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David Greer
Director of Communications
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CLPHA Submits Public Comments Opposing HUD’s Dangerous Non-Citizen Proposal
HUD’s cruel proposal would force mixed-status families to decide between a roof for some, or homelessness for all.
WASHINGTON (July 9, 2019) – The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) today submitted public comments strongly opposing a proposal from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that seeks to eliminate mixed-status immigrant families from HUD-assisted housing, including 55,000 children who are either U.S. citizens or otherwise eligible for HUD assistance.
HUD’s proposal, published in the Federal Register on May 10 for a 60-day comment period, would reinterpret Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act to disallow anyone who cannot verify their immigration status from living in public housing or living in a market-rate apartment with a federal rental subsidy, even if their child or other family members are eligible for assistance. Under current law, rental assistance to these households is prorated and those ineligible for a subsidy pay their portion of the rent unassisted, often at market rates.
“HUD’s cruel proposal would force mixed-status families to decide between a roof for some, or homelessness for all,” said CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman. “This reversal of long-standing policy is antithetical to the mission of public housing, which is to provide safe, affordable housing to very low-income families.”
“We know that stable housing is a platform for improving life outcomes and a foundation for healthy communities. Yet, this proposal instills fear and distrust, and would divert scarce resources, exacerbate the already crisis levels of homelessness, and, in the end, would do nothing to make our communities safer or better off,” said Zaterman.
“HUD’s proposal is contrary to our mission. Our members feel strongly that this re-interpreted regulation is bad public policy and our comments on the proposed rule reflect this,” said Zaterman.
Read CLPHA’s public comments and previous statements on HUD’s non-citizen rule on the CLPHA website, clpha.org.
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 Housing Is Initiative to better intersect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.
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For Immediate Release: July 2, 2019
CLPHA, Housing Experts Discuss Potential Dangers of HUD’s Proposed Housing Assistance Family Rule
A recording of the call is available HERE.
Washington, DC - Earlier today, immigration and housing experts gathered to address concerns regarding a recently proposed rule by the Trump administration that cruelly targets immigrant families to prevent them from receiving federal housing assistance. Experts discussed how the rule, which would affect about 25,000 households, would cruelly impact families of mixed-status.
The rule, the experts noted, would force families apart as they struggled to keep their current housing threatening many with homelessness, including the 55,000 children who are either U.S. citizens or otherwise eligible for housing benefits and who would be separated from their families
Below are quotes from today’s speakers.
Doug Guthrie, President and CEO, Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, said, “If this proposed rule change were to go through it would be devastating for Los Angeles families with mixed immigration status. It would impact as many as 11,600 individuals in assisted housing the majority of whom are young children who are American citizens and it would cost the housing authority millions of dollars. This would likely result in thousands of people becoming homeless at a time when homelessness is already a crisis in Los Angeles.”
Sunia Zaterman, Executive Director, Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, noted, “HUD’s proposal would force mixed status families to decide between a roof for some, or homelessness for all. This is antithetical to the mission of public housing, which is to provide safe, affordable housing to very low-income families. Instead, this proposal would exacerbate crisis levels of homelessness, divert scarce resources from already underfunded public housing authorities, and instill fear and distrust while doing nothing to make our communities safer or better off.”
Diane Yentel, President and CEO, National Low Income Housing Coalition, added, “The cruelty of Secretary Carson’s proposal is breathtaking, and the harm it would inflict on children, families and communities is severe,” said National Low Income Housing Coalition President and CEO Diane Yentel. “Tens of thousands of deeply poor kids, mostly US citizens, could be evicted and made homeless by this proposal, and – by HUD’s own admission – there would be zero benefit to families on waiting lists. This proposal is another in a long line of attempts by the administration to instill fear in immigrants throughout the country. We will not stand for it.”
