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:
Jenny Werwa
Director of Communications
202-638-1300 X 120
jwerwa@clpha.org
*Please let us know if you are working on deadline.
You can subscribe here to our biweekly newsletter, events invite list, and topic specific newsletters. You can also follow us on Twitter at @CLPHA. Or send us an email with your interests and we would be happy to add you to our press lists.
Thanks again for your interest in CLPHA!
Experts to Present First National Snapshot of Health Partnerships in Public Housing
Free Webinar Aug. 29, 12 PM ET
WASHINGTON (August 28, 2018) - Half of the nation’s public housing authorities (PHAs) are engaged in a resident health initiative, most with a health organization partner according to Health Starts at Home: A National Snapshot of Public Housing Authorities' Health Partnerships, the latest report released by the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) and the Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation (PAHRC). The report provides the first national snapshot of PHA efforts to address residents’ health care needs and emphasizes opportunities for collaboration between the health and housing sectors.
Report authors Steve Lucas, MPH, CLPHA Health Research and Policy Manger for the Housing Is Initiative, Keely Stater, PHD, PAHRC Director of Research and Industry Intelligence, and Kelly McElwain, PAHRC Research Analyst III, will present their analysis during a free webinar on August 29, 2018 at 12:00 PM ET.
“Housing and health systems need to work together,” said Lucas, who designed and implemented the original survey that led to the report. “Public housing authorities are significant providers of housing to those in need, offering the health sector scale and expertise. We found that PHAs across the country are engaged in a wide range of partnerships with different health organizations that address various target populations and health priorities. Though there are barriers to housing-health collaboration, such as funding and staffing capacity, these can be overcome with cross-system partnerships that seek to address these needs.”
Lucas published the initial survey findings in an issue of CityScape, a research publication of the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development. The article, “Connecting Fragmented Systems: Public Housing Authority Partnerships with the Health Sector,” is posted to the HUD User website.
What: Free Webinar: Building PHA Health Initiatives and Cross-Sector Partnerships
When: Wednesday, August 29, 2018, 12:00 PM ET
WEBINAR RECORDING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5-jm5eF_YU&t=24s
Webinar Presenters
Steve Lucas, MPH
Health Research and Policy Manager, Housing Is Initiative,
Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
Keely Stater, PhD
Director of Research and Industry Intelligence,
Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation,
HAI Group's Research Division
Kelly McElwain
Research Analyst III,
Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation,
HAI Group's Research Division
###
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 Housing Is
CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative helps establish, broaden, and deepen efforts to align affordable housing, education, and health systems to produce positive, long-term results. We are building a future where systems work together to improve life outcomes for low-income people. Learn more at HousingIs.org and on Twitter @Housing_Is.
CLPHA Opposes Administration Proposal to Increase Rent Burden on Lowest-Income Residents
WASHINGTON (May 14, 2018) - The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) strongly opposes the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) recently announced proposal to increase rent burdens on low-income residents residing in public housing and assisted housing.
The core of HUD’s rent reform proposal is to shift the burden of chronic federal underfunding of assisted housing to low-income residents who can least afford it. While there are advantages to a proposal that simplifies rent calculations and reduces administrative burdens for public housing authorities (PHAs), this proposal requires that PHAs raise rents in order to benefit from common sense rent simplification. Even with the benefit of housing assistance, many public housing residents are already spending more than 30% of their income on rent. A 2017 HUD study reported that the average Housing Choice Voucher recipient had a rent burden of 37% in 2015. Nationally, we represent PHAs serving residents in the most expensive housing markets in the country, where voucher holders are especially likely to have to incur high rent burdens to gain access to higher opportunity neighborhoods of their choice.
Given existing rent burdens, this proposal raises serious concerns about the negative impact the proposed rent calculations would have on residents. Through changes to 35% of unadjusted income for families and 30% of unadjusted income for the elderly and disabled, many assisted households would see significant rent increases. For example, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) estimates that public housing residents would see an average 36% rent increase while Housing Choice Voucher households would experience an average 23% rent increase. With an average annual household income of $21,000 for public housing residents and $16,000 for voucher holders served by HACLA, these increases represent substantial burdens that may interfere with a household’s ability to afford other necessities.
Beyond concerns regarding the fairness of further cost-burdening residents, there is some evidence to suggest that increased rents do not financially benefit PHAs and may have the opposite effect. When the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) implemented a HUD-mandated flat rent increase in 2014, impacted residents experienced an average rent increase of 46%. NYCHA saw their rent collection rate decrease among those impacted by the increase. NYCHA’s experience reflects the reality that increased rent payments only exacerbates affordability issues and puts more residents at risk of delinquency and eviction, resulting in more challenges for PHAs and less predictable revenue.
