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:
David Greer
Director of Communications
During the COVID-19 quarantine, David can be reached at (202) 550-1381 or dgreer@clpha.org.
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(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 |
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(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
January 15, 2021 |
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(Washington, D.C.) January 15, 2021 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement on President-elect Biden’s American Rescue Plan:
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds President-elect Biden’s American Rescue Plan for including $35 billion in emergency rental and utility assistance and a significant extension of the eviction moratorium.
“The Biden-Harris proposal underscores the magnitude of the rental crisis facing the nation, and, when combined with the $25 billion in rental assistance from the December stimulus, finally begins to address the threat of housing instability that millions of low-income Americans are facing. To date, 11.4 million renters have accrued an average of $6,000 in back rent, totaling $70 billion in unpaid rent. President-elect Biden said last night that every day matters when keeping a roof over one’s head. The most effective model to deliver rental assistance immediately is the Housing Choice Voucher program. Its efficiency is proven, the infrastructure is in place, and it can rapidly expand to deliver the significant amount of relief proposed in the American Rescue Plan.
“CLPHA is committed to working with Congress and the Biden-Harris administration to ensure its swift passage so that Americans facing the threat of eviction don’t have to wait another day longer.”
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
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January 6, 2021
(Washington, D.C.) January 6, 2021 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement on the results of yesterday’s special election in Georgia:
“CLPHA congratulates Raphael Warnock on his historic victory and Jon Ossoff’s election to the United States Senate, thus securing a Democratic Senate majority. The incoming Biden-Harris administration and HUD Secretary-designate Marcia Fudge now have expanded, once-in-a-generation opportunities to improve the lives of low-income Americans who have been especially harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first course of action is for Congress to pass a new stimulus relief bill with $50 billion in emergency rental assistance that addresses housing insecurity and homelessness. These historic wins also provide momentum to permanently expand the Housing Choice Voucher program and recapitalize the public housing portfolio, both of which are concrete steps to eradicating poverty and dismantling systemic racism. CLPHA looks forward to working with the Biden-Harris administration and the 117th Congress to make these legislative goals happen.”
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities is a national non-profit organization that works to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis and public education. CLPHA’s 70 members represent virtually every major metropolitan area in the country. Together they manage 40 percent of the nation’s public housing program; administer more than a quarter of the Housing Choice Voucher program; and operate a wide array of other housing programs. Learn more at clpha.org and on Twitter @CLPHA .
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative
The Housing Is Initiative, led by the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, helps build a future where sectors work together to improve life outcomes. Housing stability is a critical first step to improve life outcomes for low-income children, families, and seniors; CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative is based on the premise that sectors can better meet needs when they work together. Housing Is establishes, broadens, and deepens efforts to align affordable housing, education, and health systems to produce positive, long-term results. Learn more at housingis.org and on Twitter @housing_is.
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 Seattle Housing Authority's press release:
The Seattle Housing Authority has completed and started leasing Hinoki, its fifth new residential building at Yesler, a neighborhood near downtown Seattle that is being redeveloped by SHA into a vibrant, new mixed-income community. Hinoki is located at E Yesler Way and 10th Ave S.
Hinoki features 136 units of housing affordable to people with low incomes. Its sustainable design includes rain gardens around the perimeter of the building to filter rainwater back into the ground instead of the storm sewer, photovoltaic panels to provide solar power to the building and energy saving appliances and ventilation systems. Residents will have access to a large central courtyard and playground, gardening plots, underground parking and bike storage. Some of the apartments at Hinoki are specifically designed for residents with hearing or visual impairment and others are “Breathe Easy” units designed for people with asthma and other respiratory health concerns. Three units can be licensed as in-home daycare businesses.
With the completion of Hinoki, SHA is well over halfway toward replacing the 561 Yesler Terrace public housing units previously on the site with new apartments for extremely low-income residents. In addition to replacing all of the older units, more than 1,100 additional affordable homes are being built, along with more than 2,500 market-rate rental apartments developed by private development partners.
Yesler Terrace was the city’s first public housing, built in 1940 by the then newly established Seattle Housing Authority. The redevelopment of Yesler Terrace began in 2013 after SHA, with the help of a Citizens Review Committee comprised of Yesler residents, surrounding neighbors, city officials, nonprofit service partners and citizens at large, shaped a plan for replacing Yesler Terrace’s aging housing and deteriorated infrastructure with a new community for Yesler residents and people across a spectrum of income levels.
