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David Greer
Director of Communications
(202) 550-1381 or dgreer@clpha.org.
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(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
February 27, 2021 |
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(Washington, D.C.) February 27, 2021 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement upon tonight’s passage of the American Rescue Plan Act in the U.S. House of Representatives:
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds the House of Representatives' bipartisan passage of the American Rescue Plan Act, which includes $35 billion in emergency rental and utility assistance and a significant extension of the eviction moratorium.
“This legislation is critical to address the rental crisis facing the nation. The situation has only grown worse since the Biden Administration announced the American Rescue Plan in mid-January. Renters have continued to accrue past-due rent at an alarmingly high rate. While the eviction moratorium has provided important protections for renters financially impacted by the pandemic, the moratorium has meant that millions of renters have accumulated significant arrears. Economists estimate that unpaid rent at the end of January 2021 totals $52 billion, which amounts to $5,600 for the average renter. With the March 31 moratorium on evictions rapidly approaching, additional rent assistance is urgently needed to help renters stay in their homes by addressing back rent. The Senate must act swiftly to provide emergency rental assistance and prevent a wave of evictions that will tragically disrupt the lives of millions of Americans.”
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
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February 2, 2021
(Washington, D.C.) February 2, 2021 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement upon President Biden's signing of an executive order regarding the public charge rule:
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds the Biden administration’s action today to begin unwinding the Trump administration’s patently unlawful Public Charge Rule that included housing assistance receipt against immigrants and their families when applying for an adjustment of residency status. Federal housing assistance exists to keep families together and to lift them up, not to be weaponized to tear them apart. The cruelty of the rule was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as it caused families to opt out of many critical safety net programs, including federal housing assistance.
"CLPHA looks forward to working with the Biden administration to ensure the equitable and compassionate treatment of immigrants and their families when seeking federal housing assistance.”
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
January 28, 2021 |
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(Washington, D.C.) January 28, 2021 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement upon the conclusion of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs’ nomination hearing for The Honorable Marcia L. Fudge, of Ohio, to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: “The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds HUD Secretary-designate Marcia Fudge’s forceful call for expanding emergency rental assistance at her Senate nomination hearing today for individuals who are facing housing instability due to lost income or are experiencing unemployment because of COVID-19, many of whom are people of color. She understands that the $25 billion allocated to emergency rental assistance in the most recent stimulus was not enough and only a down payment.
“Right now, in back rent alone, 10 million low-income renters have accrued an average of $5,600 in rental arrears, which totals $56.3 billion. The current stimulus package will help approximately 3.5 million renters pay back rent by February. The remaining 7 million renters who are unable to pay back rent will face eviction, compounding the strain on our nation’s economy and compromising our nation’s moral responsibility to address racial inequities among our most vulnerable individuals.
CLPHA calls for Congress to immediately pass President Biden’s American Rescue Plan which contains $50 billion in emergency rental assistance, and for the Senate to swiftly confirm Secretary-designate Fudge so that she can begin her imperative work.”
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) and partners cut the ribbon on the Residences at Hayes Street, a 150-unit affordable housing community constructed with help from a $2 million DCHA loan. DCHA will also provide nearly $241,000 annually in rent subsidies to residents.
The Charlotte Housing Authority has opened The Oaks at Cherry, an 81-unit affordable housing community with resident amenities such a playground, cyber café, and fitness center in Charlotte’s historic Cherry neighborhood. You can watch a video about The Oaks at Cherry community here.
Of the complex’s 68 units, 34 are funded by Section 8 project-based vouchers, and 15 of those apartments are set aside for individuals with disabilities. The construction of Key’s Pointe Residences is part of HABC’s massive revitalization plan for Baltimore’s O’Donnell Heights neighborhood.
At the CLPHA Fall Meeting earlier this month, Bruce Katz, former Centennial Scholar at the Brookings Institution and founding Director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program,discussed how housing authorities, cities, and other stakeholders can seize the opportunity of the new Opportunity Zone tax incentives. Below is additional information and resources for CLPHA members on Opportunity Zones, including a CLPHA analysis of public housing developments in Opportunity Zones for members and a policy prospectus from Katz on how to best leverage these new tax incentives.
