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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
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
November 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 .
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative
The Housing Is Initiative, led by the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, helps build a future where sectors work together to improve life outcomes. Housing stability is a critical first step to improve life outcomes for low-income children, families, and seniors; CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative is based on the premise that sectors can better meet needs when they work together. Housing Is establishes, broadens, and deepens efforts to align affordable housing, education, and health systems to produce positive, long-term results. Learn more at housingis.org and on Twitter @housing_is.
About The Center for Disaster Philanthropy
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s mission is to leverage the power of philanthropy to mobilize a full range of resources that strengthen the ability of communities to withstand disasters and recover equitably when they occur. CDP manages domestic and international Disaster Funds on behalf of corporations, foundations and individuals through targeted, holistic and localized grantmaking. For more information, visit: disasterphilanthropy.org, call (202) 464-2018 or tweet us @funds4disaster.
Congresswoman Donna Shalala (D-FL) To Discuss Importance of Cross-Sector Collaboration
(Washington, D.C.) June 2, 2020 -- The COVID-19 global pandemic has laid bare the systemic inequities in our fractured social safety net, which creates barriers for low-income individuals and families. The CLPHA 2020 Housing Is Virtual Summit on June 4 and 5 spotlights how critical collaboration at the intersection of housing, education, and health is the most effective community response to the pandemic.
Congresswoman Donna Shalala (D-FL), who also served as Secretary of Health and Human Services from 1993-2001, will bring her deep knowledge from a career in leadership positions in housing, health and education to her keynote session. “Improving health outcomes has been my life’s work. This won’t happen without a holistic approach including integrating housing and education with health. This why I am honored to be the keynote speaker at the 2020 Housing Is Virtual Summit,” said Congresswoman Shalala.
Spanning two days and featuring over 20 online sessions, CLPHA's 2020 Housing Is Summit is the nation’s pre-eminent cross-sector gathering sharing lessons learned in cross-sector collaboration, including deep dives into systems change, embedding equity practices, and the evolving impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our work and lives.
What CLPHA 2020 Housing Is Virtual Summit
When: June 4 (12:00 PM ET Start) and 5 (11:00 AM ET Start)
Where: Virtual. Register: bit.ly/HousingIs2020registration
RSVP: David Greer, dgreer@clpha.org
(Media, please RSVP and register so CLPHA can help set up interviews with conference speakers.)
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.
(Washington, D.C.) February 25, 2022 -- Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement about President Joe Biden’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court: “The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds President Biden’s historic nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. If confirmed, Judge Jackson will be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court after more than two centuries of the Court’s existence, and she will bring near gender parity with four women serving on the Court. Judge Jackson will bring experience as a public defender to the Court for the first time since Justice Thurgood Marshall retired in 1991. “President Biden campaigned on the promise to be intentional with his first Supreme Court pick. Intentionality is at the heart of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion movement to bring greater racial equity to our nation’s workplaces. President’s Biden choice of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for a seat on the nation’s highest court represents an important step forward for racial justice in our country.” |
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
Honored to Be Only Housing Organization to Sign Commitment Letter (Washington, D.C.) December 7, 2021 — The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) applauds the Biden-Harris Administration’s Maternal Health Call to Action announced today, and CLPHA was honored to be the only housing organization to sign the letter of commitment to the action. This recognition speaks to CLPHA’s leadership in health equity and long-standing dedication to improving maternal health among residents of CLPHA’s member public housing authorities (PHAs). CLPHA launched its commitment to maternal health and many other health-related issues with the creation of the pioneering Housing Is Initiative in 2015. Housing Is helps broaden and launch efforts to align housing, education, and health organizations to produce positive long-term outcomes for those experiencing poverty. Collaboration across systems and sectors—through shared goals, focused resources, and coordinated efforts—strengthens our collective ability to serve the needs of low-income individuals and families effectively and efficiently, and our work’s focus includes young mothers who are disproportionally impacted by housing insecurity. “The Biden-Harris Administration’s decision to lift maternal health to a White House initiative reflects their continuing commitment to address issues impacting low-income families,” said Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities. “From the American Rescue Plan Act that contained an expansion of emergency rental assistance and the child tax credit to the Build Back Better Act that expands housing opportunities for low-income families, the Biden-Harris Administration is proposing a transformational investment in America’s low-income women and families." Maternal health is an issue embedded with racial, health, and housing disparities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related causes than white women. With the majority of PHA residents being Black, indigenous, or people of color, PHAs understand they play a critical role in addressing racial inequities through increased focus on maternal health. CLPHA’s members have been at the forefront of developing programs around maternal health for their residents. The Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority and CelebrateOne partnered to create Healthy Beginnings at Home, an initiative to reduce infant mortality through a housing intervention. The Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority has partnered with the Full Term First Birthday Initiative to replicate the Healthy Beginnings at Home program. The Boston Housing Authority and Boston Public Health Commission created the Healthy Start in Housing Program that provides housing for homeless men and women with very small children with medical issues, as well as pregnant women experiencing homelessness. CLPHA looks forward to supporting the Biden-Harris Administration’s Maternal Health Call to Action with its own activities, including a Martin Luther King Jr. Day virtual event on January 18, 2022 that will discuss how racial discrimination has jointly impacted housing inequities and maternal health outcomes and the interaction of these two disparities. During the 2022 Housing Is Summit on May 18-19, 2022, will also hold a leadership panel to discuss how different sectors can come together to create innovative solutions for the maternal health crisis in this country. ###
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
(Washington, D.C.) November 19, 2021 -- Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement after the House passage of the Build Back Better Act today:
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds the U.S. House of Representatives' passage of the $1.9 trillion Build Back Better Act. The $150 billion targeted to affordable housing is the single largest investment in public housing ever.
