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:
David Greer
Director of Communications
During the COVID-19 quarantine, David can be reached at (202) 550-1381 or dgreer@clpha.org.
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Public Housing is as much a part of the national infrastructure as Route 66, the Lincoln Tunnel, and the Hoover Dam.
WASHINGTON (April 30, 2019) - Today the House Committee on Financial Services held a hearing entitled “Housing in America: Assessing the Infrastructure Needs of America’s Housing Stock” to examine the need for investment in affordable housing infrastructure--including public housing—and investigate additional barriers to developing affordable housing.
Sunia Zaterman, the executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, issued the following statement after watching the hearing and reviewing draft legislation circulated by Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) that would authorize funding for several housing infrastructure projects, including $70 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund:
“Public housing is as a much a part of the national infrastructure as Route 66, the Lincoln Tunnel, and the Hoover Dam. Public housing helps communities and families thrive by providing more than one 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.
“A reinvestment in public housing should include adequate funding to preserve and improve the public housing stock. Equally important is thoughtful consideration about additional tools that public housing authorities can use to modernize and develop affordable housing to meet the needs of residents and local communities. Expanding the Rental Assistance Demonstration program and increasing the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit allocations, for example, would support public housing authorities’ recapitalization and redevelopment efforts.
“Housing is infrastructure and we thank the Chairwoman and the Committee for underscoring the importance of public housing during today’s hearing and in the Housing is Infrastructure Act of 2019.”
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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WASHINGTON (April 22, 2019) - On April 17, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released a proposed rule for Congressional review to disallow undocumented immigrants from living in federally subsidized housing. The notice is not yet publicly available but will eventually be posted in the Federal Register for a public comment period.
In response to reports of HUD’s proposed rule, Sunia Zaterman, Executive Director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, issued the following statement:
“On its face, this proposal is very problematic. Like the public charge rule, it is an unwarranted attack on low-income immigrant families who are welcome members of the communities served by public housing authorities.
“This rule is another attempt to gut the very core of public housing’s mission to provide housing that is safe, stable, and affordable to our country’s most vulnerable populations.
“CLPHA is engaging our membership to understand how this rule would directly impact their communities and will be submitting public comments in opposition to the proposed rule during the comment period. “
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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The disinvestment in housing and supportive services is a disinvestment in our nation’s most vulnerable populations.
WASHINGTON (March 12, 2019) - Sunia Zaterman, Executive Director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, issued the following statement today in response to President Trump’s FY 2020 Budget proposal, which would slash funding for the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development by more than 16 percent, including a $4.6 billion cut to the public housing capital and operating funds.
“This budget is a study in contradiction. While the administration is promising safer, healthier, more affordable housing, this budget proposes a 16 percent cut to HUD funding.
“While promoting HUD’s efforts to end homelessness and reduce home health and safety hazards, this budget slashes the public housing operating fund and zeroes out the capital fund.
“While rightly raising the cap on RAD conversions and requesting $100 million for the program, this budget renders the program effectively unusable with the proposed funding cuts.
“It is not possible for public housing authorities to dedicate resources to meeting capital needs when there is no capital fund, or to house the homeless without the resources to operate housing.
“The administration wants us to think beyond investing in bricks and mortar, and instead think about investing in people. This budget does neither of those things. The disinvestment in housing and supportive services is a disinvestment in our nation’s most vulnerable populations, including the 2.2 million low- and very low-income families, children, elderly, and persons with disabilities who are served by public housing.
“Congress has previously rejected draconian budgets that shred our safety net, and we call on them to do so again.”
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities is a national non-profit organization that works to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis and public education. CLPHA’s 70 members represent virtually every major metropolitan area in the country. Together they manage 40 percent of the nation’s public housing program; administer more than a quarter of the Housing Choice Voucher program; and operate a wide array of other housing programs. Learn more at clpha.org and on Twitter @CLPHA and follow @housing_is for news on CLPHA’s work to better insect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.
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Pacific Standard quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman in today's article "The Government Shutdown Could Decimate America's Subsidized Housing Programs." Of the partial government shutdown's impact on the housing market, Zaterman said, "Owners in many cities will be faced with financial disruption, foreclosure, or bankruptcy if they're not able to pay their mortgage or meet the other costs of the property... This really is going to ripple through the whole housing market system."
