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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The disinvestment in housing and supportive services is a disinvestment in our nation’s most vulnerable populations.
WASHINGTON (March 12, 2019) - Sunia Zaterman, Executive Director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, issued the following statement today in response to President Trump’s FY 2020 Budget proposal, which would slash funding for the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development by more than 16 percent, including a $4.6 billion cut to the public housing capital and operating funds.
“This budget is a study in contradiction. While the administration is promising safer, healthier, more affordable housing, this budget proposes a 16 percent cut to HUD funding.
“While promoting HUD’s efforts to end homelessness and reduce home health and safety hazards, this budget slashes the public housing operating fund and zeroes out the capital fund.
“While rightly raising the cap on RAD conversions and requesting $100 million for the program, this budget renders the program effectively unusable with the proposed funding cuts.
“It is not possible for public housing authorities to dedicate resources to meeting capital needs when there is no capital fund, or to house the homeless without the resources to operate housing.
“The administration wants us to think beyond investing in bricks and mortar, and instead think about investing in people. This budget does neither of those things. The disinvestment in housing and supportive services is a disinvestment in our nation’s most vulnerable populations, including the 2.2 million low- and very low-income families, children, elderly, and persons with disabilities who are served by public housing.
“Congress has previously rejected draconian budgets that shred our safety net, and we call on them to do so again.”
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 insect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.
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Statement from CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman
WASHINGTON (September 21, 2018) – In support of housing authorities and residents impacted by Hurricane Florence, Sunia Zaterman, Executive Director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, issued the following statement:
“Though the storm itself is behind us, flooding and other destructive impacts of Hurricane Florence may take weeks or months to subside. As we consider the ongoing damage to Virginia and the Carolinas, our thoughts immediately turn to the most vulnerable segments of our population: low-income families and those who risk displacement from their homes.
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) and its entire membership supports providing assistance in any way we can to colleagues, partners, friends, and housing residents who have been affected by the devastation caused by Hurricane Florence. We will make available to the fullest extent any vital resources and support services we have at our disposal to help cities, PHAs, and residents recover from the storm.
“Please know that our thoughts are with all those who have suffered losses from the hurricane and its aftermath. CLPHA and its entire network of affordable housing professionals stands ready to work across all sectors to extend both short-term and long-term assistance to anyone in need. As we have in the past, we will advocate for HUD and FEMA programs such as DHAP and CDBG-DR that help disaster-impacted low-income Americans establish housing stability and improve their life outcomes.”
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 26 percent of the Housing Choice Voucher program; and operate a wide array of other housing programs. Learn more at clpha.org and on Twitter @CLPHA.
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration Program is a Proven Means of Securing the Future of the Nation’s Public Housing Stock
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and Federal Housing Commissioner Brian Montgomery joined the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, its development partners Atlantic | Pacific Communities and Madhouse Development Services, and the Austin community to celebrate the groundbreaking of HACA’s most recent redevelopment of one of its public housing properties, Goodrich Place, which also represents the 100,000th public housing unit being converted through HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration program.
In recognition of this important milestone, Sunia Zaterman, Executive Director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities and Patrick Costigan, Strategic Advisor to the RAD Collaborative, issued the following statement:
Today we are celebrating an important milestone addressing the critical need for affordable housing by enabling housing authorities to convert public housing to more stable long-term Section 8 based contracts that will serve PHAs and residents for years to come.
Through the Rental Assistance Demonstration program, agencies across the country can leverage private financing to complete capital improvements needed to preserve and improve the public housing stock, without giving up control of the asset. RAD engenders creative local partnerships, stimulates ongoing economic activity, and leads to improved housing quality for low-income seniors and families.
As we celebrate the 100,000th RAD unit, it’s clear that we have proof of concept. To give PHAs greater certainty, HUD’s program should be permanent with unlimited opportunity for conversions to agencies meeting the requirements.
Congratulations to HUD at this significant juncture, and to HACA and the residents of Goodrich Place who will soon have access to improved units in one of Austin’s highest opportunity neighborhoods.
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 26 percent of the Housing Choice Voucher program; and operate a wide array of other housing programs. Learn more at clpha.org and on Twitter @CLPHA.
About the RAD Collaborative
The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA)—with the support of the National Equity Fund (NEF), HAI Group, Reno & Cavanaugh, and CF Housing Group—organized the RAD Collaborative for interested Public Housing Authorities, their partners and residents using the Rental Assistance Demonstration to preserve and revitalize public housing properties. Our focus also includes extending RAD to multifamily housing at risk of being lost from the affordable inventory--including Rent Supp, RAP, Mod Rehab and Section 202 PRAC properties. Learn more at radcollaborative.org and on Twitter @SucceedwithRAD.
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From Opportunity Home San Antonio's website:
Opportunity Home San Antonio is announcing a new Emergency Rental Assistance Fund, an eviction diversion initiative designed to provide emergency rental assistance to households experiencing an extreme financial hardship, such as the death of a household member, a medical emergency or severe illness, which would prevent rental payments from being made.
