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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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Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Renowned Physician Dr. Camara Jones to Present Keynote Remarks
WASHINGTON (May 9, 2019) – Collaborators from the housing, health, and education sectors will convene in Washington, D.C., May 16 and 17 for the fifth national Housing Is Summit hosted by the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA). The event, featuring plenary sessions devoted to ending intergenerational poverty and keynote remarks from Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and renowned physician Dr. Camara Jones, will bring together 300 policymakers, practitioners, advocates, and researchers who are committed to developing cross-sector partnerships that improve life outcomes for residents of public and affordable housing.
“Housing is essential, but not sufficient to help low-income families thrive and break the cycle of intergenerational poverty,” said CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman. “CLPHA, through our Housing Is Initiative, fosters connections between housing providers and health care systems, schools, and community organizations to develop targeted interventions that support families served by public housing authorities. The Housing Is Summit celebrates these partnerships, encourages peer-learning, and highlights the complementary roles local innovation and national advocacy play in developing cross-sector solutions to our greatest collective challenges.”
The Summit opens on May 16 with keynote remarks from Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), a long-time activist and champion of ending childhood poverty. Rep. Lee recently worked to secure funding for the congressionally-commissioned landmark study, A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty, which was published in February by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
During a plenary session following Rep. Lee’s remarks, Christine James Brown, chief executive officer of the Child Welfare League of America and a member of the board of the National Academies will present A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty and the authors’ two packages of policy proposals that would reduce child poverty by 50 percent over the next decade.
Joining James Brown for the plenary, the lead author of the groundbreaking article, A Universal Child Allowance: A Plan to Reduce Poverty and Income Instability Among Children in the United States, Dr. Luke Shafer, associate professor for social work and public policy and director of poverty solutions at the University of Michigan, will discuss the significant impact that a universal child allowance of $250 per month could have on the overall health and well-being of children of all incomes, but especially those living in extreme, $2 per day, poverty.
A second plenary session on Thursday will feature David Williams, policy director of Opportunity Insights, the research group led by Dr. Raj Chetty, who will explore how housing mobility research can guide policy and practice.
The first day of the Summit will also include a press conference at 2:30 PM ET announcing the release of CLPHA’s upcoming report, Eliminating Barriers to Postsecondary Success, which profiles the work of five public housing authorities who are collaborating with college access partners and community colleges to increase postsecondary educational achievement for low-income residents and college students experiencing homelessness. Bethany Miller, education program officer with The Kresge Foundation, will moderate a discussion following the press conference with panelists from public housing authorities and postsecondary partners who are participating in this work.
Additional breakout sessions include presentations from national partners and public housing project leads involved in an innovative multi-state, multi-sector collaboration between public housing authorities and UnitedHealthcare (UHC) Medicaid managed care plans. They will discuss their project, Improving Health by Aligning Housing and Health Systems, which is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and uses data and analytics to develop place-based health interventions.
Day two of the conference opens with a keynote presentation from Dr. Camara Jones, a senior fellow at Morehouse School of Medicine and recent past president of the American Public Health Association, who will address the systemic, structural racism and other inequities that underlay health disparities and how the social safety net can be strengthened with this understanding.
Attendees will next participate in their choice of peer-to-peer working roundtable discussions on topics such as data sharing with anchor institutions, educating homeless youth, and using technology to address resident health needs.
Afternoon breakout sessions will feature Dr. Craig Pollack, associate professor of health policy and management at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in a panel discussion with researchers who are evaluating the impact of cross-sector interventions to improve health outcomes; a discussion among representatives from public housing authorities and the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Health and Human Services who are working to support long-term housing stability for people who are particularly vulnerable to homelessness; and a case study of the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s early childhood education collaboration with Duquesne University and ABK Learning and Development Center to improve life outcomes for residents.
The conference will conclude with a closing plenary session devoted to the role of philanthropy in forging innovative cross-sector collaboration to create long-term change. Representatives from The Gates Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, and Melville Charitable Trust will discuss current projects and impact-investing strategies aimed at expanding opportunity and improving long-term life outcomes for lower-income individuals and communities.
The complete Housing Is Summit agenda is available on CLPHA.org.
Many of the conference sessions will be webcast live at the following links:
May 16: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET, LIVE WEBCAST
May 17: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM ET, LIVE WEBCAST
Registration for the Housing Is Summit is currently closed. Members of the media who would like to attend the Summit should contact Jenny Werwa at jwerwa@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 work to better insect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.
