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 the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority's website:
Last week, residents of Glendale and Minnehaha Townhomes joined MPHA staff in a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) study evaluating the impact of access to childcare and educational services among public housing families. This research may help inform future, more in-depth research on the importance and efficacy of onsite educational services among public housing developments and could encourage funding for such programming at the national level.
The study is evaluating six sites across the United States covering urban and rural communities, various regions, and levels of onsite or co-located childcare and educational services. Of the six sites in the study, two are MPHA public housing developments: Glendale Townhomes (with onsite, free childcare) and the Minnehaha Townhomes (which doesn’t have any educational services onsite).
The study is being conducted by Child Trends and Summit Consulting. Together, the group is interviewing dozens of families with at least one child under 13 years-old about their access to, arrangements for, preferences on, and use of financial support for childcare.
“We want to understand what it’s like for caregivers with children living in public housing communities to find and use childcare This critical support can be hard to obtain, even for families with ample resources due to unreliable transportation, concerns about the cost of care, mismatches between a program’s hours and caregivers’ work or school schedules, as well as the challenge of finding childcare options that they trust or that align with their cultural values,” said Ashley Hirilall, Site Visit Lead at Child Trends. “Our study explores how co-locating childcare services within public housing communities could make it easier for families and children to access these opportunities that aligns with their needs and preferences.”
With a location in the Glendale neighborhood—even sharing a building with MPHA staff offices—Parents in Community Action, Inc.’s (PICA) Head Start program offers low-income families childcare at no cost. This program intends to give low-income kids a “head start,” preparing them for elementary school with early childhood education focusing on cognitive, physical, and social-emotional development. For MPHA, this type of onsite educational service is unique to Glendale. Although a majority of MPHA’s families are housed through scattered-site housing (single family homes located throughout Minneapolis), Glendale has served an estimated 2,000 families over its 70-year history.
The Minnehaha Townhomes, located in the East Nokomis neighborhood, exclusively serve families referred by Hennepin County’s Coordinated Entry program. Compared to the Glendale Townhomes, it is only a fraction of the size, offering 16 units as opposed to Glendale’s 184. Although the Minnehaha Townhomes don’t offer onsite childcare or other educational services, residents do receive case management services through the county and other partners, have an onsite playground, and have access to ample green space.
“This study is vitally important and will give HUD the evidence it needs to shape policies to improve availability of federally supported childcare—policies that are informed by families that live in public housing,” said Sarah Cunningham, Project Director at Summit Consulting. “We are so grateful to the MPHA and PICA teams, and most of all the community members for taking the time to share their experiences, needs, and preferences for childcare, to improve HUD’s understanding and inform policies to advance stability and economic mobility.”
This study could prompt more research on the need for onsite educational services among public housing developments and aid in advocating for funding for programming. For MPHA, this qualitative data will provide a window into the impact of the Glendale area’s services on its residents and inform future partnerships and investments. Child Trends and Summit Consulting hope to have the study wrapped up by early 2025.
The agency is already very familiar with the intertwined nature of housing and childhood education. Knowing that safe and stable housing is the most significant out-of-school factor for predicting student success, MPHA pioneered a partnership with City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), and the YMCA of the North to address homelessness with Stable Homes Stable Schools. This program has helped secure stable housing for more than 1,500 families since its 2019 inception.
From the Seattle Times:
Lexie Lee chose an apartment on the top floor. Hundreds of feet off the ground. Hopeful that it would be high enough to deter someone from breaking in.
Then, finally, she might feel safe.
“Even living on the fifth floor, I feel like Spider-Man is going to come through and open this door sometimes,” she said, motioning to her glass balcony door on a sunny day in May.
Lee, a thin, dark-haired 20-year-old, is learning to feel secure on her own after several attempts at living with foster families and a childhood she said included years of abuse. But thanks to a unique federal housing program for young adults exiting foster care, she’s able to take this journey without fear of the near-threat of becoming homeless, as many former foster youth face.
The Foster Youth to Independence program is offered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help pay rent for young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 who are exiting foster care without a place to live — the situation for almost a quarter of Washington’s foster youth.
HUD officials recently announced a one-time investment of nearly $13 million this year that housing authorities can use to grow their funds for foster youth.
Seattle has been one of the leaders in using this money, which is distributed in the form of vouchers — essentially guaranteeing to a landlord that the government will pay a portion of rent. HUD officials highlighted the region’s success by announcing the investment at an apartment building in Yesler Terrace owned by the Seattle Housing Authority.
Seattle Housing Authority has issued 70 Foster Youth to Independence housing vouchers since its program launched at the beginning of 2022, according to Kerry Coughlin, spokesperson for the authority. Currently, 42 of those vouchers are in use, while 28 are assigned to people looking for places to apply their voucher.
The authority says that it has an additional 93 vouchers left to give out for this population.
“These are folks who have just had the deck stacked against them from the get-go,” said Sarah Birkebak, special purpose voucher programs manager for Seattle Housing Authority.
Read the Seattle Times' article "Seattle Housing Authority program helps foster youth avoid homelessness."
From the Cambridge Housing Authority's website:
CHA’s Resident Services department has taken a pioneering step lately towards digital inclusion with the recent launch of a specialized intergenerational computer training and internet access program for senior residents being served at select CHA properties. Thanks to a generous grant from Google, this initiative has opened doors to a world of digital opportunities for the elderly members of our community.