Zaterman added that the shutdown is likely to negatively impact landlords' perceptions of the HCV program and other federally funded rental assistance programs, observing that in light of the shutdown landlords may be discouraged from participating in the HCV program because now "[funding] is something an owner would have to calculate as a risk now that was previously not seen as a risk."
CLPHA’ Executive Director Sunia Zaterman spoke to Multi-Housing News about the disastrous effect the shutdown will have on not only on Housing Choice Voucher funding and other rental assistance programs, but also affordable housing projects, if it continues beyond February. Zaterman added that if the shutdown continues into March, for smaller landlords and property owners especially “there is a huge concern about the ripple effect and concerns about bankruptcy and foreclosure.”
However, as Zaterman noted in a January 16, 2019, joint press release accompanying a national conference call about the effects of the partial government shutdown on low-income people and communities and the affordable housing programs that serve them, the shutdown is already a catastrophe for millions who rely on HUD funding. “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,” said Zaterman.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development today issued additional information about HUD’s contingency plan so that PHAs administering the HCV program may access their HUD-held Housing Assistance Payment Reserves (HHR) under certain circumstances due the lapse in appropriations.
According to the letter, HAP renewal funds and Administrative Fees are scheduled to be paid on time for February, but HUD recognizes that the funds may not cover the monthly HAP needs as a result of additional leasing or costs.
HUD will allow access to HHR funds in situations where the failure to act “would result in an imminent threat to the safety of human life or the protection of property.”
PHAs may request HAP reserves from HUD under the following circumstances:
- To protect families that are imminent risk of termination of assistance; and/or
- PHAs that were eligible to receive a payment for January 2019 and did not receive it (e.g. first time RAD payments for a project) and need reserves to ensure that the property owner(s) receive(s) a HAP payment to continue assistance and protect the residents at the property.
Read the letter for instructions to request an additional payment covered by the HHR.
For more information on the shutdown’s impact on public and affordable housing, join today’s national conference call at 4:00 pm ET for insights from CLPHA and other housing industry experts. Click here to register.
As the partial government shutdown continues and creates more uncertainty for public housing authorities, CLPHA is collecting information on the impacts and effects of the government shutdown on housing authorities and residents.
We are particularly interested in examples regarding landlord willingness to accept new vouchers from HCV participants, and PHA decisions around issuing new vouchers.
We will be sharing your feedback with our media contacts and coalition partners (please let us know if you do not want your PHA’s name identified).
Please send any information to Emily Warren at ewarren@clpha.org as soon as possible.
CHCDF National Call to Learn About the Impacts of the Government Shutdown
CLPHA, as a member of the steering committee of the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding, will be participating in a national conference call on January 15 at 4:00 PM ET to provide updates on the latest information and guidance on how advocates can engage lawmakers to help end the shutdown.
In response to a January 5 Washington Post article focused on new research about where voucher holders live, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman submitted a Letter to the Editor to emphasize examples of PHAs’ innovative housing mobility strategies. Although edited significantly for length, the version published in print and online describes landlord recruitment and retention efforts, and calls for additional local flexibilities and sufficient federal funding.
CLPHA is pleased to announce that we have two new members: the Detroit Housing Commission (DHC) and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA). CLPHA warmly welcomes New Jersey DCA and its Director of Housing & Community Resources Janel Winter to the CLPHA community.
We are also delighted to welcome DHC and its Executive Director Sandra Henriquez back to CLPHA. Ms. Henriquez, who served as HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing (PIH) from 2009 to 2014, was on CLPHA’s Board of Directors from 1997 to 2009 while she was the Administrator and CEO of the Boston Housing Authority. She served as CLPHA’s Board President from 2004 to 2009.
CLPHA looks forward to working with our two new members!
On February 27, HUD announced $36 million in funding awards to public housing authorities and other grantees through the agency’s Resident Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency-Service Coordinators program (ROSS-SC). The awards will allow grantees to hire or retain service coordinators who help connect public housing residents with crucial resources like employment training, financial literacy services, educational opportunities, and health and wellness programs.
Nine CLPHA members received awards: the Sacramento County Redevelopment & Housing Agency, Elm City Communities, Housing Authority of Baltimore City, Boston Housing Authority, New York City Housing Authority, Housing Authority of the City of Goldsboro, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, and King County Housing Authority. Congratulations to these PHAs, who together received over $3.8 million in ROSS-SC grants!
