CLPHA Press Room

Over 1,500 child welfare-involved families and 600 eligible foster youth across Washington State will now have access to much-needed housing assistance thanks to a historic agreement between the Department of Children, Youth, and Families and a network of public housing authorities and housing non-profits. The housing network pledged 2,167 federal housing vouchers and apartment units for families and youth involved with the child welfare system.

DCYF Secretary Ross Hunte and along with representatives of the public housing authorities and housing non-profits signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) last week, which will allow the agency to meet the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements needed to access vouchers under the Family Unification Program (FUP) and Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) voucher programs.

CLPHA applauds DCYF an the Association of Washington Housing Authorities for sharing data to acheive these efforts—CLPHA's Housing Is Initiative has long championed our belief that data sharing across sectors among partners that serve the same vulnerable populations helps streamline programming and processes for low-income people seeking to access services. When agencies share data, they obtain a better understanding of the people seeking their resources and services, allowing them to better meet their needs. 

Over the years, there has been a lack of capacity in parts of the state, but through this partnership, DCYF and public housing authority and non-profits will now be able to serve more youth and families with housing statewide. Eligible families and youth will receive referrals from their DCYF caseworker to a contracted provider who will help them locate housing that accepts vouchers.

Michael Mirra, retired executive director of the Tacoma Housing Authority and co-chair of the Housing and Child Welfare Subcommittee, said the agreement will imbed housing into the child welfare system.  

“It will spare children and families from the trauma of avoidable out-of-home placement, it will house teenagers coming from foster care or juvenile rehabilitation who would otherwise start their independent adulthood by becoming homeless, it will help the state’s child welfare workers perform what may be the hardest job in public service; and it will save the state money in averted foster care costs,” he explained.

Lowel Krueger, executive director of the Yakima Housing Authority said folks from the Association of Washington Housing Authorities were grateful for all of the partners who "persisted in establishing this innovative collaboration to provide families involved in the child welfare system with housing, a critical first step in helping families and changing life outcomes for children."

DCYF’s ability to begin to provide the contracted Housing Supportive Services that are necessary to fulfill its commitment to HUD was made possible through $8 million in investments from the Legislature.

“We are excited to sign this historic document with all the partnerships and what it means for the families we serve,” said Hunter. “When our youth and families are supported, they thrive, preventing deeper penetration into the child welfare system.”

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View MOU

From the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development's press release:

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) today announced the selection of exciting plans to develop a city-owned parking lot at 351 Powers Avenue in The Bronx into “Powerhouse Apartments,” providing deeply affordable homes and a community theatre at an electric-powered building in Mott Haven.  

To be developed through a collaboration between Lemle & Wolff Development Co., HELP Development Corp., and True Development New York, LLC, the announcement of Powerhouse Apartments marks the latest advancement in HPD’s month-long push to advance affordable housing projects on publicly owned land across the city, putting into motion New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ 24 in 24 plan. Through the 24 in 24 plan, the Adams administration aims to advance the creation or preservation of over 12,000 homes through partnerships across HPD, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA).   

Last week, HPD launched the start of the process to develop a major piece of Long Island City’s Hunter’s Point South neighborhood into approximately 850 to 900 homes and opened the proposal submission process to build over 100 homes along Stebbins Avenue in The Bronx. The week before, HPD launched the community engagement process to build approximately 570 homes along the Harlem River waterfront in Inwood, Manhattan, and selected plans to build approximately 116 homes for low-income families in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Today’s announcement marks the fifth project HPD has moved forward in the last three weeks, which all together have the potential to create over 1,700 new homes once completed.  

“Powerhouse Apartments in Mott Haven is a great example of our commitment to creating housing that's affordable, sustainable, and rich in amenities for residents and neighbors,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “Powerhouse will convert a parking lot into 90 affordable homes that meet our carbon neutrality goals while providing a theater, community space, and a workforce development center. We are excited to add this project to the '24 in 24' commitment, advancing 24 projects to create or preserve over 12,000 homes citywide.”

“Today marks an electrifying start to transforming this parking lot into high-quality, sustainable, affordable housing here in the heart of the South Bronx,” said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. “The driving forces behind this announcement are a testament to the future of housing in New York City – sustainable, affordable housing will not only benefit the residents of Powerhouse Apartments but helps reverse environmental injustices and moves the city closer to carbon neutrality and healthier neighborhoods for generations to come.” 

Read press release.

From the San Diego Housing Commission's press release:

Ongoing, collaborative efforts to create additional permanent affordable homes with supportive services for people experiencing homelessness in San Diego will receive another infusion of state funding with the award of $35 million from the Homekey program to the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC).

The Homekey funds will support SDHC’s proposed purchase of an extended-stay hotel property on Hotel Circle, which will be converted into affordable homes with supportive services, in collaboration with the City of San Diego and County of San Diego.

“Housing ends homelessness, and this latest funding award will help us house more than 160 San Diegans and provide the services they need to remain stably housed,” Mayor Todd Gloria said. “I applaud Governor Gavin Newsom for this critical assistance and am grateful for the partnership of the Housing Commission, the County, federal partners, and the City Council in making the Homekey program a success in San Diego.”

The purchase and rehabilitation of the property at 2087 Hotel Circle South, to be known as Presidio Palms, will create 161 affordable rental apartments, all of which will serve people experiencing homelessness.

“Creativity and innovation are essential in solving our housing and homelessness crisis. The Homekey program has provided the tremendous opportunity to create affordable homes incredibly fast for San Diegans, meeting the moment of today’s need for housing. This new award shows just how fruitful collaboration between the City, the Housing Commission, and the County can be, and most importantly will result in lifting 161 of our neighbors out of homelessness and into housing,” City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera said.