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DHA CEO Anthony Scott Testifies Before House Appropriations Subcommittee on Behalf of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities: Aggressive Action is Needed to Undertake Affordable Housing Production and Preservation
WASHINGTON (March 7, 2019) – This morning, Durham Housing Authority CEO Anthony Scott testified on behalf of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies during its hearing, “Stakeholder Perspectives: Affordable Housing Production.” Scott emphasized the critical need for reinvestment in the nation’s Public Housing and Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher programs, which are the foundation of the affordable housing market.
“As a nation, we are now at a critical stage for needing aggressive action to undertake affordable housing production and preservation,” testified Scott.
In addition to calling for increased appropriations to the public housing capital and operating funds, Scott urged Congress to combat the affordable housing shortage by providing housing authorities greater flexibility to preserve and transform public housing through the Rental Assistance Demonstration Program, the Moving to Work program, and with selected and targeted flexibilities through a defined statutory process.
“Fundamentally, the RAD program allows DHA to create mixed-use and mixed-income communities that allow a more diverse socio-economic living environment,” testified Scott. “Our barriers are a RAD program that doesn’t allow enough flexibility to fully leverage development opportunities with private sector development… The private market moves at a faster pace and waiting on a RAD approval to transfer units could result in a missed opportunity.”
Scott also recommended Congress eliminate the Faircloth Amendment, which prohibits the development of new public housing units; invest in broad place-based solutions such as the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative to address neighborhood and community development needs; encourage greater interdepartmental collaboration to facilitate cross-sector partnerships with housing; and distinguish public and affordable housing as an integral part of the national infrastructure.
“We thank Chairman Price for inviting CLPHA and Mr. Scott to participate in today’s hearing, and for recognizing that public housing authorities are essential to local housing markets as the owners and operators of most of the assisted housing that serves extremely low-income households while generating wide reaching economic impacts,” said CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman. “We look forward to working with the committee to increase support for public and affordable housing programs that provide decent housing to the nation’s most vulnerable citizens, connect low-income workers to economic opportunities, and spur regional job creation and economic growth.”
Along with Scott, representatives from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency and National Housing Trust were invited to participate in the Appropriations Subcommittee hearing.
The testimony is posted to the Committee website and the live-stream recording of the hearing can be viewed on the Committee's YouTube channel.
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities is a national non-profit organization that works to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis and public education. CLPHA’s 70 members represent virtually every major metropolitan area in the country. Together they manage 40 percent of the nation’s public housing program; administer more than a quarter of the Housing Choice Voucher program; and operate a wide array of other housing programs. Learn more at clpha.org and on Twitter @CLPHA and follow @housing_is for news on CLPHA’s work to better insect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.
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CLPHA Working with Biden Administration to Speed ERA Fund Distribution (Washington, D.C.) August 27, 2021 -- Statement from CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman on the Supreme Court's blocking of the CDC's eviction moratorium:
“As mission driven organizations public housing authorities believe that keeping residents housed is the most effective policy for the families, communities, and public health safety. Housing authorities continue to take a multitude of steps to keep their residents housed, including connecting residents with legal and relief resources, streamlining the income recertification process, operating rent relief programs, creating partnerships with community service organizations, and so much more. “The most effective lifeline available to tenants and landlords are the significant funds in the Emergency Rental Assistance Program that Congress passed in two tranches late last year and in the first quarter of 2021. CLPHA is working closely with the Biden administration by providing recommendations that will expedite emergency rental assistance as swiftly as possible.” |
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
(Washington, D.C.) August 4, 2021: Statement from CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman on the extension of the CDC’s eviction moratorium:
“The Center for Disease Control’s order to extend the eviction moratorium in areas where COVID infections are rapidly rising is a welcome development that will keep millions housed while also decreasing the spread of the infectious Delta variant. CLPHA applauds the efforts of Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) for sounding the alarms as the current moratorium extension wound down and Congresswoman Cori Bush (D-MO), whose personal experience with being evicted grounded her sleep-in protest on the Capitol steps in an authentic voice that resonated with Congressional leaders, the White House, and everyday Americans.
“Throughout the pandemic, mission-driven housing authorities have been committed to preventing as many evictions as possible and only considering them as a last resort. CLPHA has advocated for emergency rental assistance during the pandemic as the most effective way to keep low-income families in their homes by providing assistance to tenants and property owners. The $46 billion that Congress allocated for emergency rental assistance as part of two COVID relief packages was one of the first relief programs to adequately meet the need caused by the pandemic. While the distribution of the relief funds has been uneven, CLPHA will take every opportunity during the 60-day extension to work with Congress and the administration to expedite the distribution of emergency rental assistance of behalf of tenants and landlords so that there no need for another moratorium.”
