Welcome to CLPHA's Press Room
CLPHA experts welcome interview requests from print, radio, television, and online reporters and are happy to provide their insights on issues of public housing and related legislation and policy.
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David Greer
Director of Communications
(202) 550-1381 or dgreer@clpha.org.
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities is a national non-profit organization that works to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis and public education. CLPHA’s 70 members represent virtually every major metropolitan area in the country. Together they manage 40 percent of the nation’s public housing program; administer more than a quarter of the Housing Choice Voucher program; and operate a wide array of other housing programs. Learn more at clpha.org and on Twitter @CLPHA and follow @housing_is for news on CLPHA’s work to better intersect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.
August 10, 2020
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities is a national non-profit organization that works to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis and public education. CLPHA’s 70 members represent virtually every major metropolitan area in the country. Together they manage 40 percent of the nation’s public housing program; administer more than a quarter of the Housing Choice Voucher program; and operate a wide array of other housing programs. Learn more at clpha.org and on Twitter @CLPHA and follow @housing_is for news on CLPHA’s work to better intersect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.
- Listen to HousingWire's coverage of our letter in their Daily Download podcast.
- Read HousingWire's article about our letter.
August 3, 2020
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities is a national non-profit organization that works to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis and public education. CLPHA’s 70 members represent virtually every major metropolitan area in the country. Together they manage 40 percent of the nation’s public housing program; administer more than a quarter of the Housing Choice Voucher program; and operate a wide array of other housing programs. Learn more at clpha.org and on Twitter @CLPHA and follow @housing_is for news on CLPHA’s work to better intersect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.
From Tacoma Weekly:
The bright colors of two new housing structures in town have been catching the eye of passersby lately, and now Hilltop Housing North and Hilltop Housing South are officially christened as Tacoma Housing Authority’s largest affordable housing project in 20 years.
To celebrate the Housing Hilltop project, dignitaries, Hilltop residents and people from communities across the city gathered the morning of Aug. 3 for the official ribbon cutting ceremony.
Apartments in Housing Hilltop’s South building are currently being leased and the North building is on track to open by the end of this year. Together, both buildings bring 231 living units, 94 in Housing Hilltop South and 137 in Housing Hilltop North.
Housing Hilltop is leasing at 60 percent Area Median Income and is offering priority leasing opportunities to households that have been displaced or at risk of displacement from Hilltop "to help keep the Hilltop community whole,” according to information posted at tacomahousing.org. This means, for example, that a single occupant must make below $48,660 a year, below $55,620 for a family of two, and below $69,480 for a family of four.
To increase affordability in both buildings, the THA Board of Commissioners has approved additional subsidy to the project to ensure that 25 percent of units in both buildings are affordable to more residents.
Elected leaders speaking at the ribbon cutting event included Mayor Victoria Woodards, Sen. Maria Cantwell, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, Pierce County Council Chair Ryan Mello, and U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer by remote video.
"One of the crises we face as a city is affordable housing,” Woodards said. "To have these units coming online at 60 percent AMI is going to make a real difference. It doesn’t stop here, but this will go a long way to allowing us to build those 10,000 units that we feel we need to have in the city of Tacoma in the next 10 years.”
Cantwell brought a view of a bigger picture, that of the need for 200,000 more units nationwide over the next two years.
"I’m trying to do something in Washington D.C. – and that is to get a hell of a lot more money for affordable housing. We’re going to keep fighting until we get it done,” Cantwell said.
Read Tacoma Weekly's article "Ribbon cutting celebrates Housing Hilltop."
From CBS News Fort Worth:
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs recently announced more than $95 million in housing tax credits to develop or renovate 63 rental properties across Texas to address the affordable housing need.
Eleven of the developments are slated for North Texas.
"It's a big issue for all cities," said Amy Connolly, the assistant director of City of Fort Worth Neighborhood Services. "In the DFW area, growth is just so tremendous."
Fort Worth in particular has been impacted by the population and business boom.
"We're building a lot of apartments and we're building a lot of single-family homes, but we're not really keeping up with the affordable housing need," Connolly said.
...
Fort Worth Housing Solutions will put the tax credits toward the continued construction of a massive housing redevelopment in the Stop Six neighborhood. The Former Cavile Place public housing will be replaced with new apartment buildings.
Read CBS News Fort Worth's article "Fort Worth affordable housing developments receive $8 million in tax credits."
From the Los Angeles Times:
Teenage residents at Jordan Downs, one of L.A.’s largest public housing communities, will earn a paycheck this summer while learning hands-on skills like carpentry and welding, launching them on pathways to careers in industries facing strong demand and a critical lack of qualified workers.
The program is made possible by the joint efforts of Harbor Freight Tools for Schools, the flagship program of The Smidt Foundation, and BRIDGE Housing. BRIDGE Housing is a nonprofit housing developer participating in the $1-billion redevelopment effort of Jordan Downs. First built in the 1940s, Jordan Downs is now going through a physical transformation that includes doubling the number of residential units and adding retail and community spaces along with new parks and open spaces for residents.
“The City of Los Angeles is committed to providing opportunity to all Angelenos. The launch of this program will equip young Angelenos with hands-on experience and essential skills that can help them succeed now and in the future,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “I want to recognize Harbor Freight Tools for Schools for establishing this real-world learning model and for your work to ensure L.A.’s skilled workforce remains strong.”