Arianna Cook-Thajudeen, Bank of America Legal Fellow, National Housing Law Project, said, “The National Housing Law Project opposes this proposed rule because it would have a detrimental impact on the housing stability of millions of families. The federal housing programs in particular serve as a lifeline for many families who are one step away from homelessness. What the Administration is doing is through this proposal is ruthless and reckless. We urge everyone to submit comments to HUD to oppose this rule by July 9th.”
Tory Gunsolley, President and CEO, Houston Housing Authority, remarked, “The current system works. Undocumented occupants are not receiving federal subsidies. The proposed regulations, on the other hand, would cause a needless increase in homelessness and cost the federal government more money. The proposed regulation would force HHA to be an extension of immigration enforcement, a role that does align with our mission to provide safe, affordable housing. It simply doesn't make sense to implement.”
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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.
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.
Public Housing Authorities, Community Colleges, College Access Partners Collaborate to Eliminate Barriers to Postsecondary Success
New Report and Recommendations from the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities Highlight Innovative Cross-Sector Collaborations to Improve Postsecondary Achievement for Public Housing Residents and Housing-Insecure Students
Featuring Partnerships in Chicago, Columbus, Los Angeles, Louisville, Tacoma
WASHINGTON (May 16, 2019) – A new report released today from the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA), with support from The Kresge Foundation, showcases the work of five pioneering public housing authorities (PHAs) that are successfully collaborating with postsecondary institutions and local nonprofit organizations to increase college access, retention, and graduation rates for current public housing residents and college students who are experiencing homelessness. “Eliminating Barriers to Postsecondary Success: Cross-Sector Collaborations to Improve Postsecondary Achievement for Students Served by Public Housing Authorities,” identifies key elements of effective cross-sector collaborations and offers a series of recommendations to policy makers, PHAs, and philanthropic foundations seeking to scale, replicate, and invest in partnerships between housing and education organizations.
“The trailblazing public housing authorities featured in our new report, along with their postsecondary partners, are redefining the traditional role of public housing in their communities to reach beyond four walls and a roof,” said CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman. “With combined expertise from the housing and education sectors, two profoundly siloed systems, the partners are breaking new ground to implement targeted interventions that would not be possible without cross-sector collaboration. By documenting the successes, challenges, and future plans of the five partnerships, “Eliminating Barriers to Postsecondary Success” is an instruction guide to practitioners, policy makers, and philanthropy seeking new cross-sector solutions to serve low-income families.”
The report elevates 11 findings from a November 2018 convening in Washington, D.C., where partners from the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), City Colleges of Chicago, and One Million Degrees, and the Tacoma Housing Authority (THA) and Tacoma Community College discussed their work to provide financial support and housing opportunities for residents and housing insecure college students; the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) and partner Southern California College Access Network (SoCal CAN) detailed their program to facilitate the college application and enrollment process among young residents, and the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) and partner Columbus State Community College, and the Louisville Metropolitan Housing Authority (LMHA) with partner Family Scholar House explained their dual generation approaches to ensuring young parents can graduate with a degree.
“Housing insecurity and homelessness can create tragic off-campus barriers to student persistence and success,” said Bethany Miller, program officer with the Kresge Foundation’s Education Program. “But solutions-driven partnerships, including those highlighted in CLPHA’s recent analysis, between postsecondary institutions, government agencies and departments, nonprofit social service providers and public housing authorities can tear down those barriers, ease the anxiety of housing insecurity and help more students persist and succeed in college. We support this work because increased educational attainment among students with limited means is the key to breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty and increasing socioeconomic mobility.”
To announce the release of “Eliminating Barriers to Postsecondary Success: Cross-Sector Collaborations to Improve Postsecondary Achievement for Students Served by Public Housing Authorities,” CLPHA will host a press conference TODAY, May 16, 2019 at 2:30 PM ET during CLPHA's annual Housing Is Summit in Washington, D.C., a two-day meeting devoted to developing and sustaining cross-sector partnerships. The brief press conference will be followed immediately by an on-the-record panel discussion featuring executives engaging in postsecondary partnerships. See below for more details about the press conference and panel, which will both be webcast live at http://bit.ly/2URfFlK.
