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 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.
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For Immediate Release
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“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities is pleased House Democrats addressed concerns of large public housing authorities in the HEROES Act with increased funding for rental assistance for those who are at the greatest risk for homelessness and housing insecurity. The bill authorizes $4 billion in additional funding for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance with $1 billion of that designated for new temporary assistance for households who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, or who are fleeing domestic violence. The bill also includes $750 million additional funding for Project-Based Rental Assistance, $2 billion in additional funds for the Public Housing Operating Fund, and $100 billion in Emergency Rental Assistance. CLPHA is also pleased with the proposal to protect funding that was shortly due to expire under the Choice Neighborhood Initiative by extending funding through September 30, 2021.
CLPHA will continue to forcefully advocate to policymakers that we as a nation must emerge from this unprecedented pandemic with an unequivocal commitment to address the growing need for rental assistance. “
(202) 550-1381
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities |
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Public Housing Authorities Need $8.5 Billion in Emergency COVID-19 Funds Plus Regulatory Relief
CLPHA members are working tirelessly, compassionately, and pragmatically to support low-income households. We urge Congress and HUD to do the same.
WASHINGTON (March 19, 2020) - The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities sent letters to Congressional leaders and U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson today formally requesting $5 billion for the public housing program and $3.5 billion for the housing choice voucher program in emergency supplemental funds and additional regulatory relief for public housing authorities as they work to protect residents and staff during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Sunia Zaterman, Executive Director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, issued the following statement after submitting the requests to Congress and HUD:
"Low-income households and the elderly who are served by public and affordable housing have the most to lose during the current COVID-19 public health crisis because they are the most vulnerable to unemployment, lost income, and heartbreakingly, the virus itself.
"To ensure the health and safety of residents, and of staff, public housing authorities are taking unprecedented actions to follow public health protocols, while continuing to provide residents with services ranging from food deliveries to regular property repairs.
"The FY20 operating budget for public housing authorities is wholly inadequate to fund the enormous unforeseen cost of COVID-19 emergency expenses combined with estimated losses in tenant rent payments. CLPHA is requesting $8.5 billion from Congress in emergency supplemental funds and urging HUD to provide public housing authorities with the flexibility to respond to the changing situation as needed.
"Without a commitment from the federal government to support public and affordable housing operations during and after the COVID-19 emergency, millions of households could be left unprotected from the virus and face longer-term housing insecurity.
"CLPHA members are working tirelessly, compassionately, and pragmatically to support low-income households. We urge Congress and HUD to do the same."
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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.
From FOX 25 Oklahoma City:
More than 10,000 books are now in the hands of the Oklahoma City Housing Authority (OCHA). They started giving some away to children Monday afternoon.
The books are coming from a partnership with a national book giveaway program called the Book Rich Environments Initiative.
"I just like reading," Maddox, who received a book, said.
Maddox was in luck on June 17, as OCHA hosted a summer kickoff book giveaway at one of its developments in south OKC.
"Education is always one of our components we focus on in the resident services department," Lacy McClain with OCHA said. "At OCHA, we value and want to promote literacy. We want to promote education among our residents."
In mid-June, CLPHA members from around the country gathered in bucolic Portland, OR for our 2024 Summer Meeting, hosted by Home Forward. Our gracious hosts highlighted their vibrant communities, impactful programs, and successful innovations throughout three days of events and conference sessions while showcasing Portland’s Pacific Northwest charm.
Our conference kicked off with a bus tour of Home Forward communities around Portland. Attendees first stopped at Hazel Ying Lee Apartments, a stunning, brand-new complex that features 68 units at 30% of area median income (AMI), 138 units at 60% AMI, and 30 permanent supportive housing units. Named for a Portlander who was the first Chinese American female pilot, Hazel Ying Lee has excellent transit links, multiple community rooms, free Wi-Fi in common spaces, a computer lab, a playground, and a basketball court. Our next stop was Dahlke Manor, a high-rise featuring 115 public housing units for seniors and individuals with disabilities. Under Oregon’s Congregate Housing Services Program residents receive hot meals, bathing assistance, and other services that help them live independently. Finally, we visited Dekum Courts, which includes 47 completed units and 140 more under construction. Dekum Courts offers numerous resident services, thanks in part to partnerships with a local elementary school and the nearby University of Oregon, Portland. Throughout the bus tour we passed several other Home Forward communities, and Home Forward staff served as excellent tour guides for both their city and their housing properties.
