CLPHA Press Room

From the Memphis Housing Authority's website:

It’s not easy to see a doctor. If you try to book an appointment with a new doctor, you’ll have to wait an average of 26 days until your appointment. To speed up the process, you may look into an urgent care facility. The few we have in Memphis are located along the Poplar corridor or toward the suburbs, requiring transportation to get there. And if you need to see a doctor immediately, be prepared to pay $1,883 – the average cost of an ER visit in Tennessee. That doesn’t include the cost of an ambulance, if you need to call one to take you to the hospital. 

Getting medical care isn’t easy, no matter your life circumstances. But for seniors with fixed incomes, the challenges are even greater. Preexisting conditions, unreliable transportation and fear of expenses can keep older adults from building relationships with primary care providers who could transform their lives – helping them live longer and more vibrantly. That’s why MHA has partnered with Matter Health to bring primary care providers to several senior buildings across the city. 

What is Matter Health?
Matter Health is a preventive and primary health care company. Its model places physicians where people live so practitioners can build meaningful, long-term relationships with patients. For our residents, this means that Matter Health clinics are located in the common areas of our senior buildings. Tenants are now an elevator ride away from a team of health-focused professionals who can provide a wide variety of services. They accept all major insurance providers, including Medicaid; meaning, our seniors on fixed incomes don’t have to worry about the cost if they need to see a doctor.

Why invest in in-facility health care?
Everyone’s health improves when they have a relationship with a primary care provider. Chronic conditions are better managed, medication can be adjusted until the right fit is found for the patient, and changes in how a person feels can be addressed quickly. Not to mention that new ailments can be found and remedied before they become more serious. When people have easy access to a health care provider they trust, and one who won’t bust their budget, they are much more likely to get help when they need it. 

Ms. Jackie’s story. 
For several years, Ms. Jackie has been a mainstay at the College Park senior building. She pays close attention to her health and used to walk miles to get to the clinic closest to her. That was challenging for her physically, causing her joint pain, but the bus was too unreliable in getting her to her appointments on time. When Ms. Jackie moved back into the senior building after the RAD conversion, she noticed a logo in the lobby of her building – one with a red heart and a navy blue door. Ms. Jackie hesitantly knocked and was greeted by several warm faces who were eager to get to know her. She ended up speaking with a nurse practitioner for over an hour that day, sharing her medical history and the challenges she was having with getting regular care. The next day, she was able to have a formal evaluation with lab work and a physical. With her results, Ms. Jackie was able to change her prescriptions, reducing the amount of medication she needed to take every day.  

Ms. Jackie’s story is the perfect example of how providing access to medical care can improve people’s lives. She was able to get proper evaluation for existing conditions and reduce her medications – which helped her feel better and saved her money. The providers spent time getting to know her, something that may not be possible in a more crowded clinical setting. And now, if she ever experiences a health care emergency or sickness, Ms. Jackie has a trusted clinician she can see – and she only needs to catch the elevator to get there. 

Getting access to medical care can be challenging, but if we get creative and think of new solutions to provide high-quality health care, we can improve health outcomes for residents of our community. MHA is committed to partnerships with reputable organizations like Matter Health and will continue to seek organizations whose innovative practices will improve the lives of our residents.

From the City of Austin's press release:

The City of Austin Housing Department celebrates the monumental opening of the Austin Housing Finance Corporation’s (AHFC) first permanent supportive housing community. Espero Rutland is located in District 4 at 1934 Rutland Drive. The development is already accepting applications and began welcoming residents at the beginning of the year. The 2-acre property features 171 furnished studio apartments designed to house residents at risk of or who have experienced chronic homelessness – permanently. All units will be affordable for households earning at or below 60% median family income.

“Espero marks AHFC’s first of many permanent supportive housing communities to open in Austin,” explains Mandy DeMayo, Interim Director for the Housing Department. “We couldn’t be prouder to help 171 households have a place to call home. We are grateful to all of the partners that helped make Espero happen as we work together to increase affordable housing for vulnerable individuals and families.”

