, though only about one in four students offered a spot has actually secured housing — a reminder that even with a voucher in hand, finding a landlord willing to accept it in King County's tight rental market remains a real obstacle.
...
Highline's program can exist at all because the King County Housing Authority holds Moving to Work status from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a federal designation that gives select public housing authorities statutory flexibility to redesign voucher allocations for local needs, according to the King County Housing Authority. That waiver, established by Congress in 1996, is the same mechanism that let Tacoma pioneer student-specific vouchers years earlier. The King County Housing Authority administers one of the region's largest voucher programs, serving more than 14,800 households in 2025, with over 4,700 vouchers dedicated to specialized populations experiencing homelessness or fleeing domestic violence.
Robin Walls, CEO of the housing authority, said Highline's time-limited, progress-tied voucher model aligns with the Trump administration's support for self-sufficiency-oriented housing assistance, per the Times reporting. The housing authority plans to continue investing in the program even as the administration has reportedly proposed significant budget cuts to housing assistance. Separately, HUD issued a proposed rule in March that would let housing authorities impose Section 8 time limits as short as two years and work requirements up to 40 hours a week, while explicitly exempting full-time college students from those work mandates, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Highline got the idea for its program from a similar partnership in Tacoma, where the Tacoma Housing Authority and Tacoma Community College launched the nation's first college student voucher program, the College Housing Assistance Program, in 2014. CHAP was named one of the Harvard Kennedy School's Top 25 Innovations in American Government in 2018, but the Tacoma Housing Authority voted to end the program in 2022, shifting its funding priorities back toward the general low-income population it serves.
Sara Goldrick-Rab, who reviewed the Tacoma program before it ended, said it showed better outcomes for the students who received housing and that housing can improve students' academic performance once they're stably housed. Experts told the Times that Highline's program is now the only one of its kind operating in the country, though it has not undergone any outside evaluation. The program has so far served 50 students who went on to obtain two- or four-year degrees or certificates.
From the Columbus Dispatch:
The Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority recently approved $125 million in combined investments that will fund the acquisition, preservation or new development of 451 affordable housing units, expected to serve more than 900 central Ohioans.
The public housing agency's board of commissioners announced approval of the investment package on July 28, providing developers with access to money that can make it easier to deliver highquality housing at lower rents, according to a CMHA press release. The agency plans to invest the money into four separate projects, which together will benefit roughly 935 residents.
“Preserving and expanding affordable housing requires bold financial innovation,” Scott Scharlach, CMHA'S chief operating officer, said in the release. “By developing new funding strategies, leveraging creative partnerships, and unlocking untapped capital, we can protect existing communities while creating lasting opportunities for generations to come.”
The largest chunk of the money, almost $56 million, will be used to purchase and redevelop the former Garver YMCA site at 6767 Refugee Road in Canal Winchester, with plans to build a 216-unit, mixed-income and workforce housing community. Workforce housing refers to housing for people with incomes that are too high for traditional, subsidized affordable housing but too low to comfortably afford market-rate housing in their communities.
The new development is slated to open in 2028 and benefit an estimated 540 residents.
CMHA referred to its investments as a response to the region's affordable housing crisis, citing Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio data that shows there are only 29 units available for every 100 extremely low-income households. Central Ohio also faces a deficit of between 11,000 and 14,000 new housing units every year to support a healthy housing market, according to data referenced in the release.
The other properties in which CMHA plans to invest its recently approved funds are:
Commons at Livingston, located at 3349 E. Livingston Ave., will provide 50 affordable housing apartments to Franklin County veterans with disabilities. CMHA is allocating $10.7 million to the project and will provide federally funded Project-based Vouchers for all 50 units for 15 years to ensure rents remain affordable through 2040.
The housing agency will spend $36 million to finance a complete renovation of The Meadows, located at 4855 Pintail
Creek Drive in Canal Winchester. A fullscale refurbishment of the 95-apartment home community will provide 255 residents with quality affordable housing.
Through a partnership with Lutheran Social Services and TFG Housing Resources, CMHA will also provide $27 million to renovate North Community Place and Village Place, two senior housing communities at 120 Morse Road and 1489 October Ridge Court, respectively.
"Together, the board actions approved [in July] reinforce CMHA'S dual commitment to expanding affordable housing opportunities while preserving the history and quality of neighborhoods that have shaped Columbus for generations," the release states.
From the Chicago Housing Authority's press release:
Two hundred fifteen Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) college-bound students representing 66 different schools across the country received dorm-room essentials and free laptops at the Springboard to Success (S2S)-hosted Take Flight College Send-Off Wednesday at Bridgeport Art Center.
The giant CHA trunk party was made possible thanks to S2S, CHA’s non-profit partner; the generous sponsorship support of Meijer and the Black McDonald’s Operators Association (BMOA), which provided dorm room merchandise; and Compudopt, which provided 215 laptops with two-year warranties. Additional sponsorship was provided by Molina Healthcare, Enterprise and UPS.
The schools represented Wednesday included Texas A&M, Louisiana State, American University, University of Wisconsin, and Grand Valley State. Schools with the highest number of students included Southern Illinois (26), Northern Illinois (26), Illinois State (23) and University of Illinois (21).
“We were delighted to have 215 incoming freshmen who are celebrating with us today who are getting dorm room essentials and laptops to help their studies in school,” said Amanda DeWitt, S2S Director of Development & Communications. “Often times we have students who are headed off to college for the first time and don’t think about those incidentals, the dorm room supplies they might need, the towels, the sheets, a laptop computer. We are here to fill that gap. We’re here to celebrate their journey and let them know they are not alone. This is a way to say, we’re all in this together.”
