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David Greer
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(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
July 23, 2020 |
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(Washington, D.C.) July 23, 2020 -- CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement on why the Senate must include emergency rental assistance in its next COVID-19 stimulus package:
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.
July 20, 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.
(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
July 2, 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 the St. Thomas Source:
In 2008, when Robert Graham was appointed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to lead the Virgin Islands Housing Authority out of federal receivership, he arrived with decades of experience in public housing management and consulting. Having racked up 33 years in the field, Graham will retire at the end of December.
In her July 5, 2022 ChangeMakers podcast, Katie Goar said, by way of introduction, “Mr. Graham’s years of affordable housing experience has resulted in the successful turn-around of several troubled housing authorities and non-profit entities with underperforming housing portfolios.” Goar, a professor of Public Management, Public Organization, and Public Policy at Purdue University, said, “He began his housing career in 1990 at the largest housing authority in New Jersey and after twelve years in New Jersey and leading a successful turnaround, Mr. Graham went on to lead the successful turn-around of housing authorities in both Connecticut and the U.S. Virgin Islands.”
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But a financial tight ship is only part of what is important to Graham. He believes strongly that providing social support systems to middle- and low-income housing residents is equally critical. “It is the role of affordable housing,” he said recently, “to offer programs that will lead residents to a life of prosperity.”
Those programs include everything from job training to healthcare to mental health services and more. But, never a purveyor of false humility, Graham is quick to admit that the idea “is bigger than me.” A year or so ago when Graham brought Marvin Nesbitt, a South Carolina native with years of experience in community development — including 12 years at the Atlanta Housing Authority — to offer his expertise, it was a measure of Graham’s leadership abilities. Though Nesbitt did not stay on, he did spend his time in the territory sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience with others who could carry on the work. That work, Nesbitt has stated publicly, involves “seeing to it that individuals and families from underserved communities are able to walk a path that leads towards generational success.”
Read the St. Thomas Source's article "VIHA’s Robert Graham Retiring After 15 Years at the Helm."
From the San Diego Housing Commission's press release:
After a nationwide search, the Housing Authority of the City of San Diego has appointed San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) Executive Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Lisa Jones to be SDHC’s next President and Chief Executive Officer. She becomes SDHC’s sixth leader in the agency’s nearly 45-year history, excluding those who served as interim President and CEO.
“The greatest threats to the well-being and success of our community are the housing affordability and homelessness crises that continue to plague us. In other words, San Diego cannot succeed without the success of the San Diego Housing Commission. Doing so will require compassion, experience, savvy and expertise,” City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera said. “Having worked with Lisa Jones over the last few years, I’ve witnessed her demonstrate those attributes and do so while always prioritizing the people who most need our attention. With her guidance, we’re taking active steps toward ensuring everyone in San Diego can have a home they can afford.”
The San Diego City Council serves as the Housing Authority of the City of San Diego, which oversees SDHC. Council President Elo-Rivera appointed the Ad Hoc Working Group for the Recruitment of the San Diego Housing Commission President and Chief Executive Officer, which led the recruitment process.
“We need a leader who expands access to affordable housing, leverages external resources to help people get off the streets, reverses historical actions that have segregated communities, and invests in the hard-working staff at the Housing Commission. That leader is Lisa Jones,” said City Council President Pro Tem Joe LaCava, the Chair of the Ad Hoc Working Group. The group consisted of City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, former City Councilmember Chris Cate, SDHC Vice Chair Ryan Clumpner, SDHC Commissioner Johanna Hester, former SDHC Vice Chair Robert Spoon, former Community HousingWorks President and CEO Sue Reynolds, and Derrick Luckett, a longtime licensed real estate broker.
“I am honored and deeply humbled to be entrusted with the leadership of the San Diego Housing Commission at this pivotal time. As housing costs increase and resources continue to be limited, it will take innovative approaches and partnerships to make the progress that San Diegans need. Engaging with the community is one of my core values. I want to reach out to our community stakeholders, our community members and people across our city who don’t know we are there for them to better reach and serve those that need us the most. I look forward to working with our City Council, Mayor Todd Gloria, our Board of Commissioners, our community partners and our outstanding staff to develop more diverse, person-centered solutions to serve families facing housing instability or homelessness,” Jones said.
