CLPHA Press Room

The Cambridge Housing Authority has over 21,000 discrete applicants on its various wait lists. In order to humanize this dismaying number, CHA has created a publication called “Stories of the Can’t Wait List,” a collection of powerful narratives from real people experiencing hardships and dwindling hopes from years spent on CHA wait lists to secure a home in one of the most in-demand and expensive real estate markets in the country.

Of this publication, CHA writes, “It is easy to throw out numbers and data points when talking about the dire need for affordable housing both nationally and locally. We hope this publication can put a face and voice to those numbers. We urge you to consider their stories when thinking about affordable housing in Cambridge and the United States.” 

Read the Publication

CLPHA is pleased to announce four new public housing authority members:

• Indianapolis Housing Agency (John Hall, executive director)
• Memphis Housing Authority (Marcia Lewis, executive director)
• Housing Authority of New Orleans (Evette Hester, executive director)
• Housing Authority of Prince Georges County, MD (Nathan Simms, executive director) 

IHA, MHA, and HANO are joining CLPHA as part of Community Catalyst, UnitedHealthcare and CLPHA’s community-based initiative that convenes a broad range of community stakeholders to identify and address specific health care needs of members of the community and residents of publicly assisted housing who are often difficult to reach and serve. These three agencies are part of the initiative’s second cohort, which formally brings together local partners to develop a collaborative community plan to address needs and track progress and outcomes by blending clinical data with firsthand information from community members.

CLPHA welcomes these four PHAs to our community!  

From HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research:

The 9th East Lofts at Bennion Plaza is a mixed-income, mixed-use development that opened in 2017 in the East Central neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah. Located just around the corner from the 900 East station of the Utah Transit Authority’s TRAX light rail system, the 68-unit, transit-oriented development features bicycle storage as well as electric vehicle charging stations in its 17-space garage to further promote environmentally friendly travel. The ground floor of the six-story building contains three retail storefronts facing Bennion Plaza, a public open space raised above street level to accommodate the underground utilities beneath the approximately half-acre site. In recognition of the 9th East Lofts’ vibrant and desirable design, the Housing Authority of Salt Lake City (HASLC) was honored with a 2019 Award of Excellence in Project Design by the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials.

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The 9th East Lofts apartments are a mix of 57 one-bedroom and 11 two-bedroom units, each with a balcony. Fifty-four units are affordable to tenants earning between 25 and 50 percent of the area median income, and the remaining 14 are rented at market rate. Of the affordable units, 22 are reserved for special populations: 9 for individuals with physical disabilities, 4 for survivors of domestic violence, 4 for veterans, and 5 for individuals transitioning out of homelessness. “The 9th East Lofts are very welcoming,” says Vicci Jenkins, deputy director of property management at HASLC. “We have young professionals, doctors, veterans — it’s accessible to people of all walks of life.”

Read HUD PD&R’s case study “Salt Lake City, Utah: The 9th East Lofts at Bennion Plaza Provides Affordable Housing in a Transit-Oriented Development,” featuring the Housing Authority of Salt Lake City. 

From the Milwaukee Independent:

The Alexander Company celebrated the grand opening and dedication of six buildings on May 27 at the Milwaukee Soldiers Home campus, a monumental milestone marking the completion of a complex, decade-long preservation and rehabilitation project achieved through the collaboration of organizations nationwide.

Opened to veterans in March 2021, the six restored buildings now offer 101 permanent supportive housing units for veterans and their families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Veteran residents receive access to a range of supportive services, including case management, educational training and employment assistance, benefits assistance, recreational activities, independent living skills training, sobriety maintenance and nutritional support.

“Over the years, there have been naysayers who said this would never be done. But we knew we could do it,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “I honestly cannot think of a more extraordinary and meaningful historic preservation project in this community in the last generation.”

Organizations across the country, as well as locally, joined together to make this complex historic project a reality. Significant grassroots support from preservationists, historians, veterans, elected officials and business leaders aided in identifying a vision for the future use of the District’s vacant buildings.

“This incredible preservation success demonstrates the benefits of historic restoration and what can be achieved through a successful public-private partnership,” said Joe Alexander, President of the Alexander Company. “It serves as proof that strategic partnerships, visionary leadership and creative funding cannot just save buildings, but tackle homelessness, ignite a community and serve as a national model.”

The Alexander Company and the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) brought together their expertise in historic preservation and adaptive re-use, commitment to providing high-quality, affordable housing.

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“This project shows it takes a village to raise a village,” said Tony Pérez, Secretary-Executive Director of HACM. “The intentionality of the VA, the commitment of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and combined 90 years of real estate and property experience to lead the restoration project. and Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), Mayor Barrett’s support and the involvement of investors, philanthropic-minded corporations and individuals are what made the preservation of Soldiers Home possible.”

Read the Milwaukee Independent’s article “Restoration of a National Treasure: Grand Opening of Soldiers Home Returns Site to the Service of Veterans,” featuring the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee.

You can also read CLPHA’s previous coverage of the Milwaukee Soldiers Home project here.