Operating like a construction workplace, the program uses the “earn and learn” model where students are paid while developing meaningful skills that can lead to future employment. The 15 high school-aged residents participating in the summer’s pilot program at Jordan Downs were recruited by community-based service providers to participate.
Students will complete 40 hours of hands-on project work to practice foundational trade skills, such as plumbing, electrical wiring, welding and framing a mini house. Students will also master basic skills that apply to a variety of construction disciplines, including safety, measurement, site prep and clean-up.
“The transformation of Jordan Downs goes far beyond buildings – it’s about quality of life for residents,” said BRIDGE Housing president and CEO Ken Lombard. “We jumped at the opportunity to partner with Harbor Freight Tools for Schools because we’re literally putting tools in young people’s hands to help them prepare for careers.”
Read the Los Angeles Times' article "Teens from Jordan Downs Community in Watts Getting Paid to Learn Skilled Trades This Summer."
From the Chicago Housing Authority's press release:
Davora Buchanan was shy while growing up in Trumbull Park Homes. She kept to herself and read. Then she attended CHA’s Learn and Earn program, where teenage students explore career fields like entrepreneurship, arts and technology while earning a paycheck.
“It was the first program I did outside of Trumbull, the first program where I interacted with other kids and took the bus all the way to South Suburban College,” she said. “It was a turning point, not just because of what I was learning but because of the people I met. It was a life-changing experience for me.”
Ten years later, Learn and Earn – six weeks of career exploration for CHA residents ages 13-15 that includes a $600 stipend – continues to inspire. It and other summer programs are on track to reach CHA’s performance goal of a 10 percent increase in participation (2,429) over last year (2,215) with summer earnings that are expected to reach $3 million.
The Learn and Earn experience certainly helped Buchanan, who got involved in other CHA programs like Summer Youth Employment Program. She eventually graduated from DeVry University Advantage Academy, earned a bachelors and masters in sociology and now works for Metropolitan Family Services as a Domestic Violence Advocate and Housing Coordinator doing what she loves: housing people.
“If I’m able to house one person I feel successful,” she said. “I put my all into it because someone put their all into it for me and my mother when it was time to get housed.”
Learn and Earn is one of several paid summer opportunities for CHA residents ages 13-24 that CHA is offering this summer, providing early exposure to career and education pathways and opportunities that stem potential summer learning loss. It concludes Aug. 1.
Other CHA summer programs include:
Become a Filmmaker: Participants in this award-winning program collaborate with DePaul University’s School of Cinematic Arts to learn all aspects of filmmaking, from story development to editing. Guided by graduate students, they create short films for global festivals, with industry expert visits and field trips. Participants earn $15.80/hour.
Be Your Own Boss: High school age participants develop a startup addressing a passion-driven problem, guided by entrepreneurs and business professionals through virtual sessions, meetings, and field trips. Youth gain skills in identifying opportunities, acquiring customers, building prototypes, and pitching to investors for lifelong success! Participants earn $15.80/hour.
Counselor in Training (CIT), a collaboration between the Chicago Housing Authority and the Chicago Park District, provides 40 teens 15 years old a summer opportunity as a counselor. Youth gain life skills and the opportunity to grow, learn and gain skills in leadership and financial capability while earning a $1,320 stipend.
CHA Student Internship Program: This program provides opportunities for college students to participate in a professional environment, building workplace skills and gaining experience for future careers. Participants earn $17.00/hour.
Movie and TV Scripts 101: Participants in this screenwriting program with DePaul University's award-winning screenwriters learn to write original screenplays through film analysis, format, style, scene craft, story structure, character development, and dialogue. The program includes writing a short movie or TV script, followed by a table read with actors from DePaul’s Theatre School, alongside industry expert visits and field trips. Participants, ages 15-20, earn $15.80/hour.
Next Level Photography: In collaboration with the DePaul University School of Cinematic Arts, participants master technical foundations, explore genres like nature and portraiture, develop personal styles, and build portfolios for freelance opportunities. Participants, ages 15-20, earn $15.80/hour.
PeacePlayers: PeacePlayers Chicago provides participants a transformative summer experience centered around fostering healthy relationships and unlocking the leader in youth. This program offers a unique blend of basketball, leadership development, career readiness, and peace building. Participants earn a $600 stipend.
Summer of Code: This program teaches programming basics using Swift, helping build a fundamental understanding and practical skills to develop a basic iOS app from start to finish, including essential user interface design principles. Participants earn $15.80/hour.
Summer Youth Employment Program: This program offers youth ages 16-24, meaningful, paid work-based opportunities with a variety of industries throughout the city. Participants earn $15.80/hour.
From the Charlotte Observer:
A Charlotte-based reentry organization renewed a contract with Inlivian on July 3 to support families recognized by a federal law that ensures children lacking stable housing receive an education.
The Freedom Fighting Missionaries board of directors allocates the vouchers to families with children currently recognized by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Inlivian is a nonprofit formerly known as the Charlotte Housing Authority.
Freedom Fighting Missionaries announced the contract renewal.
Through funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, low-income families can rent safe, affordable homes thanks to the Inlivian vouchers.
Families who join the program will receive a voucher that enables Inlivian to pay the property management or owner directly for a portion of their rent.
Freedom Fighting Missionaries said in a news release that over 5,400 children in Charlotte are enrolled in the program.
Read the Charlotte Observer's article "Charlotte nonprofit expands housing support to homeless parents with prior convictions."