In her more than 20 years of service in the areas of affordable housing and homelessness, she has developed and implemented housing assistance approaches that focus on the unique needs of the people being served. She has adhered to the additional values of building relationships, collaborating with community organizations, promoting transparency in government, and fostering equity, diversity and inclusion.
She most recently served as SDHC’s Executive Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. In that position, she oversaw key strategic and policy initiatives across agency divisions, including SDHC’s Strategic Plan, SDHC’s Moving to Work designation, and homelessness initiatives.
“I am sincerely excited about Lisa being named as CEO. Her ability to couple strategic thinking and innovation when developing ways to help the organization achieve the mission is outstanding. She also has a deep commitment to using the lived experience of the people the San Diego Housing Commission serves as a guide when crafting support programs that are meaningful. These qualities are essential for the leader of this organization as we strive to address the housing and homelessness crisis in the city. I am confident she will have a profound and positive impact in her new role,” SDHC Board of Commissioners Chair Eugene “Mitch” Mitchell said.
Before joining SDHC in 2017, Ms. Jones worked for seven years for the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino in the positions of Operations Manager, Director of Housing Administration, and Vice President of Housing Services. Concurrently, for several years, she also acted as Executive Director of Knowledge and Education for Your Success, a nonprofit affiliate of the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Institute of Leadership and Management with the University of West Anglia, England. She also is an alumnus of the Impact Center’s Women’s Executive Leadership Program.
From the San Diego Housing Commission's press release:
With funding from a new grant announced this week, the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) will launch a program to create a pathway for careers in healthcare for youth ages 18 through 26 in the City of San Diego who receive federal rental assistance.
The $604,000 grant from Prebys Foundation will provide funds over a period of two years for “Healthcare Career Catalyst for Young Adults,” an SDHC Achievement Academy program to provide Certified Medical Assistant training and life skills at no cost to eligible youth.
“The opportunity for a career in healthcare as a Certified Medical Assistant can be life-changing for young adults in families with low income. This program is a significant, positive step to support these youth and reflects our strategic priority to help families increase opportunities for self-sufficiency and quality of life,” SDHC Interim President & CEO Jeff Davis said. “I thank Prebys Foundation for partnering with us on this effort by providing this essential funding."
The grant is among $30.6 million Prebys Foundation awarded to organizations throughout the San Diego region in the program areas of Visual and Performing Arts, Youth Success, Healthcare, and Medical Research"
"Our communities are better thanks to the work of the San Diego Housing Commission,” said Grant Oliphant, CEO of Prebys Foundation. “This is why we are proud to invest $604,000 to their work advancing our shared vision for a vibrant and thriving region. We encourage others to support, learn more and celebrate their work."
The "Healthcare Career Catalyst for Young Adults” program builds upon a similar partnership between the SDHC Achievement Academy and Western Medical Training Center that graduated nearly 200 people as Certified Nursing Assistants.
For the new program, the SDHC Achievement Academy will partner with Western Medical Training Center for a comprehensive Certified Medical Assistant course consisting of online and on-campus learning, labs skills, and a clinical externship. Through a partnership with the International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO), program participants will also receive help to establish and build their credit.
More than 4,800 potential program participants have been identified among individuals ages 18 through 26 in households with low income that receive federal rental assistance from SDHC. These young adults include “disconnected” and “overburdened” youth who experience barriers to work and school and/or pressure beyond what is considered normal or healthy for their age. They also may live in underserved communities and have traditionally faced barriers to financial self-reliance.
Approximately 45% of these potential program participants identify as Hispanic or Latino, and more than half identify their race as Black, Indigenous, and/or Persons of Color (BIPOC).
The program will enroll up to 80 people—20 in each of four six-month program sessions offered over two years.
Program participants may also receive the following resources, funded through the grant:
- Credit building loans through IRC’s CEO;
- Assistance with opening checking and savings accounts, as needed, with a $50 savings deposit incentive upon initial enrollment, followed by $100 halfway through and another $100 upon completion;
- A $250 monthly stipend to augment participants’ income;
- A $150 one-time assistance payment toward a computer or similar digital device;
- A $30 monthly stipend to support internet or hot spot access;
- A public transit pass or gas card; and
- Supplies such as scrubs/uniforms and shoes.
From Opportunity Home San Antonio's press release:
Opportunity Home San Antonio was awarded a grant from the Nancy Smith Hurd Foundation in support of the ConnectHomeSA program, helping to narrow the digital divide in the community.