In addition to our concerns about the impacts of the proposed rent calculations, we note that the timing of these proposed changes are problematic for two reasons. First, some components of the proposal contradict important changes to housing assistance made through the recent federally enacted Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA) in 2016 by unanimous vote of the House and Senate. HUD has yet to publish implementation regulations for some of the key provisions in the bill. For example, HOTMA increased the deduction of medical expenses for elderly and disabled families and tied the deduction to inflation, while HUD’s proposal eliminates these deductions entirely. A significant number of elderly and disabled households currently use medical deductions, many of whom have substantial medical costs. We question the elimination of this deduction particularly when it is already undergoing a very different set of changes through congressionally-mandated HOTMA.
We also question the timing of these proposed changes given the fact that in 2012, HUD commissioned a four-site demonstration from MDRC to study several rent reform elements included in the proposal, including triennial recertification, elimination of income deductions, and ignorable asset limits. One of the research questions the demonstration is explicitly testing is whether these reforms reduce work disincentives and increase family self-sufficiency among families receiving vouchers. With results expected in 2019, HUD should use insights from the study to inform design of a rent reform model that most effectively promotes self-sufficiency.
###
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
CLPHA, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit organization working to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis and public education. It represents most of the nation’s largest public housing authorities.
Web tool targets idea-sharing and improves cross-sector
collaboration to help low-income families
- « first
- ‹ previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
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.
###
Statement From Council of Large Public Housing
Authorities Executive Director Sunia Zaterman
Washington, DC – “The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA), representing more than 70 of the country’s largest and most innovative housing authorities, is calling on Congress to reject the Trump Administration’s FY18 budget, which proposes to slash $6.2 billion in funding to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), including $2 billion in cuts to public housing. If realized, the draconian cuts included in this budget would not only have severe and cumulative effects on public and affordable housing programs across the country, but it would also shred the safety net of other public assistance programs on which many low-income Americans rely.
“The Trump Administration’s full FY18 budget proposal, released today, Tuesday, May 23, would devastate HUD programs that are currently helping over 1.2 million households that reside in public housing, including families, seniors, persons with disabilities, and close to 800,000 children. The budget targets America’s most vulnerable citizens with drastic cuts to Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), while also slashing disability benefits and student loan and education programs, thereby crippling essential support systems affecting many of the residents we serve in low-income housing.
“The Administration’s dramatic HUD reductions come at a time when the federal government should actually be investing in public housing as part of the nation’s infrastructure, as such investment generates economic growth, creates jobs, bolsters productivity, and generates tax revenue for localities.
“The budget proposes $628 million for the Public Housing Capital Fund compared to $1.942 billion in FY17; $3.9 billion for the Public Housing Operating Fund compared to $4.4 billion in FY17; $17.584 billion for Section 8 voucher renewals compared to $18.355 billion in FY17; and $1.55 billion for administrative fees compared to $1.65 billion in FY17.
“Everyone should be alarmed by the magnitude of these proposed cuts -- the Public Housing Capital Fund alone sustains a cut of over 67 percent. The irony of this particular cut is that it not only undermines basic health and safety improvements, it also makes it virtually impossible to leverage private investment, which HUD claims is a major policy priority.
“Another example is the proposed $771 million reduction to the Housing Choice Voucher program, which provides housing vouchers to needy families. These budget reductions, coupled with rising rents and inflation, will result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of vouchers and threaten currently-housed families with homelessness.
“CLPHA and the nation’s largest public housing authorities are asking members of Congress to reject the cuts proposed by the Trump Administration, as they will significantly harm our most vulnerable citizens and undermine our already significant public investment in this affordable housing stock.”
The Urban Institute’s new report “Does Supportive Housing Keep Families Together?” finds that supportive housing has an overall positive impact on families involved in the child welfare system.
In a June 5 notice, HUD invited comments on proposed changes to methods used to calculate Fair Market Rents (FMRs). CLPHA and its membership have expressed concern for years to HUD that its FMR calculations do not accurately reflect gross rents, particularly in high-cost areas and/or in markets experiencing rapidly rising costs.
Widely supported bipartisan, bicameral legislation to expand and strengthen the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) was reintroduced in the Senate and House today by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Todd Young (R-IN) and Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-WA.), Kenny Marchant (R-TX), Don Beyer (D-VA), and Jackie Walorski (R-IN).
