CLPHA Press Room

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.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Jenny Werwa
Director of Communications
202-638-1300 X 120
jwerwa@clpha.org

*Please let us know if you are working on deadline.

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Press Releases

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News

11.29.18

CLPHA Members Discuss Potential Impacts of Proposed Public Charge Rule

On November 19, CLPHA hosted a member call to receive feedback regarding comments on the Department of Homeland Security’s proposed rule, “Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds.” “Public Charge” is a term used by U.S. immigration officials to refer to an individual who is “primarily dependent on the government for subsistence.” An immigrant who is found to be “likely . . . to become a public charge” may be denied admission to the U.S. or lawful permanent resident status.

The current public charge definition only considers cash assistance and long-term institutionalized care, while the new rule proposes expanding the list of benefits considered under this definition to include, among others, public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, and Project-Based Rental Assistance. During the call, CLPHA members expressed concern about the proposal’s lack of clarity, the potential for additional burdens required of PHAs, and the overall chilling effect that the rule could have among residents and their families, as well as their decision to maintain housing assistance.

CLPHA will be submitting comments to the proposed rule, which are due on December 10, 2018.

11.29.18

CLPHA Executive Director Participates in Axios Expert Roundtable

CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman emphasized the central role of affordable housing to community development and discussed the importance of cross-sector collaborations to improve life outcomes during the Axios Hometown Tour breakfast in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. Zaterman participated in the invitation-only roundtable discussion with 24 local leaders from D.C.'s top foundations, non-profits, and think tanks who shared thoughts and ideas on how to solve some of the city's biggest challenges. The event, which was co-moderated by Axios Editor-in-Chief Nick Johnston and Managing Editor Kim Hart, was recapped in Axios with a quote from Zaterman:

"One promising practice we have found is cross-sector data sharing as a starting point for building partnerships, problem solving, and identifying shared goals." D.C.'s problems are interconnected and data sharing can help build a coalition for smarter, more efficient problem solving.

Additional Axios coverage of the roundtable focused on the impact that Amazon's new D.C.-area headquarters could have on the already expensive housing market in the region. Regarding the best approach to the affordability crisis, Zaterman said, "If it's not a community-wide and business responsibility, then it's no one's responsibility."

11.27.18

Comments to HUD Re: Docket No. FR–5994–N–04: Operations Notice for the Expansion of the Moving To Work Demonstration Program; Republication and Extension of Comment Period

On October 11, HUD released the latest version of the MTW Operations Notice for the Expansion of the Moving to Work (MTW) Demonstration Program for public comment. The Operations Notice establishes the requirements for the implementation and continued operation of the expansion of the MTW demonstration, following its authorization in the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act.

CLPHA commented on HUD's earlier version of the Operations Notice in 2017. The new Notice does respond to some of our prior comments by including: the removal of the 90 percent voucher utilization requirement, the clarification that agencies can be eligible if they are high performing under PHAS or SEMAP, and the removal of the 2028 sunset date under the terms of participation. However, we have additional concerns that are articulated here in our final comments.

If you have any questions about our comments, the Operations Notice, or MTW expansion, please contact CLPHA Research & Policy Analyst Nicole Barrett, nbarrett@clpha.org, or 202-638-1300 ext. 112.

11.16.18

REMINDER: CLPHA Conference Call on Proposed Public Charge Rule

Date: Monday, November 19, 2018

Time: 4:00pm ET

Call-in Number: (866) 398-2885

Passcode: 308299

RSVP: Click this link to RSVP for the call.

On October 10, 2018, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice of proposed rulemaking titled “Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds” (83 FR 51114) (the “Notice”). The Notice proposes to expand the basis upon which a non-citizen seeking adjustments to their residency or visa status are likely to become a “public charge.”

Currently, a “public charge” is defined as an individual who is “primarily dependent on the government for subsistence,” as demonstrated by the individual’s receipt of certain public cash assistance or long-term institutionalized care at the government’s expense. The Notice proposes to expand the list of benefits considered in the public charge analysis to include, among other things, public housing, Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, and Section 8 Project Based Rental Assistance. In other words, receiving federal housing assistance could negatively impact a non-citizen program participant’s visa status. View the National Housing Law Project's (NHLP) Proposed Public Charge Rule 'Technical' Fact Sheet.

Comments to the proposed rule are due December 10, 2018.

CLPHA plans to submit comments to the Notice and seeks feedback from members regarding the comments. A member call is scheduled for Monday, November 19 at 4:00pm ET.

CLPHA's conference call will address the following:

1. General thoughts/reactions to the proposed rule

2. Should CLPHA's comments call for rescission of the proposed rule?

3. Should CLPHA's comments call for clarification regarding its impact on housing providers?

4. Examples of any impact the rule has already had on PHAs and the communities they serve

5. Examples of the administrative burden the proposed rule would add to PHAs

11.16.18

HUD Publishes Final Notice of FSS Measurement System, With One-Year Advisory Period

In yesterday’s Federal Register, HUD published a final notice of its new performance measurement system for the Family Self-Sufficiency Program. The system, which CLPHA and industry colleagues opposed, will be implemented on December 17, 2018, in an advisory manner for the first year, before being used in the determination of FSS funding awards.

As we argued in a joint letter to HUD, the measurement criteria inappropriately evaluate PHAs’ FSS programs primarily on the increases in income that FSS participants achieve, rather than other equally important established program objectives.

CLPHA requested the one-year advisory period as an interim measure in an industry meeting with HUD to give PHAs the opportunity to adjust to this change. We will continue our opposition to the measurement system throughout the one-year advisory period.

Further, we believe that HUD should refrain from making any additional changes to the FSS program until we can carefully review the results of HUD’s commissioned national evaluation of the effectiveness of FSS programs in a diverse set of cities and local contexts.

The final notice is published in the Federal Register.

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Members Making News

1.10.19

Cleveland Foundation Partners with Cuyahoga MHA to Bridge the Digital Divide

The Cleveland Foundation will partnerwith the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) and CHN Housing Partners to help bridge the digital divide for CMHA residents. The Foundation will provide marketing, education, advocacy, and awareness of its digital inclusion initiative to CMHA. According to the Foundation, 50 percent of CMHA residents live in “digital equity high-need areas.”

1.10.19

CHA's Fannie Emanuel Apartments Featured in Architect Magazine

Architect magazine ran an in-depth feature on the Chicago Housing Authority’s Fannie Emanuel Apartments, a 180-unit apartment building for low-income seniors that reopened in 2017 after a top-to-bottom renovation. The article praises Fannie Emanuel Apartments, noting that the community “represents public housing at its best: a site-specific intervention with coordinated leadership and an appropriately funded, outwardly focused design approach.”

1.10.19

Chester Housing Authority Hosts Holiday Party for Children

The Chester Housing Authority hosted a holiday party for 40 low-income children last month. The party, held in a community center decorated to look like the North Pole, featured lunch, a candy station, and the opportunity to meet Santa.

1.10.19

Boston Mayor, BHA officials attend groundbreaking of Caritas Communities

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, Boston Housing Authority officials, and other stakeholders joined Caritas Communities to break ground on 46 affordable housing units for low-income seniors. BHA donated the land for the new senior community to Caritas Communities.

1.10.19

Citizens Banks' Community Development Group Provides Construction Financing to BHA's Orient Heights Project

Citizens Bank’s Community Development Group announced that it has provided $26 million in construction financing to help with the second phase of the Boston Housing Authority’s (BHA) Orient Heights redevelopment project. Phase II of the project broke ground in November 2018.

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