Through the grant, 480 devices will be awarded to Opportunity Home residents upon their successful completion of the ConnectHomeSA digital literacy program, with another 60 devices budgeted for residents to access in public housing community rooms.
“As a trusted funder in Bexar County, the Nancy Smith Hurd Foundation is delighted to support San Antonio Homeownership Corporation and their goal to narrow the digital divide in Bexar County by providing a grant that will help provide internet access, digital literacy and access to devices for housing assistance recipients in the community,” said a spokesperson from the Foundation.
In 2015, Opportunity Home became a ConnectHome community, a program created by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that focuses on providing residents with the three core components of digital inclusion — access to affordable internet, access to devices, and digital skills training. Upon completion of the CHSA program, participants earn a free refurbished digital device.
“Digital literacy and basics are fundamental to our everyday activities, so when our residents are able to become exposed to these skills, it is integral to their growth,” said Jessica Strom, Opportunity Home digital inclusion manager. “Once they gain the knowledge and obtain a device, they are positioned for success in employment, education, and have improved health outcomes.”
This grant allocation from the foundation aids in narrowing the digital divide in San Antonio. Currently, one in six households in the city do not own a computer and one in four households do not have access to internet or reliable broadband.
From the Global Business Coalition for Education's press release:
The Global Business Coalition for Education announced the Southern California College Attainment Network (SoCal CAN) has been awarded $100,000 in the Big Ideas, Bright Cities Challenge, a nationwide competition to help boost youth skills across the U.S.
SoCal CAN is a nonprofit that works in partnership with the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) to provide comprehensive college and career advice to public housing residents, focused on breaking the cycle of poverty. SoCal CAN was selected from hundreds of applicants across the country.
The Big Ideas, Bright Cities Challenge honors teams of nonprofits, education organizations, and cities working with the business community to create innovative programs that help prepare young people for meaningful careers. The group also awarded grants to 14 finalists. For the next year, all 15 organizations will be part of an incubator program to share leading practices and connect with business and city leaders invested in youth skills development. The Skills Friendly Cites Network will help their ideas to grow and inspire others.
This is the second cohort of winners in the Challenge, run by the Global Business Coalition for Education, a movement of businesses committed to ending the global education crisis. The initiative is made possible by support from Dell Technologies and Deloitte.
“We’re thrilled to receive this extraordinary recognition. Our cities thrive when our young people thrive,” said Alison De Luca, executive director of Southern California College Attainment Network. “Project SOAR is nurturing the skills and talents of youth in public housing. One-on-one support ensures that their college and career dreams become a reality and breaks the poverty cycle for themselves and their families. Partnerships with colleges, businesses, and social service providers ensure no one falls through the cracks. We’re excited to continue expanding this work since nearly 2.2 million Americans live in public housing.:
“With this Challenge, we’re spotlighting groundbreaking work across the country to nurture skills in young people and help set them up for success,” said Justin van Fleet, executive director of the Global Business Coalition for Education. “This is our way of encouraging youth-serving nonprofits, companies and cities to work together, building skills for the next generation."
The Big Ideas Bright Cities Challenge provides local nonprofit leaders the opportunity to work with some of the world’s leading companies and organizations, including businesses focused on digital transformation. This year, the challenge drew hundreds of applicants from 24 states. They had to show collaboration among nonprofits, city leaders, young people, and businesses. Winners were selected based on 10 Standards for Creating Skills-Friendly Cities.
“A ‘skills-friendly’ city does more than just train its workforce,” said Maia Wagner, director of US giving and impact at Dell Technologies. “It cultivates an ecosystem of technology, education, and community support that sets its people up for future success. We are proud to support this holistic initiative that drives innovation at the community level."
“As the workforce evolves, so should the way we think about supporting youth and providing access to resources and education that can match the skillset required for them to fulfill their career aspirations,” said Kwasi Mitchell, chief purpose & DEI officer at Deloitte. “We’re proud to support the Global Business Coalition for Education in its commitment to helping address the systemic barriers that can stand in the way for today’s youth and providing resources that can help create a better, more equitable future for all."
The previous winner, Action Greensboro, in North Carolina, helps find paid internships for young people, including low-income and first-generation college students, and provides stipends for youth to work with minority- and women-owned businesses.