The following day we began our conference sessions with welcome remarks from Ivory N. Mathews, CLPHA Board Member and CEO of Home Forward, Matthew Gebhardt, Board Chair of Home Forward, and several local elected officials. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden provided video remarks for the conference, and Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, Oregon Senator Kayse Jama, and City of Portland Commissioner Carmen Rubio all welcomed attendees to their beautiful city and spoke to the importance of building strong local government partnerships to reduce homelessness and expand affordable housing opportunities. Damien Hall, Board Chair Emeritus of Home Forward and Co-Chair, Oregon’s Housing Production Advisory Council, Andrew B. Mendenhall, President and Chief Executive Officer of Central City Concern, and Andrew Lofton, HUD Northwest Regional Administrator for Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, also gave remarks. As always, our morning included our Ripples of Hope session, where attendees shared the latest good news from their PHAs and inspired each other with their success stories.
The afternoon was filled with enlightening, engaging panels prepared by Home Forward that shared learnings, challenges, and successes from their programs and operations. A panel on PHA wage equity provided valuable insights and actionable strategies from both Home Forward and King County Housing Authority on how to advance pay equity and foster a more inclusive, equitable workplace employees, a PHA’s most valuable resource. Panelists from both PHAs emphasized the importance of ensuring that all of their staff earned a wage that enabled them to comfortably afford housing so that their PHAs did not contribute to housing insecurity and market instability in their communities. The next panel covered Home Forward’s journey to address increasing property losses and rising insurance rates through use of its insurance captive LLC. Panelists from Home Forward and Marsh Captive Solutions shared actionable insights that other housing authorities can adopt to fortify their own risk management strategies in a landscape of relentless increases in insurance rates and repair costs. Our afternoon sessions concluded with a session on centering resident voices in advocacy and leadership, highlighting the impact of Home Forward’s Resident Community Builders (RCB) initiative. Panelists agreed that having RCBs across Home Forward communities has greatly helped to increase engagement and trust between the PHA and its residents. Our full day of conference sessions concluded with a reception at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, hosted by Home Forward, that allowed attendees to unwind and mingle with beautiful views of the Willamette River.
Our last morning began with a presentation from Home Foward and partner Burch Energy Services on their crucial work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance social equity, and build climate resilience in vulnerable communities. The speakers discussed sources of emissions in affordable housing, the importance of climate action, vulnerability assessments, effective strategies for emission reduction, measuring emissions, setting key performance indicators, and engaging stakeholders in sustainable practices. Following the presentation, Home Forward concluded the conference with two sessions on their permanent supportive housing work. The first session provided a snapshot of where Home Forward is now with their PSH efforts and discussed the PHAs’ successes and challenges in deploying supportive services, aligning local resources, developing and funding new housing, and advocating for a better system of care. The second session expanded its focus to the wider Portland Metro area, exploring what leadership in PSH efforts looks like regionwide and how various partners can collaborate to expand and improve the region’s supportive housing system. The conference concluded with the announcement of the happy news that HUD had delayed the NSPIRE-V compliance date until October 1, 2025, a relief for PHAs who had been preparing for an unfeasible, earlier start date.
CLPHA extends our deepest gratitude to Home Forward for sharing their city and their perspective with us, and for helping us to put on such an informative slate of conference sessions and events. We would also like to thank our many sponsors for their support of the meeting – we could not have put on this conference without them. We hope our attendees enjoyed their time in Portland, and we look forward to seeing our members again in November in Washington, D.C.!
From the Denver Housing Authority's press release:
The Denver Housing Authority (DHA) announced it received a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant of $800,000 to fund DHA Resident Programs. This grant is part of a $44 million national allocation to support programs to help people living in public housing or receiving rental assistance move toward economic independence. Acting HUD Secretary Adrianne Todman along with Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, and U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette made the announcement while visiting the DHA Westwood Opportunity Center in Denver.
“This funding aims to bolster initiatives linking our residents with essential services including healthcare, employment prospects, financial literacy, and more,” remarked Joaquín Cintrón Vega, Chief Executive Officer. “These funds help support people improving their conditions and thriving in life.”
The $800,000 awarded to DHA will provide three years of service coordination and staff who will work with over 700 families that currently live across six DHA properties. Specific grants were issued to the Walsh Manor Local Resident Council (LRC) in the amount of $267,450; Westridge Homes (LRC) in the amount of $263,430 and Westwood (LRC) in the amount of $263,430. The LRC’s will subcontract with DHA to provide service coordination at the sites. Service Coordinators provide critical services and case management to residents living in these communities, connecting individuals and families to healthcare, benefits, job opportunities, financial education, food, and more. The LRCs work alongside Service Coordinators to advocate for the community to ensure residents’ needs are being met and opportunities for upward economic growth are being provided.