“Eliminating Barriers to Postsecondary Success” also includes an overview of the federal policies that support and limit postsecondary achievement for students served by PHAs, and profiles of the five partnerships.
Chicago Housing Authority, City Colleges of Chicago, One Million Degrees
“The Chicago Housing Authority is proud to support thousands of residents through CHA scholarships and the Partners in Education program with City Colleges of Chicago,” said Cassie Brooks, assistant director of education for CHA. “In pairing grant aid with individual counseling and holistic student supports from One Million Degrees, we continue toward the goals of increased academic achievement and, ultimately, self-sufficiency. We thank the Kresge Foundation and CLPHA for collaborating with public housing agencies, highlighting resident successes and bringing resident post-secondary programs to the forefront.”
Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, Southern California College Access Network
“The increasing complex college-going process requires students and families today to be well versed in the academic requirements, financial options, and application procedures,” said Alison De Lucca, executive director of the Southern California College Access Network. “The Southern California College Access Network is deeply grateful for the partnership we’ve forged with the Housing Authority for the City of Los Angeles to provide one-on-one college advising at the housing sites. For our students, the pathway starts with a conversation, followed by consistent guidance from a skilled college access counselor. As students are admitted to college with solid financial aid packages and the support they need to succeed, a strong message is being sent to all residents that college and career aspirations are within reach. This cross-sector collaboration demonstrates the readiness and need for continued college access support in place-based settings.”
Louisville Metro Housing Authority, Family Scholar House
"The long-standing partnership Louisville Metro Housing Authority has with Family Scholar House has helped hundreds of parents provide a better life and future for their children,” said LMHA Executive Director Lisa Osanka. “More importantly, this partnership is helping to break the generational cycle of poverty and ensuring that more Louisvillians are able to participate in the economic opportunities that exists throughout our community."
“The partnership between Family Scholar House and Louisville Metro Housing Authority has helped make real the dreams of families who have been in need of the stability that is rooted in safe, affordable housing. For our single parents, pursuing dreams of college graduation and new careers begins with a place for them and their children to call home,” said Cathe Dykstra, president and chief executive officer of Family Scholar House. Stronger and more stable families mean stronger and more stable communities.”
Tacoma Housing Authority, Tacoma Community College
“THA’s partnerships with Tacoma Community College and the University of Washington-Tacoma to house homeless or near homeless students is an excellent investment,” said Michael Mirra, executive director of the Tacoma Housing Authority. These students are determined, but without housing their prospects are poor. The degree they seek is a key to their adult prosperity. And since most of them are parents, this is also an investment in the lives and prospects of their children. That makes these partnerships a very good use of scarce housing dollars.”
What: Press Conference and Panel Discussion Announcing CLPHA’s New Report
“Eliminating Barriers to Postsecondary Success: Cross-Sector Collaborations to Improve Postsecondary Achievement for Students Served by Public Housing Authorities”
When: TODAY, May 16, 2019, 2:30 PM ET
Who: CLPHA, The Kresge Foundation, Postsecondary Partners
Press Conference Speakers
Sunia Zaterman, Executive Director, Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
Bethany Miller, Education Program Officer, The Kresge Foundation
Michael Mirra, Executive Director, Tacoma Housing Authority
Alison De Lucca, Executive Director, Southern California College Access Network
Additional Panelists
Jennifer Thomas Arthurs, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles
Cassie Brooks, Assistant Director of Education, Chicago Housing Authority
Erica Walker, Director of Student Development Projects, City Colleges of Chicago
Where: CLPHA's Housing Is Summit
1616 Rhode Island Ave, NW
2nd Floor, Room B
Washington, DC 20009
Webcast Link: http://bit.ly/2URfFlK
RSVP: Jenny Werwa, jwerwa@clpha.org
MEDIA CONTACTS:
CLPHA: Jenny Werwa, jwerwa@clpha.org, 202-638-1300x120 / 301-641-5557
Kresge: Kelly Leon, ksleon@kresge.org, 248-643-9630
CHA: Molly Sullivan, MSullivan@thecha.org, 312-786-3344
Family Scholar House: Cathe Dykstra, dykstra@familyscholarhouse.org
LMHA: Christi Lanier-Robinson, clrobinson@lmha1.org, 502-609-9141
SoCal CAN: Alison De Lucca, alison@socalcollegeaccess.org, 818-742-5583
THA: Brandon Wirth, bwirth@tacomahousing.org, 253-448-2790
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 Housing Is Initiative to better insect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.