Espero, developed in collaboration with The Vecino Group and Caritas of Austin, was funded through various sources. This includes $17 million in Private Activity Bonds issued by AHFC, a $17 million construction loan and an $11.4 million permanent loan from Citi, $11 million in 4% LIHTC equity syndicated by Boston Financial and invested by Aetna (a CVS Health company), $3 million in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) debt financing through the Multifamily Direct Loan (MFDL) program, $750,000 from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, and finally, $7.5 million in AHFC debt financing through the Rental Housing Development Assistance (RHDA) program.

“We are thrilled to see the grand opening of Espero Rutland, which will provide much-needed affordable housing for our unhoused neighbors and help address the growing issue of homelessness in our community,” said Jo Kathryn Quinn, President & CEO of Caritas of Austin. “Homelessness is a complex issue, and there is no single solution. But we also know that housing is the critical first step in helping people rebuild their well-being.”

Both the City and the Housing Authority of the City of Austin dedicated project-based vouchers to support the facility’s operation. The development includes 101 housing vouchers dedicated to the property, trauma-informed design, and on-site supportive services provided by Caritas of Austin. The Housing Authority of the City of Austin provided 50 project-based vouchers, with a total value of $17 million over the course of 20 years.

“Espero Rutland development is a huge win for our community and a win for our homeless neighbors and veterans,” said Michael Gerber, CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Austin.  “HACA is proud to partner with Caritas, the City of Austin, and so many community partners on this important development. Twenty-five chronically homeless veterans and twenty-five other homeless neighbors will receive nearly $17 million in rental assistance through HACA’s project-based voucher program over the next 20 years. Espero Rutland is a home run.”

Read press release. 

From Atlanta Housing's website:

In alignment with the agency’s Five-Year Strategic Plan, which sets a goal of creating or preserving 10,000 affordable units, Atlanta Housing is moving forward with its priority to activate more than 300 acres of its vacant land to achieve 5,000 new units of housing that will limit displacement and enable lower-income families and individuals to call Atlanta home. This commitment requires several public and private partners to come together, including the City of Atlanta and Invest Atlanta. With their support, in July of 2023, Atlanta Housing incorporated the Atlanta Urban Development Corporation (AUD), a non-profit subsidiary of AH positioned to lead housing developments on publicly owned land.

Earlier this year, the AUD announced its first project – the redevelopment of Fire Station 15 in Midtown at 170 10th St. The proposed redevelopment would turn Fire Station 15 into a mixed-use site that will incorporate market-rate, affordable, and “deeply, permanently affordable housing,” as stated by CEO of AUD John Majors. With this plan, a residential tower would rise above a redeveloped, fully operational ground-level fire station.  An RFQ has been issued for developers capable of taking the .78-acre property vertical. All responses to the RFQ are due by March 4, 2024, with a selection planned for the end of April.

Atlanta Housing is poised to throw its hat into the Midtown development boom through the innovative, new model of the AUD, which focuses on high-quality, deep, permanent, and adaptable affordability in inclusive neighborhoods where residents can thrive.

From Fox 61 New Haven:

The housing crisis is creating a dire situation for many people across Connecticut. Now, New Haven leaders are introducing a new ordinance to add more options for affordable housing.

“We all are very concerned about access to housing,” said New Haven’s Mayor Justin Elicker at a press conference at City Hall Thursday. “It’s a really urgent situation for many people in the community.”

If adopted, OR-2023-0047 would allow for more ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units).

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The new phase of the ordinance, already in the hands of the Board of Alders, gets rid of the owner occupancy rule and allows people to build brand new structures on their property. Those structures, however, do have to follow the current building code.

“The more that we can streamline and remove barriers to the process, that all contributes to the owner being able to rent that property at a lower rate,” said Karen Dubois-Walton, President of Elm City Communities.

If passed, a total of 4,000 new parcels could be created throughout the city of New Haven.

Read Fox 61 New Haven's article "New Haven leaders propose ordinance allowing homeowners to build small dwellings on property."

From the San Diego Housing Commission's press release:

A vacant portion of a transit station parking lot will be transformed into nearly 100 new affordable rental apartments for families with lower income through the new construction of SkyLINE Apartments, which celebrated its groundbreaking today in Rancho Bernardo.