Background
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 established the new tax incentive, which will
“Allow any taxpayer to defer paying tax on capital gains from the sale of property if those gains are timely invested in Qualified Opportunity Funds, which in turn must invest 90% of its assets in businesses located or property used in a low-income community. If investors invest for ten years, they also pay no capital gains tax on the appreciation on that investment.”
Following the establishment of the tax incentives, U.S. governors designated more than 8,700 “Opportunity Zones” in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico; many overlap with locations where CLPHA members have public housing communities. Opportunity Zone incentives are unique because they rely on individual investment decisions instead of government distributions, can be utilized for all manner of projects (residential, commercial, industrial, or infrastructure), are not contingent upon pre-specified outcomes or metrics for success, and there is no cap to the amount of benefits investors can receive.
Current Status
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has released a notice of proposed rulemaking and notice of a public hearing on Investing in Qualified Opportunity Zones. There are two provisions related to housing in the proposed rule: a working capital safe harbor for the acquisition, construction, and rehabilitation of property for up to 31 months and also a provision stating that the basis attributable to land will not be taken into account when determining whether the building has been substantially improved. According to the rule, excluding the basis of land will help facilitate the repurposing of vacant buildings in Qualified Opportunity Zones.
CLPHA will be reviewing the proposed rule to understand how PHAs can take advantage of Opportunity Zones to further local housing goals. Comments on the notice are due December 28 and the public hearing will be held on January 10, 2019.
Resources for Members
CLPHA Analysis of Members in Opportunity Zones: Using the list of designated Qualified Opportunity Zones and HUD data on public housing buildings, CLPHA performed a comparison analysis to determine which public housing buildings are located in designated Opportunity Zones. We found that 57 CLPHA members had at least one public housing building in a qualified Opportunity Zone. In the attached spreadsheet, you can find a full list of properties, including census tract and geographic data, located in Opportunity Zones, as well as a quick-glance table that lists the housing authority and property development name. Click here to download CLPHA’s Analysis from our Dropbox.
Policy Brief – From Transactions to Transformation: How Cities Can Maximize Opportunities –Bruce Katz and Evan Weiss: This brief details a vision for the potential economic and social outcomes of the Opportunity Zone tax incentives and offers ten steps for cities to leverage local resources in order to take advantage of them. Download the brief from Drexel’s website.
Additional Resources:
Opportunity Fund Directory: The National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) has released this new online resource that provides descriptions and contact information for publicly-announced Opportunity Funds. View the Directory on NCSHA’s website.
Opportunity Zone Explorer: Enterprise Community Partners has created this mapping tool to help those interested in opportunity zones determine which tracts in their regions have been designated and how they related to other federal programs. Use the Opportunity Zone Explorer on the Enterprise website.
The Tacoma Housing Authority (THA) and Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) were recognized for their work in addressing homelessness among community college students and other barriers to higher education in a recent article for Inside Higher Ed. THA’s College Housing Assistance Program began in 2014 in response to rising rents in Tacoma and Pierce Counties. High rates of homelessness among Tacoma Community College students created opportunities for partnership between the College and THA, which now serves 150 students — many of whom have children of their own — who are homeless and near homeless. With the help of a housing voucher and additional financial aid, students are able to continue pursuing their degrees.
CHA is taking a slightly different approach to a similar problem. In working with City Colleges of Chicago through a program known as Partners in Education, the housing authority covers tuition and other fees for residents. Over 600 CHA residents are currently enrolled in Chicago’s community colleges, and while many receive federal and state financial aid, additional assistance from the housing authority ensures continued enrollment. As Moving to Work (MTW) agencies, both THA and CHA are able to engage in postsecondary partnerships as a result of program flexibility.
THA and CHA will further discuss these partnerships with the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, and Louisville Metro Housing Authority at a postsecondary convening co-sponsored by CLPHA, Housing Is, and Kresge next month. CLPHA looks forward to discussing how initiatives like these can be replicated and brought to scale across the country.
