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.
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David Greer
Director of Communications
(202) 550-1381 or [email protected].
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From the Housing Authority of Baltimore City's press release:
The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) and Coppin State University (CSU) today launched the Student Housing Initiative, a first-of-its-kind program in Maryland to provide low-income college students with vouchers to live in tenant-based housing.
The Student Housing Initiative will provide 10 time-limited vouchers to students who will be identified by CSU and must meet eligibility requirements, including:
- graduate from a Baltimore City high school,
- qualify as an independent student using HUD’s independent student criteria,
- matriculate in a four- or five-year college program located within HABC’s jurisdiction,
- full-time student enrollment, and
- maintain a at least a 2.5 GPA
The initiative will be an investment by HABC valued at about $600,000 over four years.
“We know housing can be a major barrier preventing low-income students from earning a college degree,” said Janet Abrahams, HABC’s President and CEO. “Our partnership with Coppin State University has created a unique initiative to break down this barrier and provide students with resources that they might not otherwise realize.”
Abrahams continued, “We need to be creative and thoughtful about how we tackle the affordable housing crisis in Baltimore and across the country. This is one of many resources and programs we have in place, helping to tackle a national crisis.”
Participating students will pay the highest of 10 percent of gross monthly income, 30 percent of adjusted monthly income or a $25 minimum rent and will have recertifications completed on a biennial basis during their participation in the program. The voucher will be provided for up to five years for eligible, matriculated, full-time students in an accredited five-year college program. Students enrolled in four-year community colleges within HABC’s jurisdiction are also eligible under this program.
Participants must continue to remain enrolled full-time and maintain the required GPA to be eligible for subsidy renewal each year. Each student will be required to utilize academic support services and counseling services available at the college, which HABC will make available as part of the initiative.
“We are pleased to partner with HABC to initiate this important housing program,” said Coppin State University President Anthony L. Jenkins. “As a leader in urban higher education, we pride ourselves on being an institution that is in tune with our students’ needs and we are committed to providing holistic support mechanisms to address these needs and ensure their success. This program affords us yet another opportunity to address a student challenge — housing insecurity.”
The subsidy will be limited to housing assistance, in the form of rent in privately owned housing and will be paid directly to the housing provider. The subsidy may also cover security deposit assistance up to one month’s subsidy. HABC will conduct the HQS inspections and conduct reasonable rent determinations prior to unit approval.
In addition, HABC will provide utility allowances to students where the cost of utilities is not included in the rent.
“We look forward to a thriving initiative, the success of the participating students, and our ongoing partnership with CSU,” said Abrahams.
December 5 | 2:00 p.m. ET
Join CLPHA's Housing Is Initiative and the National Center for Health in Public Housing (NCHPH) for a webinar on how improving health care access for people with disabilities!
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 1 in 4 adults in the United States have some type of disability, and 1 in 5 of them did not have a routine check-up in the last year. Disability inclusion allows for people with disabilities to take advantage of the benefits of the same health promotion and prevention activities experienced by people who do not have a disability. Challenges to community integration for people with disabilities also need to be addressed through innovative integrated care programs in the community. Public Housing Authorities serve a concentrated number of individuals with disabilities among their residents, with 38% of public housing households and 46% of voucher households include an individual with a disability and so are uniquely poised to assist in facilitating health care access for people with disabilities. This webinar will explore health centers’ and public housing authorities' initiatives to improve access to primary care and address social determinants of health affecting people with disabilities. We are pleased that Wilson Kimball, President and CEO of the Municipal Housing Authority of City of Yonkers, a CLPHA member, will present on this webinar!
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the social and health needs of people with disabilities
2. Identify strategies to improve access to care for people with disabilities
3. Recognize programs addressing social determinants of health affecting people with disabilities
Panelists:
- Maranda Figueroa, Chief Development Officer, A New Leaf
- Ms. Wilson Kimball, President and CEO, Municipal Housing Authority of the City of Yonkers
- Michelle Garcia, Alivio Health Centers
- Jose Leon, MD, Chief Medical Officer, National Center for Health in Public Housing (NCHPH)
Last month, over one hundred CLPHA members gathered in Washington, D.C. for CLPHA’s Fall 2023 Membership Meeting. The main focus of the conference was CLPHA’s 10-year Roadmap for Public Housing Sustainability. CLPHA is calling for this roadmap to marshal the necessary political support, policies, resources, and services to recapitalize the portfolio by leveraging public and private investments through preservation, redevelopment, mixed-use transformations, transfer of assistance, and other innovative strategies. This investment will also bring climate resilience, energy efficiency, resident health improvements, and better service connections to our country’s most disadvantaged families.