“I want to thank Governor Newsom for granting this Homekey Award, which will help reduce homelessness in my district,” said City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who represents District 3, where the Hotel Circle property is located. “The best way to help people off the streets is to provide them housing and services, and many people will benefit from this opportunity. I congratulate and thank the San Diego Housing Commission for successfully applying for this funding.”

The City’s investment in this project includes federal project-based vouchers and funding from the American Rescue Plan Act garnered for the City with the support of U.S. Rep. Scott Peters.

“Our national housing and homelessness crisis demands that we snatch every opportunity presented to us to build more housing everywhere for everybody. That’s why when asked to lean in to help get this deal done, I was glad to do it. Thank you to everyone who worked hard to make this happen and to the Governor for selecting this project to fund. I look forward to the day its doors are opened so more people have a safe place to live,” Rep. Peters said.

The County Board of Supervisors has also approved capital and services funding to support this project.

“California’s Homekey program is more than just providing housing; it’s about giving dignity, security, and hope to those facing housing instability. San Diego County is dedicated to partnerships and funding to keep families, seniors, and veterans housed. With an extra $35 million in Homekey funds, the State is creating over 600 affordable apartments in San Diego, helping those experiencing homelessness. The opening of Presidio Palms shows the power of teamwork, marking another step towards caring and inclusive communities,” said Nora Vargas, Chairwoman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

SDHC has committed 161 rental housing vouchers to help residents pay their rent at this property. SDHC will request approval from the SDHC Board of Commissioners, subject to review by the San Diego City Council, sitting as the Housing Authority of the City of San Diego, to accept and expend the funds for the purchase and rehabilitation of this property before proceeding.

The San Diego community provided broad support for SDHC’s application for Homekey funds, with many organizations submitting letters in support to the state. These organizations included the Asian Business Association of San Diego; California Restaurant Association’s San Diego County Chapter; East Village Association; Downtown San Diego Partnership; Forever Balboa Park; Little Italy Association; Lucky Duck Foundation; San Diego Black American Policy Association Foundation; San Diego Food Bank; San Diego Padres; and San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

In the current round of Homekey funding, the state allocated $41.1 million for the San Diego region. However, with the new award announced today, the state has awarded nearly $15 million more than that amount—$55.75 million—to San Diego in this round alone.

In addition to the Homekey funds awarded for Presidio Palms, San Diego has received more than $70.2 million from the Homekey program, including previous rounds of funding, to create 447 affordable homes:

• Pacific Village. In September 2023, the State awarded $16.85 million for SDHC’s purchase and rehabilitation of a hotel property at 3737-3747 Midway Drive in the Midway Community to create 62 affordable single-room occupancy (SRO) units with supportive services . SDHC committed 62 rental housing vouchers to help the residents pay their rent.
• Abbott Street Apartments. Also in September 2023, the State awarded an additional $3.9 million that will support SDHC’s collaboration with Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation to rehabilitate a vacant multifamily housing property at 2147 Abbott Street in Ocean Beach to create 13 affordable homes . SDHC awarded housing vouchers to help residents pay their rent.
• PATH Villas El Cerrito: In 2022, the State awarded $11.83 million in Homekey funds to help finance the development of 40 new affordable rental apartments at 5476 El Cajon Blvd. in the El Cerrito neighborhood. The development is a partnership among PATH Ventures, Family Health Centers of San Diego and Bold Communities. The City and County also allocated funds to this development, with the County committing additional funds for supportive services. SDHC awarded housing vouchers to help the residents pay rent.
• Kearny Vista and Valley Vista Apartments: During the pandemic in 2020, in the first round of Homekey funding, the state awarded $37.7 million to SDHC toward the purchase of two extended-stay hotel properties. The City also allocated funds toward the purchase of these properties, and the County allocated funding for supportive services. Today, the properties continue to provide 332 homes with supportive services and housing vouchers to help residents pay their rent.

The Homekey program provides an opportunity to bring much-needed housing online faster and cheaper than traditional new-construction affordable housing. Thanks to funding and regulatory streamlining from Homekey, San Diego has a unique opportunity to get people out of encampments and shelters and into permanent homes in months rather than years.

HUD has officially re-opened the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Jobs Plus Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to accommodate the anticipated FY24 Jobs Plus appropriations funding. This re-opening allows HUD to invite additional applications, enabling the allocation of more Jobs Plus Grants for the current fiscal year. CLPHA urges our members to take advantage of this funding opportunity.

For PHAs that did not previously apply for FY23 Jobs Plus funding or have not been recipients of a Jobs Plus grant before, we strongly encourage submitting applications to the re-opened NOFO, available on grants.gov. The due date for new applications is March 12, 2024.

Approximately $37 million in funds is now available, comprising $22 million in FY23 funding and an additional $15 million in anticipated FY24 funding. HUD emphasizes that there will not be another Jobs Plus NOFO for the FY24 funding cycle. The minimum project size is only 100 non-elderly households, with a maximum grant size of $3.7 million per PHA for comprehensive workforce development efforts. Award announcements for the FY23/24 Jobs Plus program are expected in Summer 2024.

Notably, applications submitted by the original deadline of August 21, 2023, remain valid and do not require resubmission. However, PHAs may choose to submit a new application by the new deadline, which will be evaluated in lieu of the previously submitted application.

For further details, including eligibility criteria and application instructions, please refer to the Re-Opened NOFO. Should you have any questions, reach out to JobsPlus@hud.gov.  

View NOFO

This month, HUD's Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) newsletter focused their spotlight on the Housing Authority of Kansas City's Sam Rodgers Place and discussed how HAKC and Kansas City successfully developed and implemented a comprehensive Choice Neighborhoods housing plan that responded to resident needs and culminated in a healthy living community that combined health and wellness with mixed-income housing.

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