From the Charlotte Observer:
Sometime in the early 1970s, John Crawford received an offer he couldn’t refuse.
The Charlotte Housing Authority approached him about a job working with families and children who lived in its dozens of complexes. Crawford, then a school teacher and coach, loved working with children. It was a natural fit and he accepted the offer.
But early in the gig, Crawford saw things he found troubling – prostitution, drug dealing and teens overdosing at some of the properties, making it an unsafe environment, he said.
“I wanted to change that,” he said.
‘I’m gonna get there.’ How a unique scholarship helped 4 Charlotteans get their degrees
His method didn’t surface until 1982 when a college-age resident reached out to him, the youth services director, asking for money to help finish school.
That’s when Crawford realized the need and saw a way to give youth living in public housing more control over their destinies.
It evolved into the Greater Steps Scholars, a scholarship fund which after 40 years has reached a notable milestone – 1,000 students living in public housing who have been awarded scholarships.
Many came from impoverished backgrounds whose families may not otherwise have been able to shoulder the hefty cost of higher education. For some already making a plan for college, this scholarship was a welcomed boost.
It’s the only program of its kind in Charlotte, says Aisha Strothers, the executive director of the $5 million endowment now managed by The Foundation For the Carolinas. The goal is to ultimately get to $10 million.
“The big thing here is the programming that we provide, that assists these children,” said Cecil Burrowes, The Greater Steps Scholars board chairman. “We can give you scholarships, that’s great. That gets you into the school. What happens while you’re in the school?”
The program began as the Charlotte Housing Authority Scholarship Fund, which was among many at the housing authority — renamed Inlivian in 2019 — to support economic mobility for the hundreds of families living in public housing, CEO and president Fulton Meachem told the Charlotte Observer.
Read the Charlotte Obesrver's article "40 years. 1,000 student awards. What’s next for this one-of-a kind Charlotte scholarship?"
From the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority's website:
Last week, residents of Glendale and Minnehaha Townhomes joined MPHA staff in a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) study evaluating the impact of access to childcare and educational services among public housing families. This research may help inform future, more in-depth research on the importance and efficacy of onsite educational services among public housing developments and could encourage funding for such programming at the national level.
The study is evaluating six sites across the United States covering urban and rural communities, various regions, and levels of onsite or co-located childcare and educational services. Of the six sites in the study, two are MPHA public housing developments: Glendale Townhomes (with onsite, free childcare) and the Minnehaha Townhomes (which doesn’t have any educational services onsite).
The study is being conducted by Child Trends and Summit Consulting. Together, the group is interviewing dozens of families with at least one child under 13 years-old about their access to, arrangements for, preferences on, and use of financial support for childcare.
“We want to understand what it’s like for caregivers with children living in public housing communities to find and use childcare This critical support can be hard to obtain, even for families with ample resources due to unreliable transportation, concerns about the cost of care, mismatches between a program’s hours and caregivers’ work or school schedules, as well as the challenge of finding childcare options that they trust or that align with their cultural values,” said Ashley Hirilall, Site Visit Lead at Child Trends. “Our study explores how co-locating childcare services within public housing communities could make it easier for families and children to access these opportunities that aligns with their needs and preferences.”
With a location in the Glendale neighborhood—even sharing a building with MPHA staff offices—Parents in Community Action, Inc.’s (PICA) Head Start program offers low-income families childcare at no cost. This program intends to give low-income kids a “head start,” preparing them for elementary school with early childhood education focusing on cognitive, physical, and social-emotional development. For MPHA, this type of onsite educational service is unique to Glendale. Although a majority of MPHA’s families are housed through scattered-site housing (single family homes located throughout Minneapolis), Glendale has served an estimated 2,000 families over its 70-year history.
The Minnehaha Townhomes, located in the East Nokomis neighborhood, exclusively serve families referred by Hennepin County’s Coordinated Entry program. Compared to the Glendale Townhomes, it is only a fraction of the size, offering 16 units as opposed to Glendale’s 184. Although the Minnehaha Townhomes don’t offer onsite childcare or other educational services, residents do receive case management services through the county and other partners, have an onsite playground, and have access to ample green space.