“We are trying to make sure that first-generation homeowners, people whose parents or grandparents probably never had a house, are able to receive that American dream,” HUD Secretary Adrianne Todman said. “Nothing makes it feel better than being here in Denver to help people realize those dreams, but also help the leadership help people along the way.”
Todman praised the Denver Housing Authority for its “extraordinary work” helping families not only access affordable housing but save money that can help them meet their future goals.
From Comcast's press release:
The Saint Paul Public Housing Agency (PHA) and Comcast today announced they have partnered to provide a WiFi connection to Xfinity's advanced network in all 16 of PHA’s buildings in Saint Paul. The partnership is Comcast’s first collaboration with a Minnesota-based housing agency to provide preinstalled, already on connectivity to the Xfinity network for their residents.
More than 2,500 units will be equipped with Xfinity’s fast and reliable network and wall-to-wall WiFi coverage. With Xfinity’s network readily available, residents will not need to schedule a technician to set up services, wait for their modem to arrive or go to an Xfinity Store to collect their equipment. To activate service, residents will only need to call or use the Xfinity App.
“Internet access provides connectivity to 21st century infrastructure, equipping our residents with the tools vital to enhancing opportunities for education, employment, and quality of life," said Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter. "The collaboration between Saint Paul Public Housing Agency and Comcast empowers our neighbors to realize a brighter future.”
Current residents and new residents moving into WiFi ready units can connect to the Internet within five minutes of collecting their keys—making it that much easier to get all their devices up and running.
“Access to WiFi isn’t just about connecting devices; for us it’s about connecting PHA residents to opportunity,” said PHA Board Chair Missy Staples Thompson. “Making PHA-owned high-rises WiFi-ready can help residents cross the digital divide and open doors to education, employment, and empowerment. We appreciate this partnership with Comcast that will benefit residents and their communities.”
The Xfinity network will be installed in phases. Completion of the first two buildings just occurred, and 14 additional buildings will have WiFi ready units residents can connect to by the end of 2024.
April Black, CLPHA Board Member and Tacoma Housing Authority Executive Director, recently co-authored an op-ed for The News Tribune with Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards entitled "Tacoma is desperate for more affordable housing. To build it we need the state’s help:"
No one should have to come home from work and be faced with the impossible choice of putting food on the table or having a roof over their head. But, in one of the wealthiest nations on earth, far too many are. Washington state, and Tacoma, have not been left unscathed.
In Tacoma, according to data published by Zillow, home values have increased by 178 percent since 2000 and the cost of rent has increased by nearly 40 percent since 2019. Before the pandemic, two out of five households spent at least a third of their income on housing. We can plainly and visibly see that the pandemic has made things worse. For far too many, basic housing is now an unattainable luxury. And our lower-income and historically marginalized residents have been disproportionately impacted by these disturbing trends.
This is more than a housing crisis. This is a full-scale humanitarian crisis.
The City of Tacoma has been proactive in taking steps to alleviate it with a plan that ensures housing dollars are spent strategically. This plan has been foundational to the passage of City Council policies like Home in Tacoma. One of the most expansive, flexible residential policies in the state, Home in Tacoma opened up a range of housing types allowing more than one unit per lot in a way that was compatible in scale with single-family homes while preserving the unique character of Tacoma’s historic neighborhoods. With state funding augmenting local funding, Tacoma has also implemented a number of other options for deeply affordable housing.
But we need to do more to address the staggering level of need that exists. Action at all levels of government is critical in order to keep pace with the anticipated growth of our region over the next 20 years. With just a few weeks left in the state legislative session, efforts to find policy solutions to address the state’s housing crisis continue in earnest. As the Legislature focuses on critical changes to increase our housing supply statewide, more local funding for housing development is desperately needed. There are two proposals that would provide this necessary funding.
HB 1628, the Affordable Homes Act, creates a 1% increase in a portion of real estate taxes paid on properties worth more than $5 million, providing the state an additional $200 million per year to distribute to local communities. It also creates a new local option to levy one-fourth of 1 percent tax on real estate transactions, providing approximately $7 million more annually for housing and homelessness in Tacoma.
SB 5202, proposed by Gov. Jay Inslee, is a referendum that raises $4 billion over six years without taxation, by issuing bonds to add housing across the state.
We urge our legislators to act now. You can help by contacting them and asking for their support of HB 1628 and SB 5202 to boost local efforts around affordable housing.
These two proposals would provide a path forward in a manner we so urgently need.