Under the Fund, Opportunity Home-owned and operated public housing households earning under 30% of the area median income will qualify for assistance. Eligible households would be eligible for up to three months of rental assistance, including any fees as part of their outstanding balance. Documentation proving the extreme financial hardship would be required. Funds will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis due to limited funding availability.
The Fund will go into effect on August 1.
“This program underscores our commitment to ensuring housing stability and security for our residents facing dire circumstances,” said Michael Reyes, acting president and CEO of Opportunity Home. “By providing timely emergency rental assistance, we aim to prevent homelessness and support vulnerable households during their greatest time of need.”
The program will be sustained by non-federal funds, including philanthropic contributions and funds generated through new affordable housing fees.
From Lucas Metropolitan Housing's press release:
The Lucas Metropolitan Housing (LMH) Board of Commissioners announced today the selection of Senghor Manns as LMH’s new president & CEO, effective Aug. 12.
Manns, 55, previously served as the CEO of the Harrisburg Housing Authority (HHA) in Pennsylvania and has successfully worked as an executive-level staffer for a combined total of 18 years with HHA and the Indianapolis Housing Agency.
“Senghor is uniquely qualified to lead LMH to accomplish its goals and objectives based on his impeccable qualifications, experience and background,” said LMH Board Chair Alisha Gant. “We are confident he will provide our Lucas County communities with the highest level of service and guidance."
As the new CEO, Manns will oversee LMH’s current housing portfolio, which consists of 2,633 Public Housing units, 4,657 Housing Choice Vouchers, 322 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit units, 198 Market Rate units and 107 Homeownership Properties. Approximately 17,500 people reside in LMH properties. LMH also provides myriad programs and opportunities designed to improve the total quality of life for its residents, with the ultimate goal of achieving self-sufficiency.
While at the helm of HHA, Manns accomplished several impressive initiatives that helped inform the LMH Board’s decision, Gant said.
His HHA achievements range from the complete rehabilitation of a 159-unit senior citizen-only building built in 1963, to the renovation of family communities built in the 1940s (including renovating 120 units that had been boarded up at a 200-unit property), to gaining a prestigious federal recognition for HHA as a high-performing Housing Choice Voucher program.
In addition, Manns helped HHA earn a coveted Move-to-Work designation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, one of only 29 such distinctions awarded nationally in 2022. Equally noteworthy, HHA was awarded a highly competitive HUD Choice Neighborhoods planning grant, which was one of only nine awarded in the U.S. in 2022.
The Choice Neighborhoods program helps communities transform neighborhoods by revitalizing severely distressed public and/or assisted housing and catalyzing critical improvements in neighborhoods, including vacant property, housing, businesses, services and schools.
During Manns’ tenure, HHA also received Emergency Security and Safety federal grant awards and formed a nonprofit that has built 50 affordable housing units as part of a tax credit project with the aim of developing, acquiring and managing non-public housing properties.
“I truly believe that LMH’s strong reputation and compelling programming, combined with my experience and positive reputation within the affordable housing industry, will catalyze and usher in a new era of programming and progress for LMH,” Manns said.
“I am excited and look forward to enhancing the quality of life for Lucas County families and the individuals that LMH serves,” Manns said. “To be successful, I wholeheartedly believe that our efforts and must go beyond constructing and rebuilding the ‘bricks and mortar’ — we must pursue ways to create opportunities for families to thrive and improve."
Manns received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1995 and a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in 1992. He also earned an Executive Director Education Program Certification from Rutgers University in 2010.
His appointment as LMH CEO comes as LMH leaders have unveiled an ambitious slate of construction projects — totaling more than $92 million over the next two years — in an effort to offer more affordable housing options to Lucas County families, low- and middle-wage-earning workers, people with disabilities, veterans and the elderly who are struggling to make ends meet in the face of rising rental home prices.
The development pipeline is highlighted in LMH’s “Strategic Action Blueprint: Building for the Future 2024-2028” that was introduced earlier this year. The LMH five-year plan is designed to help address Toledo’s urgent and growing need to create more affordable housing opportunities.
The city-commissioned 10-year housing plan report from 2022 found there is a shortage of 12,705 units for people with extremely low incomes. Data from the city’s report shows the average Toledo household earns just $39,000 — about 30% less than the state average and about 40% less than the national average. An estimated 25% of Toledoans live in poverty, roughly twice as high as both the state and national averages.
The problem is most severe for Toledoans earning the least. Approximately one-third of households (38,575) in Toledo are cost-burdened, spending at least 30% of their income on housing. Of those households, half of them (19,350) are considered “severely cost-burdened,” meaning they spend more than 50% of their income on housing.
Combined with nearly 25% of the population living in poverty, the demand for affordable housing in Toledo and Lucas County consistently outpaces the available supply. The result is lengthy LMH waiting lists and a significant percentage of households allocating an unreasonably high proportion of their income to meet rising housing costs.