“This study is vitally important and will give HUD the evidence it needs to shape policies to improve availability of federally supported childcare—policies that are informed by families that live in public housing,” said Sarah Cunningham, Project Director at Summit Consulting. “We are so grateful to the MPHA and PICA teams, and most of all the community members for taking the time to share their experiences, needs, and preferences for childcare, to improve HUD’s understanding and inform policies to advance stability and economic mobility.”
This study could prompt more research on the need for onsite educational services among public housing developments and aid in advocating for funding for programming. For MPHA, this qualitative data will provide a window into the impact of the Glendale area’s services on its residents and inform future partnerships and investments. Child Trends and Summit Consulting hope to have the study wrapped up by early 2025.
The agency is already very familiar with the intertwined nature of housing and childhood education. Knowing that safe and stable housing is the most significant out-of-school factor for predicting student success, MPHA pioneered a partnership with City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), and the YMCA of the North to address homelessness with Stable Homes Stable Schools. This program has helped secure stable housing for more than 1,500 families since its 2019 inception.
From the Seattle Times:
Lexie Lee chose an apartment on the top floor. Hundreds of feet off the ground. Hopeful that it would be high enough to deter someone from breaking in.
Then, finally, she might feel safe.
“Even living on the fifth floor, I feel like Spider-Man is going to come through and open this door sometimes,” she said, motioning to her glass balcony door on a sunny day in May.
Lee, a thin, dark-haired 20-year-old, is learning to feel secure on her own after several attempts at living with foster families and a childhood she said included years of abuse. But thanks to a unique federal housing program for young adults exiting foster care, she’s able to take this journey without fear of the near-threat of becoming homeless, as many former foster youth face.
The Foster Youth to Independence program is offered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help pay rent for young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 who are exiting foster care without a place to live — the situation for almost a quarter of Washington’s foster youth.
HUD officials recently announced a one-time investment of nearly $13 million this year that housing authorities can use to grow their funds for foster youth.
Seattle has been one of the leaders in using this money, which is distributed in the form of vouchers — essentially guaranteeing to a landlord that the government will pay a portion of rent. HUD officials highlighted the region’s success by announcing the investment at an apartment building in Yesler Terrace owned by the Seattle Housing Authority.
Seattle Housing Authority has issued 70 Foster Youth to Independence housing vouchers since its program launched at the beginning of 2022, according to Kerry Coughlin, spokesperson for the authority. Currently, 42 of those vouchers are in use, while 28 are assigned to people looking for places to apply their voucher.
The authority says that it has an additional 93 vouchers left to give out for this population.
“These are folks who have just had the deck stacked against them from the get-go,” said Sarah Birkebak, special purpose voucher programs manager for Seattle Housing Authority.
Read the Seattle Times' article "Seattle Housing Authority program helps foster youth avoid homelessness."
From the Cambridge Housing Authority's website:
CHA’s Resident Services department has taken a pioneering step lately towards digital inclusion with the recent launch of a specialized intergenerational computer training and internet access program for senior residents being served at select CHA properties. Thanks to a generous grant from Google, this initiative has opened doors to a world of digital opportunities for the elderly members of our community.
The program’s success is evident in the enthusiasm shown by residents, leading to the implementation of two consecutive six-week training sessions. Each session comprised 12 workshops facilitated by proficient upper-level Work Force Program youth interns. These interns, equipped with expertise from the Tech Goes Home platform, collaborated closely with the Work Force’s Career Development Specialist, James Pierre (pictured above), and the Service Coordinator at Millers River Apartments, Yaw Adjei-Koranteng. Together, they meticulously crafted modules tailored to the unique needs of senior residents who may have limited experience with computers and the internet.
Previously, a successful cycle of this program ran at Manning Apartments in Central Square, Cambridge.