The program’s success is evident in the enthusiasm shown by residents, leading to the implementation of two consecutive six-week training sessions. Each session comprised 12 workshops facilitated by proficient upper-level Work Force Program youth interns. These interns, equipped with expertise from the Tech Goes Home platform, collaborated closely with the Work Force’s Career Development Specialist, James Pierre (pictured above), and the Service Coordinator at Millers River Apartments, Yaw Adjei-Koranteng. Together, they meticulously crafted modules tailored to the unique needs of senior residents who may have limited experience with computers and the internet.
Previously, a successful cycle of this program ran at Manning Apartments in Central Square, Cambridge.
The trainings were designed to cover the essentials of internet navigation, while also emphasizing the practical applications and security measures crucial for safe online experiences. Recognizing the importance of personalized attention, each cohort was limited to a maximum of 12 seniors. This ensured that every participant received the guidance they needed to thrive in the digital landscape.
Upon completion of the program, each graduate was presented with a new Chromebook, generously provided by Tech Goes Home. These devices serve as gateways to continued learning and connectivity, empowering seniors to stay engaged and connected in today’s digital world.
Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with residents expressing gratitude for the newfound knowledge and confidence gained through the program. Many noted significant improvements in their ability to utilize the internet and the Google suite of programs effectively.
Through initiatives like CHA’s computer literacy program, supported by Google and other partners, we are bridging the digital divide and empowering seniors to embrace technology with confidence. As we celebrate the achievements of our recent graduates, we look forward to continuing our mission of digital inclusion for all members of our community.
From the Housing Authority of Baltimore City's press release:
Today, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) joined with elected officials, McCormack Baron Salazar (MBS), development and community partners, and residents to celebrate the completion of Phase 1 of Perkins Square, formerly known as Perkins Homes, providing 103 new mixed-income housing units.
Perkins Phase 1 is part of the mixed-use, multi-phase redevelopment of the Perkins, Somerset, Oldtown (PSO) Transformation that is made possible with the support of $40 million in Choice Neighborhood Implementation grants awarded to HABC since 2018. The total PSO redevelopment includes one-for-one replacement of the Perkins public housing units interspersed with workforce and market rate units.
The Perkins Square community will encompass 796 of the total 1,651 new mixed-income units being developed across the entire PSO. MBS is the lead development partner for Perkins Square, working in concert with Beatty Development and Cross Street Partners.
“Providing affordable and low-income housing is critical for our communities,” said Janet Abrahams, HABC’s President and CEO. “HABC, along with its partners, has collaboratively demonstrated a commitment to neighborhood revitalization through redevelopments like Perkins Square.”
“We thank Mayor Scott and HABC for the opportunity to support the transformation of Perkins where families and children may thrive,” said Vince Bennett, President, McCormack Baron Salazar. “One of the greatest needs in our cities is high quality affordable housing and through public-private partnerships and leveraging public resources and combined with private debt and equity, the choice neighborhoods program can help achieve great outcomes and support community resiliency.”
The community includes a mix of replacement public housing, additional affordable housing, and market-rate rental housing. Phase 1 has accessibility and vision/hearing-impaired units within a range of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments. Amenities and features include internet access, community kitchen, in-unit washer and dryer, on-site leasing center and supportive services office, computer lab, a fitness center, underground parking, and a playground.
As part of the ribbon-cutting celebration, HABC, MBS, and partners hosted a block party to welcome back Perkins Square residents. The festivities included guided tours of common areas and staged units, food trucks, music, games for all ages, and vending tables for community partners and local businesses to provide information and resources. Participants included state and local officials, development team partners and representatives from the Perkins Tenant Council, City Springs School and residents.
Phase 1 is one of nine phases for Perkins Square. On its heels, will be the completion of Perkins Phase 2, set for delivery in Fall 2024. That phase will feature 156 mixed-income rental units, with 76 set aside for legacy Perkins residents.
Originally built in 1942, Perkins Homes had outlived its useful life such that its complete demolition was necessary. Construction for Phase 1 of Perkins Square began August 2022, led by Commercial Construction, a local minority led firm.
Kevin Johnson, CEO of Commercial Construction, said "This project has been a beacon of opportunity, putting Baltimoreans to work and opening doors for numerous MWBE firms. We are proud that our team prioritized local minority partnerships, reflecting our commitment to community and economic empowerment. The quality of construction goes beyond physical structures—it respects and uplifts the dignity of every resident, setting a new standard for what affordable housing should represent.”
The project, designed by Hord Coplan Macht, has received the 2022 American Institute of Architects Chesapeake Bay Chapter Honor Award, the 2022 American Institute of Architects Maryland Chapter Unbuilt Award, and the Maryland Building Industry Association Award for exceptional affordable housing design.
Visit the PSO Transformation page for more information about the entire project.
From NBC 4 Los Angeles:
Vanessa Bryant joined Nickerson Gardens residents Monday for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of refurbished gym at the public housing community in Watts.
Nickerson Gardens, managed by the Housing Authority of Los Angeles, was chosen for the project by the widow of Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. The decision was made, in part, because it's the former site of the Boys and Girls Club where Kobe Bryant hosted his "Mamba League" youth basketball program.
"The site is a special location for my family," Vanessa Bryant said. "He used basketball to teach life lessons to young boys and girls.
"It serves as a reminder to all the boys and girls who play here that they are loved."