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February 2, 2021
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(Washington, D.C.) February 2, 2021 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement upon President Biden's signing of an executive order regarding the public charge rule:
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds the Biden administration’s action today to begin unwinding the Trump administration’s patently unlawful Public Charge Rule that included housing assistance receipt against immigrants and their families when applying for an adjustment of residency status. Federal housing assistance exists to keep families together and to lift them up, not to be weaponized to tear them apart. The cruelty of the rule was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as it caused families to opt out of many critical safety net programs, including federal housing assistance.
"CLPHA looks forward to working with the Biden administration to ensure the equitable and compassionate treatment of immigrants and their families when seeking federal housing assistance.”
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
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(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
January 28, 2021 |
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(Washington, D.C.) January 28, 2021 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement upon the conclusion of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs’ nomination hearing for The Honorable Marcia L. Fudge, of Ohio, to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: “The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds HUD Secretary-designate Marcia Fudge’s forceful call for expanding emergency rental assistance at her Senate nomination hearing today for individuals who are facing housing instability due to lost income or are experiencing unemployment because of COVID-19, many of whom are people of color. She understands that the $25 billion allocated to emergency rental assistance in the most recent stimulus was not enough and only a down payment.
“Right now, in back rent alone, 10 million low-income renters have accrued an average of $5,600 in rental arrears, which totals $56.3 billion. The current stimulus package will help approximately 3.5 million renters pay back rent by February. The remaining 7 million renters who are unable to pay back rent will face eviction, compounding the strain on our nation’s economy and compromising our nation’s moral responsibility to address racial inequities among our most vulnerable individuals.
CLPHA calls for Congress to immediately pass President Biden’s American Rescue Plan which contains $50 billion in emergency rental assistance, and for the Senate to swiftly confirm Secretary-designate Fudge so that she can begin her imperative work.”
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
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(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
January 15, 2021 |
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(Washington, D.C.) January 15, 2021 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement on President-elect Biden’s American Rescue Plan:
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds President-elect Biden’s American Rescue Plan for including $35 billion in emergency rental and utility assistance and a significant extension of the eviction moratorium.
“The Biden-Harris proposal underscores the magnitude of the rental crisis facing the nation, and, when combined with the $25 billion in rental assistance from the December stimulus, finally begins to address the threat of housing instability that millions of low-income Americans are facing. To date, 11.4 million renters have accrued an average of $6,000 in back rent, totaling $70 billion in unpaid rent. President-elect Biden said last night that every day matters when keeping a roof over one’s head. The most effective model to deliver rental assistance immediately is the Housing Choice Voucher program. Its efficiency is proven, the infrastructure is in place, and it can rapidly expand to deliver the significant amount of relief proposed in the American Rescue Plan.
“CLPHA is committed to working with Congress and the Biden-Harris administration to ensure its swift passage so that Americans facing the threat of eviction don’t have to wait another day longer.”
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
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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."
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.
In her opening remarks, Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) expressed her disappointment in the Secretary’s leadership at HUD, referring to his rent reform proposal as an “outrageous plan” that would “triple rent for the lowest income households and put 1.7 million Americans at risk of eviction and homelessness at a time when we are in the midst of a national homelessness and housing affordability crisis.”