Danielle Walker picked up the essentials for her daughter, Tarriana, who left for University of Illinois on Sunday. Tarriana spent much of her time caring for her autistic sister while her mom worked long hours to provide for the family.
“There were many days my mother could not afford to take off work,” Tarriana wrote before she left for Champaign. “That’s when I would step in and stay home and take care of my sister. That challenge helped me to learn how to balance academic life and home life.”
Danielle Walker called her daughter the “backbone.”
“She’d get up in the middle of the night, make bottles, and provide the support I needed,” Danielle Walker said. “If (her sister) was sick, Tarriana just took over.”
Danielle Walker said she missed Tarriana – but she was beyond proud.
“I just want her to live her own life,” Danielle Walker said. “She’s done enough for me. I need to figure it out on my own. I want her to be happy.”
Donyae Whitehorn attended the event Wednesday and will be leaving for Louisiana State University in a few days.
“These events really help students who don’t have as much support as higher income students,” he said. “If you have to purchase supplies or other stuff, it leaves less money for you to have the necessities. So having an event like this where they give you most of the necessities, it makes it easier on the student than having to stress about other things.”
Miley Neely will be attending the University of Michigan, saying it is a big campus that will accommodate her big personality.
“I would have had to buy my own dorm supplies and computers and that would have taken a lot of money that I could have possibly used for my first semester in college.” Neely said. “That first year of college is pretty rough and I don’t have a lot of support that a lot of other people do. CHA has helped me a lot my senior year and now I’m really grateful to have this opportunity to have these supplies.”
From Fresno Housing's press release:
Fresno Housing is celebrating 85 years of service to Fresno County, marking a legacy that began in 1940 and today reaches nearly 50,000 residents through affordable housing, rental assistance and programs that support housing stability and opportunity.
Over eight decades, Fresno Housing has evolved from managing public housing to becoming one of the region’s leading affordable housing providers and developers. During 2024 and 2025 alone, the agency completed $253 million in housing developments, generating an estimated $379.5 million to $506 million in local economic impact. “For 85 years, Fresno Housing has worked to ensure that people in our community have access to safe and affordable places to live,” said Tyrone Roderick Williams, CEO of Fresno Housing. “Behind every front door we build or preserve is a person or family whose future becomes more stable and secure.”
Founded in 1940 amid the housing challenges that followed the Great Depression and Dust Bowl migration, Fresno Housing has continually evolved to meet the needs of the community. Today, its work reaches urban and rural communities throughout Fresno County and includes Housing Choice Vouchers, affordable housing development and preservation, permanent supportive housing, resident services and pathways to homeownership.
Fresno Housing's 85-year timeline reflects that evolution and decades of service, growth and transformation.
85 Years of Service. Impact That Continues Today.
Fresno Housing's 2024–2025 Community Report demonstrates how that legacy continues through investments in housing, residents and neighborhoods across Fresno County:
- 88 properties across Fresno County
- More than 50,000 residents served through Fresno Housing communities and programs
- More than 5,000 affordable housing units owned across the county
- 11,400+ households assisted annually through the Housing Choice Voucher program
- More than $140 million annually in Housing Assistance Payments to local property owners
- $253 million in housing developments completed during 2024–2025
- $379.5 million to $506 million in estimated local economic impact generated by those development investments
- 1,100+ youth supported through educational and enrichment opportunities
- 2,700+ households connected to Resident Empowerment services
“These numbers represent more than programs,” Williams said. “They represent families who have found stability, children who can focus on school, and seniors who can age with dignity in their communities.”
More about the agency's work, investments and resident outcomes is available through Fresno Housing's Community Impact page.
The Housing Choice Voucher program is Fresno Housing’s largest housing program, assisting more than 11,400 households each year. More than $140 million in Housing Assistance Payments flow annually to participating property owners, helping families afford housing throughout Fresno County while supporting the local rental housing market. For participating families, a voucher provides more than rental assistance—it provides housing stability and the ability to choose a home that meets their needs.
Fresno Housing's evolution has also expanded the ways families can pursue long-term housing stability. In addition to affordable rental housing and rental assistance, the agency creates pathways to homeownership through new construction, rehabilitation and resale, the Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program, homebuyer education and financial resources.
Heritage Estates, Fresno Housing's most recent subdivision of single-family homes developed specifically for mixed-income homebuyers, is one example. The Beyond Housing Foundation is also helping address barriers to homeownership through down payment assistance and financial preparation. Fresno Housing's broader work connects residents with education, workforce development, youth programs and other resources that support their goals.
That work is guided by Fresno Housing's Strategic Plan, shaped by resident, staff and community input and focused on housing insecurity, neighborhood investment, Housing Choice Voucher innovation and partnerships that support resident goals.
As Fresno Housing continues its 85th anniversary celebration, the agency will bring community and industry leaders together on September 18, 2026, for the return of the State of Affordable Housing at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District.
The event will convene local, state and federal leaders alongside housing professionals and community partners for a regional conversation about the challenges and opportunities shaping affordable housing. The gathering also reflects a lesson reinforced throughout Fresno Housing's 85-year history: addressing housing needs requires partnership.
“Eighty-five years represents generations of people who have called Fresno Housing communities home, families who have found stability through rental assistance, and partnerships that have helped us serve communities throughout Fresno County,” Williams said. “As we celebrate this milestone, we are grateful to the residents, staff, partners and community members who have been part of that history and continue to make this work possible.”
As Fresno Housing marks 85 years of service, the agency remains grounded in the people at the center of its work and its mission to create and sustain affordable housing and vibrant communities throughout Fresno County—because home is just the beginning.