The conference kicked off with an all-star roundtable of housing experts discussing how CLPHA and our industry partners can develop and implement this 10-year roadmap. U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY), HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman, Former NYCHA Chair & CEO Greg Russ, CLPHA General Counsel Steve Holmquist, and CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman shared their thoughts on what strategies we need to employ to meet the public housing portfolio’s capital needs backlog of over $100 million. Key elements that must be included in the roadmap that surfaced during their panel included new financing mechanisms, illustrative data, new legislative fixes, and changes in regulatory structure. You’ll be able to hear the panelists’ full conversation during a future episode of CLPHA’s To The Point Podcast – subscribe to To The Point here so you’ll be notified when that episode drops soon!
From left: La Shelle Dozier, CLPHA Board Vice President and Executive Director, Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency; Steve Holmquist, CLPHA General Counsel, Reno & Cavanaugh PLLC; Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY); Greg Russ, Principal, Pine Street Partners and Former Chair & CEO, New York City Housing Authority; Adrianne Todman, HUD Deputy Secretary; Sunia Zaterman, Executive Director, CLPHA; Jeffery K. Patterson, CLPHA Board President and CEO, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority
Later in the afternoon, two panels dove deeper into how the 10-year roadmap can and must invest in climate resiliency and community behavioral health services, respectively. Alongside moderator Greg Russ, Vlada Kenniff, president of New York City’s Public Housing Preservation Trust, Joel Wool, deputy administrator for sustainability and capital transformation at the Boston Housing Authority, and Alejandro Sagrado-Colón, administrator of the Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration, discussed how their PHAs are creatively utilizing available funding streams and regulations to weatherize the public housing portfolio and prepare for the impacts of the changing climate. The panelists also advised on how to shape the 10-year roadmap so that PHAs can better access the tools and resources they need to protect their portfolios from the effects of climate change.
During our panel on the 10-year roadmap and community behavioral health, Jane King, PsyD, LP, senior consultant at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, educated attendees on addressing community mental health needs from different approaches, including mental health first aid staff training, stress management programs and community partnerships, and the expansion of certified community behavioral health clinics. Doug Guthrie, president & CEO at the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, and Karen DuBois-Walton, PhD, president of Elm City Communities, discussed their PHAs’ programming that addresses residents’ behavioral health needs while also providing their insights on how the 10-year roadmap could facilitate this work.
Audio from both the climate resiliency and community behavioral health panels will also be available via CLPHA’s To The Point podcast, so stay tuned!
CLPHA was also honored to have U.S. Representative Adam Smith (D-WA) join us to give remarks. Rep. Smith discussed his recently reintroduced the Expanding Services Coordinators Act, which CLPHA strongly supports. The bill acknowledges the critical role that service coordinators play in the lives of individuals and families living in federally subsidized housing. If enacted, the bill would make necessary reforms and increase funding for our nation’s service coordinator workforce. He also stressed the importance of building more housing to address our nation’s housing supply shortage and expanding PHA residents’ access to supportive services in order to help them address mental and behavioral health challenges and set them up for future success.
From left: Patterson; Dozier; Zaterman; Representative Adam Smith (D-WA); Lisa Wolters, Director of Intergovernmental Relations, Seattle Housing Authority; Gerard Holder, Legislative Director, CLPHA
During Thursday morning’s sessions we had a powerful, extended Ripples of Hope session where our members shared their local success stories, and we heard touching remarks from retiring members including Jon Gutzmann of the St. Paul Public Housing Agency, Denise Wise of the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura, and Sue Cohen of the Cambridge Housing Authority. We also welcomed new CLPHA member executive directors and celebrated Tacoma Housing Authority Executive Director April Black’s election to CLPHA’s board. Later in the conference we were also pleased to hear a presentation from Mary-Margaret Lemons, president of Fort Worth Housing Solutions, on the progress of Stop Six, FWHS’s Choice Neighborhoods project.
Our Friday sessions were jam-packed with presentations from senior HUD officials on the usual alphabet soup of topics important to PHAs, including NSPIRE, HIP, RAD and post-RAD issues, HOTMA, TARs, SAFMRs, and more. As always, our members appreciated the ability to chat face-to-face with staff from HUD headquarters and ask questions about the programs and policies that matter most to them.
CLPHA thanks our attendees, guest speakers, and sponsors CVR Associates, Bronner Group, Nan McKay & Associates, Yardi, and Du Associates for helping to make our fall meeting a success! We look forward to seeing everyone at our Spring 2024 Meeting, to be held March 21-22 in Washington, D.C.