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has named CLPHA Board Member and Elm City Communities President Karen DuBois-Walton as one of four new members of Connecticut’s State Board of Education. The board establishes academic standards and sets policy for the state’s school districts, including preschool, elementary and secondary education, special education, vocational education, adult education, and regional technical high schools. Under the leadership of Dr. DuBois-Walton, Elm City Communities has worked to improve educational outcomes for its low-income residents through strategic partnerships and programs.
In a press release, Gov. Lamont said of the announcement, ““My administration is determined to reform the way all of our education and workforce development organizations operate – our high schools, colleges, and businesses all need to be at the table and work collaboratively so that our teachers know what skills to teach, and our students know what jobs will be awaiting them. And students who live in every community of our state – regardless of their family’s income level or their zip code – must have access to all of the opportunities that will propel them to success throughout their careers. These new members of our State Board of Education have the qualities that are going to help us achieve this goal, and I look forward to working with them as we tackle this mission.”
CLPHA congratulates Dr. DuBois-Walton on this prestigious appointment!
A new HUD and Policy and Economic Research Council (PERC) report, “Potential Impacts of Credit Reporting Public Housing Rental Payment Data,” examines how including public housing rent payments in credit reporting could affect the credit scores of low-income, HUD-assisted individuals. The report details the findings of a joint study that used data from the Seattle Housing Authority, the Housing Authority of Cook County (HACC), and the Louisville Metro Housing Authority. The study showed a significant boost in credit scores for low-income families when reporting these rental payment data and found that many of the participating households would cease being “credit invisible.”
Analyzing credit scores of more than 9,000 households from these PHAs, the study found that reporting these rental payment data led to a significant increase (between 51 and 65 percent) in the number of HUD-assisted tenants with credit scores above 620. Including these data also nearly eliminated credit invisibility among HUD-assisted tenants: in one risk model, the rate of ‘unscoreable’ tenants fell from 49 percent to seven percent, and in another risk model this rate fell from 11 percent to zero percent. However, the study also found that many HUD-assisted tenants still have subprime credit scores that can limit their housing choices and ability to obtain insurance.
“Credit invisibility affects an estimated 54 million persons,” said report co-author and PERC President Dr. Michael Turner in a press release. “Through no fault of their own, families are trapped in a credit Catch 22—in order to qualify for credit, you must already have credit. Without a credit report and score, these families are forced to turn to high-cost lenders. This study shows a path to affordable mainstream credit for many HUD-assisted tenants and renters of all types.”
“More and more landlords throughout suburban Cook County are using credit score checks to determine whether or not to accept a tenant’s application, especially in areas of opportunity,” said Richard Monocchio, HACC Executive Director. “For our low-income tenants, many of whom have low or non-existent scores due to their circumstances, this means an automatic denial. HACC is proud to have participated in this groundbreaking study and is excited to explore a path forward given the promising findings.”
From The Salt Lake Tribune:
Residents in Salt Lake City’s Ballpark community were celebrating Thursday after a row of three blighted houses that neighbors say had become magnets for criminal activity were finally razed.
It was a hard-won victory but a triumph nevertheless in an area that has a disproportionately high number of boarded and vacant buildings but has had a hard time addressing them thanks to a city ordinance that prioritizes preserving such structures.
Ballpark Community Council Chairwoman Amy Hawkins, who watched as the claw began tearing down the buildings, said it was “wonderful” to see an “actual, physical change happening” in the neighborhood.
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The Housing Authority of Salt Lake City, which has owned these houses on West Temple near 1300 South since 2017, has long wanted to send in the bulldozers.
But the agency, which owns dozens of properties around the city, struggled to obtain financing for the 55-unit apartment complex envisioned for the site. Without a viable development plan, city code prevented their demolition.
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Thursday’s demolition was the first step for the four-story apartment complex, which is expected to be completed in April 2021 and will have a mix of affordable and market-rate units marketed primarily to seniors and members of the workforce. The Housing Authority is also planning a partnership with the Utah Pride Center in an effort to attract members of the LGBTQ population, who Nackerman said have faced challenges finding housing in the past.
“We’re going to work hand in hand with them to kind of affirmatively market to the LGBTQ+ community just because we know it’s a discriminatory issue that we can probably help solve,” he said.
Read The Salt Lake Tribune's article "Demolition begins on derelict buildings in Ballpark neighborhood slated to become a 55-unit apartment community," featuring the Housing Authority of Salt Lake City.