Waters also admonished the Secretary for the Department’s budget proposal that would cut its budget by 18 percent and eliminate new funding for the capital fund and housing trust fund, halt the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule implementation, and delay disaster recovery funding for Puerto Rico. Referring to the proposed non-citizen rule as “cruel” and one that, “puts mixed immigration status families at risk of being evicted, separated, and left homeless,” Waters concluded that these actions are inconsistent with the Department’s mission.
Continuing the focus on recent HUD proposals, several Democrats expressed their outrage to Carson over the rent reform and non-citizen proposals. Reps. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), were among those who challenged the Department’s assertion that removing mixed-status families from HUD-assisted housing would reduce waiting lists and help address the lack of affordable housing.
Carson defended the proposed rule by stating that the current interpretation of the statute unfairly allows undocumented immigrants to live in federally assisted housing at the expense of U.S. citizens. “It’s not that we’re cruel or mean-hearted, it’s that we’re logical,” he said. “This is common sense. You take care of your own first.”
Velazquez also reproved Carson for acknowledging the affordable housing crisis while at the same time eliminating the capital fund, referring to HUD’s budget proposal as “shameful and immoral.”
In contrast to the frustrated tone of their colleagues, Republican committee members generally expressed support for Carson’s proposals and asked about issues such as impediments to affordable housing construction, opportunity zones, recent changes to FHA loan program rules, and disaster recovery.
When discussing options for increasing affordable housing production, Secretary Carson touted LIHTC, RAD, and the potential for combining those programs with opportunity zone tax incentives to engage in unprecedented opportunities to build affordable housing and create economic opportunities. Calling RAD one of the most spectacular HUD programs, he said that lifting the RAD cap would be tremendously helpful.
Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO) and Rep. Al Green (D-TX) both raised concerns with the cumbersome CDBG-DR disbursement process and asked the Secretary what could be done to provide, or codify, a framework that would speed delivery of aid to areas impacted by natural disasters. In his response, the Secretary expressed concerns with the duplicative requirements across HUD and FEMA and said that there are ways to streamline the process that can, and should, be codified to ensure grant dollars can be disbursed more expediently.
Several committee members focused their questions on Housing Choice Vouchers and landlords’ unwillingness to consider applicants who use them. Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) asked the Secretary whether a federal law prohibiting source of income discrimination is needed to increase lease-up rates and ensure that families can put their voucher to use. Carson responded that the Department is looking at impediments to people accepting vouchers, and if after going through that evaluation process the problem continues, then a federal source of income discrimination law may be needed.
When asked about his legacy at HUD, Secretary Carson said that he hoped the Department would be known for putting people on a positive trajectory. And, if given a magic wand to implement any policy possible, Carson said he would “make this country stop hating each other. We’d get a whole lot done.”
In Affordable Housing Finance's (AHF) article discussing Rep. Maxine Waters' (D-CA) draft legislation of her Housing is Infrastructure bill, CLPHA's Sunia Zaterman told reporter Donna Kimura that Waters' bill, which would allocate $70 billion for the public housing capital fund, is attempting to get the public housing industry "on an even keel."
Zaterman told Kimura, “We do have challenges moving forward in the appropriations process on the annual funding levels for public housing operating and capital funds, but what Ms. Waters is saying in this bill is that we can no longer stand by idly and watch this public investment start to crumble when we need it the most.”
Zaterman added that Congress must also consider expanding additional tools that PHAs can employ in their public housing development and renovation efforts, such as the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs).
AHF also quoted Zaterman's April 30 press statement on Waters' draft legislation and the House Committee on Financial Services April 30 hearing “Housing in America: Assessing the Infrastructure Needs of America’s Housing Stock":
“Public housing is as a much a part of the national infrastructure as Route 66, the Lincoln Tunnel, and the Hoover Dam,” said Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities. “Public housing helps communities and families thrive by providing more than 1 million low- and very low-income families, children, elderly, and persons with disabilities with a stable place to live, connecting low-income workers to economic opportunities, and spurring regional job creation and economic growth.”