From the Denver Housing Authority's press release:
The Denver Housing Authority (DHA), Denver City Council President Jamie Torres and other strategic partners broke ground today on Phase 3 of the Sun Valley neighborhood.
“We’re proud to celebrate the transformational revitalization underway in Sun Valley, providing housing stability and economic opportunity for current and future generations,” Mayor Mike Johnston said. “All Denverites deserve to live in the city they serve with attainable, affordable housing, and this game-changing effort is delivering the type of innovative, mixed-income community where everyone can thrive.”
“This is the final phase of our plan in revitalizing Sun Valley, a geographically central Denver neighborhood that was once home to some of the city’s most vulnerable residents,” Joshua Crawley, interim chief executive officer added. “DHA has completed Phase 1 and 2, and with Phase 3 we will have leveraged a $30M Choice Neighborhoods Implementation grant, awarded by HUD in 2016, into over $375M of new development replacing 333 obsolete Sun Valley homes with 759 residential units across six multifamily structures serving residents earning between 20%-100% of the area median income (AMI).”
The redevelopment will include Joli, Sol and Flo. Joli and Sol are mixed-income communities, where the Joli property will also host The Food Incubator project which is designed to provide education to residents of the community who are interested in exploring entrepreneurial career paths. Flo will be the last in this phase to begin construction and is a 12-story high rise; catering to the neighborhood’s 62+ and non-senior disabled population, completing the Choice Neighborhoods community.
Joli will offer 80 affordable units made up of 30 one-bedroom units, 27 two-bedroom units, 11 three-bedroom units, 10 four-bedroom units, and two five-bedroom units. The Sol development will include 132 affordable units, 19 one-bedroom units, 68 two-bedroom units, 25 three-bedroom units, and 20 four-bedroom units. And the Flo development will feature 212 affordable units for Seniors (age 62+) and disabled (18+) individuals that include 202 one-bedroom and 10 two-bedroom units.
Other planned projects for the neighborhood focus on Sun Valley’s unique challenges and celebrate its international culture which boasts residents speaking more than 35 different languages. These initiatives include a Community Grow Garden, a partnership between DHA and Denver Botanic Gardens to bring fresh produce directly to the community, and a Riverfront Park that will encourage recreational activities in a community space open to all.
The Riverfront Park project is being developed by DHA through an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) with the City and County of Denver and supports the vision to revitalize and energize the South Platte River.
Strategic partners helping to redevelop the Sun Valley neighborhood include general contractor Shaw Builders and OZ Architecture building Joli, general contractor I-Kota and Studio 646 Architecture building Sol, and general contractor Shaw Builders and OZ Architecture building Flo. The 13th Avenue Realignment Infrastructure and the Sun Valley Redevelopment Infrastructure team includes general contractor Pinkard Construction along with architect Matrix Design Group.
From Tracey Scott's op-ed in the Chicago Tribune:
Amid unprecedented congressional uncertainty and unfinished business regarding a 2024 budget, federal support for affordable housing is urgently needed in Chicago.
While the House narrowly avoided shutting down the federal government last month, members of Congress have yet to seriously address the critical shortage of affordable housing and rapidly rising rental rates in Chicago and other urban areas. Even in less polarized times, the federal housing dollars that support the lowest-income Chicagoans have not been adequate to ensure everyone has a roof over their heads. What’s concerning is that it’s been widely reported that spending limitations may be in place and that housing funding for rental subsidies, public housing and affordable development tools will take a hit when Congress does get around to passing a budget.
It is no secret that Chicago is facing an affordable housing crisis. The Chicago Department of Housing estimates that the city needs about 120,000 more affordable housing units. Multiple indicators point to a continued rise in rental rates while other financial stressors such as price surges in everyday necessities mean families must stretch their dollars even further. Additionally, the ongoing migrant crisis has increased focus on the city’s lack of affordable housing stock.
Here at the Chicago Housing Authority, more than 200,000 families have already applied for housing on the combined waitlists. CHA is the nation’s third-largest public housing authority, currently serving more than 63,000 households. In fact, 1 in every 20 Chicagoans live in a CHA-subsidized home. About 98% of CHA’s budget comes from federal funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The truth is that public housing authorities around the nation, including CHA, already do not receive enough federal funding to meet the demand for affordable housing, even as the need for it continues to grow. The proposed cuts also come as inflation has led to increased construction costs that are presenting staggering challenges to affordable housing developers’ plans to build more affordable apartments. CHA and others are leveraging federal dollars along with all available tools to preserve existing public housing while also delivering more affordable units. Reduced federal housing funding would leave even more low-income families without stable homes and hamper ongoing development plans.