“Today represents a fundamental change in America’s approach to public and affordable housing. The Build Back Better Act is historic legislation that seeks to remedy two generations of chronic disinvestment that has left millions of public housing residents suffering and exacerbated health, safety, climate risks, and racial inequities. These long-term investments to public housing, along with significant expansion of rental and homeownership assistance, will increase housing stability, reduce poverty, provide substantial climate benefits, and spur economic activity that strengthens local communities.
“CLPHA is thankful the House continued to listen to housing advocates by re-inserting provisions that will strengthen the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit’s ability to better leverage the capital required to develop and redevelop aging public housing infrastructure.
“As the Act moves to the Senate, CLPHA will continue its work with Senators to ensure that the public and affordable housing funding levels remain intact in the Senate version.”
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
In an interview with radio program Marketplace for its November 4 story "Apple pledges $2.5 billion to ease California’s housing crisis," CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman told reporter Jack Stewart that Apple's recent $2.5 billion Bay Area affordable housing pledge is an important starting point in addressing the nation's affordable housing shortage, but also noted that much more money is needed to help public housing authorities provide affordable housing for low-income individuals and families. Zaterman told Stewart that public housing needs an injection of $50 to 70 billion to address its massive capital needs backlog.
“The giving back here [by Apple] should be seen as necessary and required,” said Zaterman, “because these corporations are benefiting from the workforce, from the transportation systems, health systems, that are already in their communities.”
Read or listen to Marketplace's story.
In a new op-ed for The Hill, a prominent political newspaper widely read by policymakers, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman underscores the role of public housing authorities (PHAs) as essential partners in local efforts to house those who are particularly vulnerable to housing insecurity, including unsheltered families, veterans, people with disabilities, youth aging out of foster care, victims of domestic violence, and returning citizens. Programs like the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority’s Stable Homes Stable Schools and the Oakland Housing Authority’s Building Bridges are examples of how PHAs are leveraging their limited resources and local partnerships to create more opportunities for housing stability.
Yet, the President’s proposed FY2020 HUD budget would reduce the agency’s funding by more than 16 percent and slash the public housing operating and capital funds by $4.6 billion, which would seriously impede PHAs’ and their communities’ abilities to address the housing needs of low-income and housing-insecure people.
Though House and Senate appropriators propose modest funding increases in their FY20 spending bills, Zaterman argues that level funding is not enough to meet the growing and urgent demand for housing that is safe and affordable. “We can address the crisis of homelessness in America, and public housing authorities are prepared to help solve it with appropriate resources.”
Part two of Affordable Housing Finance’s special report “Turning Point for Public Housing,” explores tools such as the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) that public housing authorities can use to recapitalize and redevelop properties for their residents and communities. In the face of unsustainable federal funding levels, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman tells the magazine that public housing is at a crossroads, but with the right tools, “we could have the portfolio totally recapitalized in 10 years.”
Zaterman was also featured in part one of the series to discuss the impact of the federal disinvestment in public housing. “We have lost about 10,000 units a year from underfunding,” she said. But, “the number of public housing units lost may have slowed to about 8,000 a year, thanks to RAD, in the last couple of years.”
Read the series, which includes interviews with housing advocates, policy experts, and policymakers, online here.
On May 21, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Ben Carson, testified before the House Financial Services Committee at a hearing entitled “Housing in America: Oversight of the U.S. Department of Housing and Development” where he received pointed questions from the committee Democrats on recent HUD proposals such as rent reform, the non-citizen rule, and HUD’s FY20 budget request which would slash funding for public housing.
After the hearing, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman was asked by USA TODAY reporter Nicholas Wu about the accuracy of Carson’s justification of the non-citizen rule – that, based on Section 214, the Secretary may not support housing for people who are not here legally. Zaterman told Wu that the law “explicitly authorizes both those with eligible and ineligible immigration status to occupy units in ‘covered housing programs.’”
“This is a punitive act,” she said. “Even HUD’s justification laid out the negative impacts of doing this on the households themselves which often include children that are eligible and parents and heads of household who are not.” Read the USA TODAY article.
NPR’s May 16 story, which also aired May 22 on NPR’s Morning Edition, “Trump Administration Wants To Cut Funding For Public Housing Repairs,” featuring District of Columbia Housing Authority Executive Director Tyrone Garrett and CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman, underscores the need to reinvest in public housing with funding for the capital needs backlog and more tools for recapitalization and redevelopment.
Of the Trump Administration’s proposal to slash funding for public housing, Garrett says, “Other housing authorities throughout the country are in the same boat. We're looking for opportunities to be able to improve the lives of our families, and it's becoming increasingly difficult with the funding cuts."
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.
From WTNH 8 News New Haven:
The Housing Authority of New Haven cut the ribbon Friday on 40 housing units in the West Rock neighborhood.
Karen DuBois-Walton, the president of Elm City Communities, said there are 40,000 families on a waitlist for affordable housing.
“So, this is going to be a step for some families who have been waiting,” she said. “The first units will be for folks who are coming back, but not everybody returns, so there are new units available.”
The Valley Townhomes development includes 32 housing units designated as “affordable” and eight market-rate apartments. They replace a development built on the spot in the 1970s that was demolished.
The development includes energy efficient units, a community center and a playscape.