To improve and grow its portfolio, LMH’s five-year plan identifies a robust series of development initiatives with a strong focus on revitalizing economically distressed communities and bringing more affordable housing options to the marketplace.
Manns replaces former LMH President & CEO Joaquin Cintron Vega, who announced in February that he had accepted an offer to become the new CEO of the Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver.
From the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs' press release:
The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) today announced the award of $6,552,869 in Small Cities Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to non-entitlement municipalities and counties in New Jersey. The 22 grants are going to 17 local government entities in eight counties. DCA’s Division of Housing and Community Resources receives, distributes, and administers these federal grant funds for the State of New Jersey.
Funding for the Small Cities CDBG Program is provided by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Community Development Block Grant Program. This year, the CDBG program celebrates 50 years of supporting communities since its enactment by Congress in 1974.
“At DCA, it is our mission to improve the quality of life for residents of New Jersey,” said DCA Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez. “One of the ways we’re able to do this is through the Small Cities Program. These federal grants, which DCA administers on behalf of the State, help smaller-sized towns improve public facilities, rehabilitate housing, and make much-needed infrastructure improvements. We’re happy to positively impact families of limited financial means by improving their well-being through such projects.”
Awards in this year’s application cycle provide funding for important projects that include improvements at parks, recreation facilities, and municipal buildings to make them more accessible to disabled persons in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); upgrades to sewer mains and sewer manholes; expansion of public water and sewer utilities; and rehabilitation of housing for low- and moderate-income residents. Also, an additional $1.4 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding was included for several housing rehabilitation projects in this year’s application cycle to address lead-based paint hazards.
Small Cities CDBG grants provide direct assistance to eligible municipalities and counties for housing rehabilitation, public facilities improvements, community revitalization, and economic development. Only non-entitlement local governmental entities that typically serve populations of less than 50,000 and do not receive direct funding from HUD are eligible for the Small Cities CDBG program.
From WKRG News Mobile:
Despite rising interest rates and skyrocketing home prices–a community group says home ownership is still within reach for many families.
This weekend the city of Mobile Housing Authority, Mobile County and other groups are partnering for an annual wealth-building day.
This is an event that local brokers have been holding for the past several years, taking it to different spots in Mobile. This year it will be hosted here at the Robert L. Hope Community Center.
A recent home affordability report says more than half of all non-homeowners feel income is the barrier keeping them from buying a home–the federal housing agency says home prices are up 6.6% from last year.
Organizers of this weekend’s Wealth building day say there are programs that may help ease some of those high bars to entry–like down payment assistance or putting closing costs on the seller. They say home ownership is a key to building generational wealth.
Read WKRG News Mobile's article "'Community Wealth Building Day' in Mobile aims for new homeowners."
From the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura's press release:
The Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura (HACSB) and nonprofit BRIDGE Housing are pleased to announce the Grand Opening of Westview Village II, a 50-unit affordable rental development which broke ground in the spring of 2022.
The Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura and BRIDGE Housing partnered to redevelop Westview Village, the HACSB’s oldest public housing development, over four phases of development. All residents pay 30% of their income as rent.
“The timing of this next phase of Westview Village is significant as it is our 75th Anniversary year and this was our first public housing project,” said Jeffrey Lambert, Chief Executive Officer, HACSB. “The success of this particular project is emblematic of our successful housing programs across the City and we are very proud of it, “said Lambert.
Westview Village Phase II replaced 10 public housing units with 50 modern one- and two-bedroom apartments. The property is located on a 2-acre site on the Westside of Ventura. The development includes 44 one-bedroom and six two-bedroom apartments. Five of the units will be reserved for persons who are experiencing homelessness.
Westview Village II will also include a state-of-the-art community center, a commercial kitchen, two early childhood development classrooms, multipurpose rooms, a rooftop community garden, and a public park. This will complete the third phase of the vision for the Westview Village redevelopment. There will be 286 new affordable rentals and this phase of development will be the hub for this new housing campus. 50% of the Westview II units are fully accessible (mobility accessibility features), and 2 units have audio/visual features for blind/deaf/hard of hearing tenants.
Westview Village I, completed in 2019, was the initial phase of the redevelopment which includes 131 apartments with one to four bedrooms, management offices, a community room, and a public park. Phase I is all electric and 50% net zero. It provides for greywater reuse in landscaping. All residents pay 30% of their income as rent. All residents were temporarily relocated during construction and had the right to return. As part of Phase I, a new street, Village Way, was designed and built to connect all phases of the redevelopment.
Westview Village III construction started in September 2020 and was completed in December 2022. Phase III includes 105 apartments with one to four bedrooms, a community room, and public park. Phase III is all electric and 100% net zero and makes a major contribution to addressing climate change including by reducing vehicle miles traveled. The project’s storm drain system allows for the capture and infiltration of storm water. Twenty-one apartments are set aside for families who are experiencing homelessness.