From the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles ' website:
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) participated in the United Way’s annual HomeWalk on Saturday, May 18th in Grand Park, Downtown Los Angeles. HACLA’s “All-Stars” team broke its own record again this year with over 70 participants and over $8,000.00 raised to support the efforts of ending homelessness in Los Angeles.
United Way’s HomeWalk is an annual 5K family run/walk fundraiser to help spread awareness and raise funds for LA County’s residents experiencing homelessness. Since its launch 12 years ago, HomeWalk has raised over $8 Million and housed 45,000 people.
Read "HACLA All-Stars Participate in HomeWalk2019" on HACLA's website.
From Next City:
Perkins + Will is an eighty-year-old architecture firm with noteworthy designs across the world, including the 850-foot Chase Tower in Chicago, where the firm is based. Its architects have designed university buildings in Vancouver, Beijing, and Saudi Arabia, and museums in São Paulo, Shanghai, and Washington, D.C. In 2017, it had the second-most revenue of any firm in the United States.
Big shots, in other words.
This month, the firm is marking the completion of a new kind of project: A new neighborhood branch library co-located with affordable housing for seniors in Chicago. The project, called Northtown Branch, is one of three new co-located library/affordable housing projects in the city, commissioned through a design competition announced by Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2016. It includes 44 apartments: 30 of them will be rented to people on the Chicago Housing Authority waiting list and another 14 are reserved for people earning up to 60 percent of area median income.
Read Next City's article "Chicago Opens New Libraries and Affordable Housing Projects After Design Competition," featuring the Chicago Housing Authority.
From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
The Board of Commissioners of Atlanta Housing recently voted unanimously to name Joy Fitzgerald interim president and CEO. Fitzgerald previously filled this role at the organization from 2013 to 2016.
Before retiring in 2016, Fitzgerald spent close to four decades working in affordable housing. She was senior vice president of real estate development for Atlanta Housing from February 2005 to August 2013 and served for 20 years at the Houston Housing Authority in various leadership roles, including General Counsel and, for nine years, President and CEO. After relocating to Atlanta in 1999, Fitzgerald was the Director of the Office of Affordable Housing at the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, where she administered the state and federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit program.
“We are thankful Joy came out of retirement to help stabilize our organization at such a critical time,” says Dr. Christopher Edwards, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners. “Joy was brought in as a consultant in March to chair a transition committee. Her excellent management skills and passion for affordable housing have already made an impact,” Edwards continues. “We know that we have a strong and capable leader in Joy Fitzgerald. We are grateful to have her back.”
Read the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's article "Atlanta Housing names interim president, CEO," featuring the Atlanta Housing Authority.
From the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee's website:
The Daily Reporter recently awarded HACM a Top Project of 2018 award for its Veterans Manor development, a 60-unit veterans preference apartment building in the Westlawn Gardens Community.
Victory Manor is the latest housing development to be completed in the Westlawn Gardens community. HACM engaged Quorum Architects to design Victory Manor, a three story, 54,624 sf apartment building with (60) one-bedroom apartments with amenity spaces for the larger Westlawn Community as well as specific social spaces for only Victory Manor residents. This is the first building to be constructed within the larger Westlawn Gardens Phase Two Project, led by Torti Gallas + Partners, estimated to be completed in 2021.
Read "Victory Manor Receives Top Project of 2018 Award" on HACM's website.
The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee’s Victory Manor, a 60-unit veterans preference community that won The Daily Reporter’s Top Project of 2018
In its 40th year of creating housing opportunities for low-income San Diegans, the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) is making significant strides in housing individuals experiencing homelessness through its HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO homelessness action plan. Established in 2014, HOUSING FIRST – SAN DIEGO directs SDHC, federal, and City of San Diego funds towards providing housing and links to supportive services to individuals experiencing homelessness as quickly as possible, following the national “Housing First” model of addressing homelessness.
In April, SDHC and partners broke ground on The Link, an affordable 86-unit development in downtown San Diego that will include 72 units of permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness. In May, SDHC celebrated the grand openings of two communities built to house homeless veterans: Alpha Lofts, which will offers 52 units in San Diego’s Normal Heights neighborhood, and Zephyr, an 84-unit community in the Grantville area. Through these three properties, SDHC will provide 208 new homes for San Diegans experiencing homelessness.
These new developments focused on providing housing and supportive services for individuals experiencing homelessness coincide with SDHC’s 40th anniversary as a housing authority – 40 years of creating opportunities for low-income San Diegans through stable housing, innovative programs, and vibrant communities. Click here to learn about SDHC’s 40-year history of helping San Diegans.