“But, years of chronic underfunding have led to the deterioration of the public housing stock, and, since 1990, at least 300,000 units have been lost because of the lack of adequate resources to maintain them. The federal disinvestment in public housing has contributed to an untenable shortage of stable housing for low-income households,” Zaterman added.
From the St. Paul Public Housing Agency's newsletter:
Saint Paul-Ramsey County Public Health (Public Health) staff contacted the PHA in January to express interest in hosting COVID-19 vaccination clinics at all PHA sites where there are state-licensed assisted living programs (Valley, Ravoux and Hamline Hi-Rises). Staff worked closely with Public Health to finalize the logistics of educating residents and staff on the vaccine, distributing registration information in multiple languages, conducting resident and staff sign up, doing site preparation, and deciding how to effectively move individuals through the vaccination process in a manner that complied with Stay Safe Minnesota’s social distancing and event capacity requirements.
On Friday, February 12, 2021, the PHA hosted its first COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at Valley Hi Rise. Public Health staff were on hand to administer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, with first priority going to all residents living at Valley Hi-Rise, and second priority going to essential PHA employees.
On Thursday, March 5, 2021, the PHA hosted a second COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic; this time at Hamline Hi-Rise. At this event, first priority went Hamline Hi-Rise residents and assisted living caregivers, and second priority went to essential PHA employees. A third COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic is scheduled for March 17 at Ravoux Hi-Rise. Staff are also actively working with Public Health staff to bring clinics to the remaining thirteen PHA hi-rises and four family sites.
From the San Diego Housing Commission's press release:
As part of his efforts to protect vulnerable San Diegans from the impacts of the pandemic, Mayor Todd Gloria today was joined by San Diego City Councilmember Vivian Moreno, San Diego Housing Commission President and CEO Richard C. Gentry, and Chicano Federation CEO Nancy Maldonado to announce the launch of the Housing Stability Assistance Program.
More than $83 million is now available through the Housing Stability Assistance Program to help qualifying low-income residential renters who live in the city of San Diego and are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic pay past-due rent, utilities and internet service. The application period began today.
“As more San Diegans receive COVID-19 vaccinations, we’re getting closer to putting this pandemic behind us, but the financial devastation it has caused for our residents will linger until our economy has fully recovered,” Mayor Gloria said. “This financial assistance will be an enormous help in getting San Diego renters through this incredibly difficult time.”
From ABC News 5 Cleveland:
With Cleveland’s mass vaccine location opening at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center, tens of thousands of Ohioans will have the ability to get vaccinated over the next eight weeks.
The site was chosen because it’s near public transportation but also because it’s relatively close to communities of color which are getting vaccinated at lower rates than white communities across the nation.
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CMHA has also been looking for vaccine opportunities for residents in its roughly 10,000 units, of which about 3,500 to 4,000 are seniors and eligible for COVID vaccines.
CMHA Chief Executive Officer Jeffery K. Patterson told News 5 his organization already helping sign up residents for CSU’s mass vaccination site, connect them to transportation to get there, and is considering running its own transportation options.
Before that site opened up, CMHA had been working to vaccinate residents in its buildings, allowing residents to get vaccinated in the building they live in.
“We think those are working out well particularly for seniors to get the vaccines at the facility where they reside,” said Patterson.
So far, those efforts have vaccinated about 350 people, not including residents who were able to get vaccines through appointments elsewhere in the community.
Read ABC News 5 Cleveland's article "Community groups getting people vaccinated at mass vaccination site and elsewhere in the county," featuring Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority.
From DCist:
Significant racial disparities persist in the vaccine rollout across the D.C. region, despite the fact that Black and Brown communities have borne the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, after months of navigating complex appointment systems and logistical hurdles, public health officials and community-led groups are trying to correct course on a vaccine distribution process that was not designed for the region’s most marginalized residents.
