CLPHA Press Room

From The Oklahoman:

When it comes to addressing homelessness, service providers believe Oklahoma City is at a tipping point.

Housing costs are rising. Serious mental health disorders are a continuing problem. Substance abuse plagues communities. Social services are strapped for funding.

If left unaddressed, these factors bring about long-term crises comparable to the significant housing and homelessness issues in cities like Denver and San Francisco, said Ian Colgan, assistant executive director of the Oklahoma City Housing Authority.

“In those cases, the government wasn’t quick enough to get ahead of those issues,” Colgan said. “But we are in a position where we can still get ahead, which is really unique in American cities.”

And to get ahead, organizations like the housing authority, the Homeless Alliance and Mental Health Oklahoma plan to take a $50 million investment from MAPS 4, leverage over $400 million in outside funding and reshape public housing in Oklahoma City.

Read The Oklahoman's article "Housing Hope: Affordable housing proposal to address homelessness," featuring the Oklahoma City Housing Authority.

From the Toledo Blade:

After a year of drifting leaderless, Toledo-Lucas County Homelessness Board has a new director who has proven herself as a devoted community advocate and is a good fit for the job.

Rachel Gagnon, the former chief operating officer for Sunshine Communities, was named the new executive director for a restructured entity.

Along with hiring Ms. Gagnon, the board has nine new appointed members and a new formal partnership with the Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority, all of which should offer some new stability.

Read the Toledo Blade's article "New help for homeless," featuring the Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority.

From FOX4 News Kansas City:

By the end of the month, Pendleton Arts Block will be filled with tenants. It's Kansas City's newest mixed-income living space.

"This will be a new neighborhood for me. I came from St. Joseph, Mo. Now I'm relocating back here," freelance artist and new tenant Shamari Robbs said.

Although you don't have to be an artist to live here, they've designated some space for creative tenants. It's one of the building's main draws.

"We're calling it a commercial area, but it's really designated for the artists," said Edwin Lowndes, executive director of KC's Housing Authority. "Some are going to be artisan residents that actually have their own apartment here and other artists from the neighborhood."

The development was partly funded by a $30 million grant from Housing and Urban Development to redevelop an old housing project. Kansas City was one of five cities selected to receive the money.

Read FOX4 News Kansas City's article "New mixed-income apartments open in Pendleton Heights with a focus on local artists," featuring the Housing Authority of Kansas City, MO. 

From the Fresno Housing Authority's newsletter:

A letter from our Chief of Staff and Director of Strategic Initiatives & Housing Programs
 
Each year, as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I like to take time to reflect on what we as an organization are truly thankful for—our partners. I know I speak for our entire team when I say we are proud of the work we do, which includes engaging and empowering residents in their neighborhoods by providing stable, quality housing and connections to community resources. This work would not be possible without the support and efforts of our valued community partners. We are fortunate to work with local partners whose services and resources align with our core mission of creating and sustaining vibrant communities throughout Fresno County.
 
Our partnerships allow us to provide all Fresno Housing residents with services and resources that help put them on the path to success. We empower our residents by connecting them to partner-led job training, such as our free solar panel installation courses provided in partnership with GRID Alternatives Central Valley. We also partner with Sherwin-Williams to host a series of paint training courses that provide our residents with the opportunity to obtain an industry certification through a mix of classroom-based instruction and hands-on training. These programs provide the training needed to help position participants for success in the job market.

Read the Fresno Housing Authority's newsletter.

From Fort Worth Housing Solutions' newsletter:

After months of public meetings and planning, Fort Worth Housing Solutions submitted a $35 million HUD Choice Neighborhood Grant application in early November. HUD’s review process is expected to take about six months. If we win the grant, it will jump-start the transformation of Cavile Place and surrounding neighborhood.

Read FWHS's newsletter.