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
July 30, 2021 (Washington, D.C.) July 30, 2021 – CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement upon the scheduled end of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) nationwide eviction moratorium on July 31, 2021:
“While millions of low-income households are facing the threat of homelessness with the eviction moratorium scheduled to end this week, public housing authorities are committed to using every tool and resource available to keep residents safely housed. Public housing authorities understand that keeping people housed is the most cost-effective approach to prevent homelessness. Evictions are expensive, burdensome, and time consuming, and they increase turnover and vacancy costs for housing authorities. Furthermore, evictions are a soul-crushing experience that impacts every aspect of one’s life and are a significant contributor to long-term unemployment and homelessness.
“Throughout the pandemic, housing authorities have connected at-risk residents with additional support and services, including obtaining emergency rental assistance. The good news is the Treasury-administered Emergency Rental Assistance Program has increased the speed of its fund distribution. We know that more can be done to streamline access to funds by partnering with local housing authorities to help those assisted households in need.
“Congress funded emergency rental assistance programs because they are the most cost-effective measure to avoid the destructive and demoralizing process of evictions and prevent poverty. We urge the Treasury and Housing and Urban Development Departments and the White House to continue to work closely together to distribute emergency rental assistance as quickly and efficiently as possible to stem the tide of evictions.”
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
In yesterday's article "Trust in Public Housing at Stake Over Looming Government Shutdown," YES! Magazine quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman and CLPHA members Kurt Wiest, Bremerton Housing Authority Executive Director, and Mark Gillett, Oklahoma City Housing Authority Executive Director, on how another government shutdown could continue to sow mistrust in public housing authorities (PHAs) and HUD.
Zaterman, who noted that landlords could shy away from participating in voucher programs if there is concern that PHAs will not pay them, asked, “Just the prospect of payments not being made will have a very disruptive impact—will the federal government contract be honored?”
Wiest stressed the importance of PHAs maintaining a good rapport with landlords. “We work really, really hard to have good relationships with local landlords. And if there’s the slightest hint that they won’t get their subsidy payments as promised, it erodes trust,” said Wiest. “And this program operates on trust.”
Gillett added that if PHAs cannot pay their landlords, there could be dire consequences for tenants. “There is a provision in the law saying if a housing assistance payment isn’t paid, it shouldn’t be grounds for eviction,” Gillett said. “But it’s never been tested.”
On January 31, HUD, the City of New York, and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) announced an agreement to address longstanding issues at the housing authority’s properties. The agreement establishes specific requirements and milestones for property improvements and establishes a federal monitor who will be selected by HUD and the Southern District of New York, with input from the city.
On Tuesday, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio appointed Kathryn Garcia, the city’s sanitation commissioner, to succeed Stanley Brezenoff as interim chair until a permanent head of the authority is selected.
Brezenoff, who also serves on CLPHA’s Board of Directors, called the job as NYCHA’s interim chair and CEO, “one of the toughest and most rewarding jobs in America.” In Tuesday’s press release announcing his successor, Brezenoff said, “I will leave this interim role knowing that we are putting NYCHA in very capable hands. I am confident that Commissioner Garcia is the right person to continue our efforts to improve the quality of lives for residents, and preserve public housing for generations to come.”
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman in an article about the government shutdown's impacts on Section 8 Voucher holders if the shutdown continues beyond March 1.
Zaterman said, “Without a guarantee from HUD that funding will be available in March, many [public housing authorities] will need to notify landlords and residents next month that delayed payments are a possibility. Anxious residents and landlords fearful of missed payments, combined with other cascading impacts due to lack of staffing at HUD, including program grants not being renewed and affordable housing development deals not being approved, amount to an unmitigated disaster for millions of low-income families.”
Today, Gray News Bureau published a comprehensive article "SNAP, WIC, Section 8: Separating fact from fiction in the government shutdown" featuring a quote about the shutdown’s effects on HUD programs from CLPHA Executive Sunia Zaterman. Gray News pulled the quote from CLPHA’s January 16 joint press release with the Campaign for Housing & Community Development Funding (CHCDF), of which CLPHA is a member of the Steering Committee.