“Projects like SkyLINE, with this incredible constellation of organizations all working in the same direction, doesn’t just give me hope, but I think gives hope to many San Diegans that wonder whether or not there’s a future for them here in San Diego,” San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said. “SkyLINE and projects like it are proof positive that if you’re willing to work hard, we will do everything we possibly can to make a place for you here, that you belong here, that we want you here.”

Affirmed Housing is developing SkyLINE Apartments in collaboration with the City of San Diego, the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC), the Couty of San Diego, the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and many additional organizations.

“SkyLINE will bring much-needed affordable housing units to the Rancho Bernardo community,” San Diego City Councilmember and MTS Board Chair Stephen Whitburn said. “This development goes beyond affordable housing. It also aims to build a thriving community with amenities for residents to balance their daily lives with work and school and social activities, raising families, and much more. Additionally, SkyLINE will make it convenient for its residents to connect with the rest of San Diego by offering accessible transit just steps away from their front door.”

“This is the second groundbreaking we’re having in Rancho Bernardo for affordable housing with Affirmed,” said San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, who represents the Council District where SkyLINE is being built. “We pushed for years to get affordable housing up here in District 5 up here into Rancho Bernardo and Scripps Ranch. … I’m so honored to have this in District 5.”

The County of San Diego awarded a loan toward the financing for SkyLINE.

“A hundred homes for low income is really important to the County. It’s important for our region, and I just want to thank everybody that helps and participates,” said County of San Diego Supervisor Joel Anderson, whose supervisorial district includes Rancho Bernardo and who proclaimed today as SkyLINE day in the County.

SkyLINE will consist of 99 affordable rental apartments for households earning 30 percent to 55 percent of the San Diego Area Median Income (AMI), or between $41,350 to $75,790 per year for a family of four. The property will also have one unrestricted manager’s unit.

“New affordable housing has never been more desperately needed than it is today,” SDHC Vice Chair of the Board Ryan Clumpner said. “That is why this groundbreaking is so important. It is a significant milestone toward the creation of 100 new affordable rental apartments here in Rancho Bernardo.”

SDHC awarded 30 federal rental housing vouchers to the SkyLINE development to help pay rent for residents with the lowest income, 30 percent of AMI. These vouchers are tied directly to this development. When a household moves on, the voucher stays to help another household with low income.

In addition, SDHC authorized the issuance of $42.5 million in tax-exempt Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds for the development. The City Council, in its role as the Housing Authority of the City of San Diego (Housing Authority), approved the bonds. SDHC, the City of San Diego, and the Housing Authority are not financially liable for the bonds. Private sources of funds, such as revenue from the development, are used to repay the bonds.

“SkyLINE will be that beacon of hope for 100 deserving families. Today would not be possible without Affirmed’s partnership with MTS and their dedication to providing housing, especially affordable housing at its transit-rich locations with land throughout the county,” Affirmed Housing President Jimmy Silverwood said.

Financing for the development includes a $5 million loan from the City of San Diego through the Bridge to Home program, a $2 million loan from the County of San Diego through its Innovative Housing Trust Fund, and a nearly $4.5 million Infill Infrastructure Grant from the State of California’s Department of Housing and Community Development.

The apartments at SkyLINE will consist of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units that will remain affordable for 55 years. The development is being built on a vacant portion of an MTS parking lot at the Rancho Bernardo Transit Station.

ConAm Management Corporation will manage SkyLINE Apartments, and Compass for Affordable Housing will provide resident services to the property’s tenants. These services include adult education, health and wellness classes, financial literacy, nutrition, exercise, art, parent, food preparation, career building, job readiness, computer education, voter registration, and activities to develop community leadership, among other enrichment activities.

Each of SkyLINE’s apartments will include air conditioning, blinds and kitchen amenities, including refrigerator, oven, disposal, dishwasher and microwave. The property will be built to conform with the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee’s minimum energy efficiency standards with the inclusion of a rooftop photovoltaic solar energy system, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) lighting, and energy efficient appliances.

Site amenities include a children’s play area, a community room with a computer room, shaded outdoor gathering spaces with built-in seating and a leasing office.