The trainings were designed to cover the essentials of internet navigation, while also emphasizing the practical applications and security measures crucial for safe online experiences. Recognizing the importance of personalized attention, each cohort was limited to a maximum of 12 seniors. This ensured that every participant received the guidance they needed to thrive in the digital landscape.
Upon completion of the program, each graduate was presented with a new Chromebook, generously provided by Tech Goes Home. These devices serve as gateways to continued learning and connectivity, empowering seniors to stay engaged and connected in today’s digital world.
Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with residents expressing gratitude for the newfound knowledge and confidence gained through the program. Many noted significant improvements in their ability to utilize the internet and the Google suite of programs effectively.
Through initiatives like CHA’s computer literacy program, supported by Google and other partners, we are bridging the digital divide and empowering seniors to embrace technology with confidence. As we celebrate the achievements of our recent graduates, we look forward to continuing our mission of digital inclusion for all members of our community.
From the Housing Authority of Baltimore City's press release:
Today, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) joined with elected officials, McCormack Baron Salazar (MBS), development and community partners, and residents to celebrate the completion of Phase 1 of Perkins Square, formerly known as Perkins Homes, providing 103 new mixed-income housing units.
Perkins Phase 1 is part of the mixed-use, multi-phase redevelopment of the Perkins, Somerset, Oldtown (PSO) Transformation that is made possible with the support of $40 million in Choice Neighborhood Implementation grants awarded to HABC since 2018. The total PSO redevelopment includes one-for-one replacement of the Perkins public housing units interspersed with workforce and market rate units.
The Perkins Square community will encompass 796 of the total 1,651 new mixed-income units being developed across the entire PSO. MBS is the lead development partner for Perkins Square, working in concert with Beatty Development and Cross Street Partners.
“Providing affordable and low-income housing is critical for our communities,” said Janet Abrahams, HABC’s President and CEO. “HABC, along with its partners, has collaboratively demonstrated a commitment to neighborhood revitalization through redevelopments like Perkins Square.”
“We thank Mayor Scott and HABC for the opportunity to support the transformation of Perkins where families and children may thrive,” said Vince Bennett, President, McCormack Baron Salazar. “One of the greatest needs in our cities is high quality affordable housing and through public-private partnerships and leveraging public resources and combined with private debt and equity, the choice neighborhoods program can help achieve great outcomes and support community resiliency.”
The community includes a mix of replacement public housing, additional affordable housing, and market-rate rental housing. Phase 1 has accessibility and vision/hearing-impaired units within a range of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments. Amenities and features include internet access, community kitchen, in-unit washer and dryer, on-site leasing center and supportive services office, computer lab, a fitness center, underground parking, and a playground.
As part of the ribbon-cutting celebration, HABC, MBS, and partners hosted a block party to welcome back Perkins Square residents. The festivities included guided tours of common areas and staged units, food trucks, music, games for all ages, and vending tables for community partners and local businesses to provide information and resources. Participants included state and local officials, development team partners and representatives from the Perkins Tenant Council, City Springs School and residents.
Phase 1 is one of nine phases for Perkins Square. On its heels, will be the completion of Perkins Phase 2, set for delivery in Fall 2024. That phase will feature 156 mixed-income rental units, with 76 set aside for legacy Perkins residents.
Originally built in 1942, Perkins Homes had outlived its useful life such that its complete demolition was necessary. Construction for Phase 1 of Perkins Square began August 2022, led by Commercial Construction, a local minority led firm.
Kevin Johnson, CEO of Commercial Construction, said "This project has been a beacon of opportunity, putting Baltimoreans to work and opening doors for numerous MWBE firms. We are proud that our team prioritized local minority partnerships, reflecting our commitment to community and economic empowerment. The quality of construction goes beyond physical structures—it respects and uplifts the dignity of every resident, setting a new standard for what affordable housing should represent.”
The project, designed by Hord Coplan Macht, has received the 2022 American Institute of Architects Chesapeake Bay Chapter Honor Award, the 2022 American Institute of Architects Maryland Chapter Unbuilt Award, and the Maryland Building Industry Association Award for exceptional affordable housing design.
Visit the PSO Transformation page for more information about the entire project.