On the shutdown's effect on housing authorities' future rental assistance payments, Zaterman said, "Without a guarantee from HUD that funding will be available in March, many Public Housing Authorities will need to notify landlords and residents next month that delayed payments are a possibility. Anxious residents and landlords fearful of missed payments, combined with other cascading impacts due to lack of staffing at HUD, including program grants not being renewed and affordable housing development deals not being approved, amount to an unmitigated disaster for millions of low-income families.”
You can read the article via Gray News Bureau TV affiliates:
CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman spoke to the Pew Charitable Trust's Stateline blog about the looming crisis facing public housing authorities (PHAs) if the shutdown continues. In today's article "Cities Scramble as Shutdown Leaves Families in Federal Housing Vulnerable," Zaterman warned that if the shutdown is still in effect by the end of February, many PHAs will not have enough funds to continue rental assistance payments for March and beyond.
“It’s definitely an all-hands-on-deck, high-urgency red alert for agencies that don’t have sufficient reserves for a sufficient amount of time,” Zaterman said. “And most don’t.”
From the Kitsap Sun:
A Warren Avenue property near downtown Bremerton, across from Kitsap Community Resources' home and once the site of three abandoned houses and a small commercial building, is now the site of an apartment building soon to become a Bremerton Housing Authority-owned housing option for disadvantaged young people.
The housing service provider will connect 18- to 24 year-olds who may be exiting foster care, homelessness or other precarious positions with housing that they may not be considered for otherwise, and pair that provision with on-site services. The project, called Evergreen Bright Start, will establish 24 of the 30 units in the 811 Warren Avenue apartment for subsidized housing and the other 6 for service provider offices.
The project saw its green light after the BHA received $6.5 million in grants from the Washington State Department of Commerce last week. Coupled with $4 million in grants from the City of Bremerton and Kitsap County and $200,000 from their own pot, the BHA secured funding to acquire the housing complex.
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The BHA’s campaign for a youth housing solution found its roots in a 2022 program, Foster Youth to Independence (FYI), that connected young adults aging out of foster care with rental assistance vouchers.
FYI housed 16 young adults in Bremerton and four in other jurisdictions, but U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds cover only the voucher, excluding provision for housing navigation and case management. While Olive Crest, a BHA partner in the Evergreen Bright Start project, provided these services with supplemental funding from the County, certain disparities in housing for young adults came to light, said BHA executive director Jill Stanton.
“One of the challenges that we ran into was actually getting a landlord to accept the voucher for a person who had little to no rental history or credit history,” Stanton said. “This population is especially vulnerable, often falling prey to drug dealers and sexual exploitation, starting their journey into adulthood with fear and hopelessness.”
At a formative time in their lives that could be marked by college, exploration, early career and job preparation, young adults aging out of foster care and those facing other housing, mental health and substance abuse challenges can find themselves in dangerous situations.
“A lot of them do end up in homeless situations, unhoused or unsafe situations… so that's where we're trying to intervene so that that doesn't happen,” Stanton said. “It's really hard to provide services that really make a difference when someone doesn't have a safe place to live.
Harkening back to the aspirations of young adulthood, Stanton envisions young tenants at Evergreen Bright Start not only connecting with services, but also steeping themselves in a community of similarly aged-peers, to “have a space where they can experience a normal and supportive and loving environment, and camaraderie and friendship.”
Read the Kitsap Sun's article "Services and subsidized housing for young adults coming through Bremerton project."
From the Chicago Housing Authority's press release:
Chicago Housing Authority residents who participated in the “LevelUp” wealth-building program received their certificates of completion and celebrated economic power Saturday at a ceremony at the Charles A. Hayes Family Investment Center.
CHA’s LevelUp provides financial incentives to participants as they reach their goals. Upon goal completion, specified amounts based on the goal are deposited into their LevelUp savings accounts. The savings are paid out within 60 days of program completion after participating 3-5 years.
The total payout among the 45 graduates Saturday was $296,262. Of that:
- 5 became homeowners
- 7 increased their credit score
- 3 transitioned off housing subsidy
- 1 obtained a master’s degree
- 2 obtained a bachelor’s degree
- 1 obtained an associate degree
- 8 completed a Training/Certificate/Certification Program
- All graduates maintained employment for at least 12 months
“We are proud of these 45 graduates who have sacrificed and saved as they embark on the realization of their dreams,” said CHA CEO Tracey Scott. “This program is about investing in yourself and building your personal power. We are proud of them for staying the course as CHA continues to lend its support to ensure participants of this program achieve their goals."
LevelUp participants receive monetary payouts for successfully completing milestones, such as earning a degree or starting a new career. The savings are set aside in an escrow account and the money accrued is disbursed at the time of successful completion of the five-year program. The money can then be used for whatever they choose, including down payments on homes or paying off debt.
