CLPHA Press Room

From 89.7 WKSU:

The Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority says more than 20,000 families are waiting for housing assistance. A federal grant will allow it to help some of those most in need.

The Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA) is calling the project the Mainstream Voucher Program.

AMHA has about 4,000 families with disabilities who could benefit from the program. But the half million dollar grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development will only fund help for 80 families.

AMHA Executive Director Brian Gage says it’s a start. "We’re hoping that that will grow over time, that more funds will become available for the program and that we can apply to expand the program even further."

Read 89.7 WKSU's article "Federal Grant to Fund Housing Assistance in Summit County," featuring the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority.

On Tuesday, December 10, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced the Affordable Housing for Educational Achievement Demonstration (AHEAD) Act, legislation intended to encourage public housing authorities and school districts to work together to address child and family homelessness through a federal grant program. CLPHA and the Housing Is Initiative worked closely with Senator Murray’s office to draft this important legislation that promotes local solutions and cross-sector collaborations to help address the many challenges that children experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity must overcome to achieve educational success.

The AHEAD Act is based on successful Washington state partnerships that work to reduce child and family homelessness like those undertaken by CLPHA members King County Housing Authority, Seattle Housing Authority, Tacoma Housing Authority, and Vancouver Housing Authority. In an interview the Seattle Times about the bill, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman said that the AHEAD Act “will be a huge leap forward, both in having an actual law that incentivizes and funds this and validates the approach.” Zaterman added that she is confident that the bill will advance in Congress, saying of Senator Murray, “I would not discount at all her ability to move this bill forward.”

KCHA, SHA, THA, and VHA expressed strong support for the AHEAD Act in Senator Murray’s press release announcing the bill’s reintroduction.

CLPHA Board President and KCHA Executive Director Stephen Norman: “Our community’s future is in our children. And that future starts with safe, secure housing and educational opportunity. Senator Murray’s initiative puts these two issues together in critical ways that will encourage effective, efficient, locally driven initiatives that will help ensure that all children have a chance to succeed. This is an incredibly important vision.”

CLPHA Board Member and SHA Executive Director Andrew Lofton: “When families are coping with homelessness parents are stressed just to survive and children struggle to perform in school and develop appropriately… We see firsthand the remarkable progress in families’ lives and the academic and social achievements of children when we catch them in time, provide stable housing and support families with the right services. We applaud Senator Murray for recognizing the gaps in our capacity to do this, and the importance of housing authority, school district and other community-based partnerships to identify, house and support these vulnerable families in turning their lives around.”

THA Executive Director Michael Mirra: “We’ve learned that there are ways to spend a housing dollar that not only helps prevent or end a family’s homelessness, but that can also help their children succeed in school and promote the success of schools that serve low-income children… The AHEAD Act recognizes the lessons we’ve learned in Washington State to help students thrive in school and in life, and we are grateful for Senator Murray’s work to extend these best practices nationwide.”

From The Columbian:

Vancouver Housing Authority looks to change the state’s definition of affordable housing. Currently under state law affordable rental housing means costs (including utilities) do not exceed 30 percent of a household’s monthly income.

This definition, however, doesn’t jibe with how much the housing authority asks its Section 8 subsidized rent tenants to contribute toward housing costs and that could be problematic, the housing authority said.

Read The Columbian's article "Vancouver Housing Authority to urge state to redefine affordable housing," featuring the Vancouver Housing Authority.

From Affirmed Housing's press release:

Today, Affirmed Housing will host a Grand Opening celebration for Stella and Bluewater, two new affordable housing communities located in the Grantville community of San Diego. Located at 6121 Fairmount Avenue, the 9:30am Grand Opening will draw the attendance of numerous elected officials, including: California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, California State Senate President Pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins, San Diego City Mayor Kevin Faulconer, San Diego City Councilman Scott Sherman. Helping address a state-wide affordable housing shortage, Stella and Bluewater are highly-anticipated developments, particularly for 160 of San Diego's most vulnerable individuals and families.

"These two projects bring our strategy to reduce homelessness full circle with several folks moving into these new apartments after getting the help they needed at one of the City's bridge shelters," Mayor Faulconer said. "We've overseen the largest expansion of homeless services in City history over the past couple years and now we're seeing those investments pay off with people getting off the street and into permanent housing."

...

Affirmed Housing's development partners include: IVY Landscape Architects, Suffolk, Studio E Architects, Kettler Leweck Engineering, NEXUS for Affordable Housing, Interfaith Community Services, and Solari Enterprises. Funding Partners include: Boston Capital, California Community Reinvestment Corporation, US Bank, The City of San Diego, The San Diego Housing Commission, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development/Housing and Community Development, Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), The Regional Task Force on the Homeless, and Century Housing.

Read Affirmed Housing's press release.

From the Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency's newsletter:

Since opening on September 6th as a temporary shelter at the Capitol Park Hotel on 9th Street, 110 homeless residents who had been living on the street in Sacramento’s downtown and midtown areas have accepted housing at the shelter and are receiving assistance in finding permanent housing.

The Capitol Park shelter was opened under a pla financed by the City of Sacramento and administered by SHRA to get homeless residents off the street with assistance in finding a permanent place to live. The shelter is operated under a partnership agreement with SHRA, Volunteers of America, Sacramento Steps Forward and The John Stewart Company. Residents who were already living in the 180-unit single room occupancy hotel are receiving assistance from relocation consultants to find other places to live.

The shelter program provides guests with three daily meals and supportive services from medical, substance abuse and mental health providers such as Sacramento Self-Help Housing, Sacramento County Department of Health Services, Elica Health Centers, WellSpace Health, American River College, California State University and Overland Pacific Cutler. The goal is to serve 100-180 guests. Mercy Housing anticipates construction of 134 units of permanent supportive housing to start near the end of next year.

Read SHRA's newsletter.