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In the District, health officials have advertised what they call “special initiatives,” like a partnership called “Faith in the Vaccine” that brought some vaccines to Black churches in hard-hit neighborhoods, and a door-knocking pilot that has brought volunteers from the Mayor’s office to help Ward 8 seniors register for vaccine appointments. Federally-qualified health centers, which serve largely Black and Latino patients, have also administered the vaccine.
Another of those initiatives is a partnership with the D.C. Housing Authority that brings vaccine clinics directly to senior apartment buildings. It’s the kind of direct, in-person outreach that many Black residents have been asking for.
“We were familiar with our population,” says Housing Authority Executive Director Tyrone Garrett. “When I was [at a vaccine clinic] the other day and there were people that hadn’t come down for a second dose, my managers and the team were calling people out by name.”
That program has vaccinated about 1,500 seniors so far through a partnership with Johns Hopkins. Now, the agency is offering additional vaccine events geared toward residents in Wards 5, 7, and 8. Garrett, the executive director of D.C. Housing Authority, hopes to replicate the success they’ve had among seniors with a broader swath of residents in those wards.
For one of those events, held on Saturday at the Benning Stoddert Recreation Center in Ward 7, the Housing Authority and Johns Hopkins collaborated with other D.C. government agencies to make the event accessible for seniors who live in large apartment buildings nearby. They reached out to affordable housing properties and reached out directly to residents in the neighborhood who receive housing vouchers in the days leading up to the clinic. The Department of Parks and Recreation helped with transportation and the clinic ultimately vaccinated 521 people.
Bertha Broome, a 79-year-old resident of the J.W. King Senior Center in Southeast D.C., was able to register for her vaccine appointment at Benning Stoddert through her building, which also provided transportation to the rec center. She had previously struggled to secure an appointment.
“I had tried on the computer, but it wasn’t too successful,” Broome said.
Eugene Primer, a 75-year-old resident, said he wanted the vaccine “to save [his life].” But he had almost given up on the appointment process.
“I tried it online … every other place I called — you had to stay on the phone for two hours before you can get confirmation, so I said well, the heck with it,” Primer said.
When Primer found out he could get a vaccine at Benning Stoddert on Saturday, he jumped at the opportunity to get on the shuttle his building provided to take residents to the site.
Read DCist's article "As Local Governments Try To Fix Vaccine Access Disparities, Community Leaders Question Whether It’s Enough," featuring the District of Columbia Housing Authority.
From MySouthEnd.com:
State Representative Jon Santiago partnered with Dr. Alister Martin, the South End Community Health Center, Mascon Medical, the Boston Housing Authority, Brewster Ambulance, and the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts to set up pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinics aimed at administering vaccinations to the most vulnerable and difficult to access populations in the Commonwealth.
The effort, known as Get Out the Vaccine (GOTVax), applies traditional techniques of community organizing to bolster vaccine administration, including text banking, phone banking, and door to door canvassing. Volunteers from Harvard Medical School and student groups such as We Got Us implemented a week long campaign to engage residents around the issue of vaccine access and hesitancy.
"Addressing the COVID crisis means bringing like-minded people together to take action and get it done," said State Representative Jon Santiago. "I'm so thankful for our partners in this effort and looking forward to improving vaccine equity by bringing shots to those most vulnerable."
This is the second day of operations for the new program. Today, Santiago, Martin and partners brought vaccines to Torre Unidad complex in the South End, following on their successful administration of vaccines in a variety of BHA buildings, including Frederick Douglass Community, Washington Manor and Hampton House. Since its inception last week, Get Out The Vaccine has administered 297 vaccines.
"GOTVax has now brought vaccinations to nearly 300 people in Boston who are highly most at risk to COVID-19 and otherwise would have a nearly impossible time getting vaccinations through existing sites. This program is changing lives for vulnerable populations in our neighborhoods," Santiago continued.
Read MySouthEnd.com's article "GOTVax vaccinates low-income, elderly, disabled BHA residents," featuring the Boston Housing Authority.