From Opportunity Home San Antonio's press release:
The San Antonio Housing Facility Corporation, an Opportunity Home affiliate, was awarded a $50,000 grant from the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation, a fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation, to ensure completion of the Snowden Senior Apartments project by January 2025.
The first self-developed multi-family apartment project by the organization, Snowden will provide affordable housing options for older adults who earn between 0-30% of the Area Median Income (AMI). A community with 135 one-and-two-bedroom units for individuals 62 and older will be equipped with amenities such as a hair salon, beach entrance swimming pool, on-site walking trails and energy-efficient appliances.
“We are extremely grateful to the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation for allocating funding towards this project — it validates our vision and the population it will serve,” said Susan Ramos-Sossaman, assistant director of Development Services and Neighborhood Revitalization. “It is rewarding and an accomplishment in itself having this be our first self-developed project.”
In October 2022, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) awarded a 9% tax credit allocation for Snowden. Snowden reflects a commitment to providing compassionate, equitable and vibrant communities where individuals can thrive and enjoy a healthy quality of life. Building new communities across the city exemplifies a partnership with the City of San Antonio to produce or preserve more than 14,000 rental units as part of their 10-year housing affordability plan.
July 19, 1952 to January 30, 2024
CLPHA was deeply saddened to learn of Tony Pérez’s passing earlier this week. As CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman said last year upon his retirement, Tony was a committed and compassionate leader of the Housing Authority of the City Milwaukee, on the CLPHA board, and in the national housing policy arena. His thoughtful and steadfast advocacy on behalf of our nation's most vulnerable individuals was unmatched. His untiring support for CLPHA's Housing Is Initiative and cross-sector partnerships made improving lives, strengthening neighborhoods a reality in Milwaukee. His wisdom, erudition and joyfulness lifted up all those who know him. We will miss Tony deeply.
From Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's press release:
Mayor Michelle Wu joined the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) and National Grid to announce that Franklin Field Apartments has been selected for National Grid’s Networked Geothermal Demonstration Program. The project will be the first networked geothermal pilot project in the City of Boston and the second in National Grid’s Massachusetts program. Switching energy sources from gas to electric is an important step to create green, healthy communities for residents. This is important in accelerating the Mayor’s goal for BHA to be fossil fuel free by 2030. At the project’s conclusion, the seven buildings in the pilot will be fossil-free.
Networked geothermal is a highly efficient renewable heating technology and source of energy that uses the ground temperature to provide heating and cooling to buildings through an underground piping network. The underground temperature serves as a heat source during winter and transfers indoor heat to the ground for cooling during the summer.
“Being the greenest city in America means that we will be best able to take care of not only the places we live, but the people we love,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “We want to be a city where the benefits we are bringing when it comes to energy efficiency and green energy are not just around being able to check off boxes and hit goals, but that we are able to empower and support the people in our community who make it possible for Boston to do everything that we do. Every Boston family deserves a home that is affordable, safe and healthy."
“As Boston tackles the challenge of climate change, it is vital that our public housing communities come first,” said Kenzie Bok, Administrator of the Boston Housing Authority. “Our partnership with National Grid is an exciting opportunity to showcase geothermal technology as a fossil-fuel-free alternative for multifamily housing, while also improving resident quality of life by providing 129 BHA families with efficient, state-of-the-art heating and cooling."
“We are excited to partner with the Boston Housing Authority and the City of Boston to meet our collective climate change, clean energy and equity goals by pursuing this networked geothermal project at Franklin Field, bringing efficient and clean heating and cooling to its residents” said Lisa Wieland, President of National Grid New England. “We are taking the initial learnings from our first project in Lowell and applying them here, which has been extremely valuable. Key to transitioning away from fossil fuels is to develop and expand reliable alternatives. Networked geothermal has significant potential to be a solution, especially for larger buildings and campuses, and this partnership will allow us to demonstrate that and bring the benefits of the clean energy future to the Franklin Field community, today."
The geothermal pilot will replace an aging gas boiler loop currently serving 129 units at seven federal public housing buildings at the BHA’s Franklin Field community in Dorchester. The Boston Housing Authority will invest federal Capital Fund Program resources to support electrification of the heating and domestic hot water equipment within the buildings. National Grid will develop the geothermal network leading to the building’s exterior, and both parties will collaborate on complementary energy efficiency investments funded by the state’s energy efficiency programs.