From CBS Chicago:
The Chicago Housing Authority Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved funding for new affordable housing at the Encuentro Square development now under construction in Logan Square.
The housing advocacy group LUCHA and the Evergreen Real Estate Group joined together to develop the all-affordable mixed-use development at 3745 W. Cortland St., at the western end of The 606 trail.
The site was previously occupied by the Magid Glove and Safety factory.
The CHA will provide 55 project-based vouchers for the development, which will protect housing stability in Logan Square for 20 years.
"At CHA, are working with our partners to invest in environments that catalyze families' growth, health and economic independence," CHA Chief Executive Officer Tracey Scott said in a news release. "In the case of Encuentro Square, CHA's investment means that families who need housing can remain in Logan Square, an area where rents are rising quickly, for years to come."
Read CBS Chicago's article "Chicago Housing Authority approves funding for new affordable Encuentro Square development."
From the Ventura County Star:
"Homeless individuals and previously homeless families will be prioritized as tenants of an affordable housing project set to open at Ventura's Westview Village.
The project is located in west Ventura between Olive and Riverside streets along Barnett, Warner, Flint and Vince streets. Of the 320 affordable units, 20 will be set aside for previously homeless families and five for homeless individuals.
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With the former residents accounted for, the project provides enough room to accommodate homeless families and individuals, which wasn't part of the plan when the project was first approved.
The Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura determined there was a need to fill in the community. The authority co-developed the complex with San Francisco-based nonprofit developer BRIDGE Housing Corp. The authority is the property manager and service coordinator for the complex.
"It's so clear that it's important to provide shelter for homeless, and it's great we have a shelter in Ventura, but then, where do people go?" Flock said. "That's really the way to address homelessness is to provide housing for people.""
Read the Ventura County Star's article "Homeless families, individuals given priority as tenants of affordable Ventura apartments," featuring the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura.
From NorthJersey.com:
"Dionna Perez of Paterson said her family’s new home at the rebuilt Riverside Terrace townhouses is so peaceful it feels like they are living out of town.
“It’s way better than how it was,” Perez said, recalling the notorious Fifth Avenue housing project that was demolished 30 months ago. “It’s like a little community now. It’s beautiful.”
The Perez family is one of about 120 who already have moved into the complex, and Paterson Housing Authority officials said they expect the rest of the 246 homes to be occupied by the fall. Perez’s praise was echoed by 10 other residents of the townhouses interviewed recently.
"It's quiet. It's safe for the kids to play. And my neighbors are friendly,” said Nakiya Robinson.
Before demolition, Riverside Terrace had degenerated into a place where shootings and open-air drug dealing took place. City officials say the redevelopment will transform Riverside in much the same way that rebuilding the Alabama Avenue projects did for that neighborhood a decade ago.
Construction is mostly finished on the 165 townhouses and 80-unit senior citizen apartment building, said Irma Gorham, the executive director of the Paterson Housing Authority. Work is still being done on the community center, she said."
Read NorthJersey.com's article "Paterson creates ‘a real community’ at rebuilt Riverside Terrace complex," featuring the Paterson Housing Authority.
Congratulations to the six CLPHA members who received 2022 All-America City (AAC) Awards!
This year, the AAC Award, given by The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR) and the National Civic League (NCL), recognizes communities that are committed to improving the prospects for early school success and equitable learning recovery for the hundreds of thousands of children whose families are served by the nation’s public housing agencies and affordable housing organizations. CLPHA is proud that our longstanding partnership with CGLR helped to make housing and housing authorities a focus for this year's awards.
CGLR and NCL recently announced the awards at a virtual ceremony during GLR Week 2022, CGLR’s annual conference. Of the ten winning communities across the nation, six communities’ awards involved CLPHA member housing authorities:
- Barberton, OH (Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority)
- Los Angeles, CA (Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles)
- Louisville, KY (Louisville Metro Housing Authority)
- New Haven, CT (Elm City Communities)
- Sacramento, CA (Sacramento Redevelopment & Housing Agency)
- San Antonio, TX (San Antonio Housing Authority)
Community presentations included pre-recorded videos, virtual skits, and heartfelt stories to bring their projects and communities to life. Community efforts highlighted by the finalists emphasized work around one or more of the following areas of focus:
- Digital equity
- Relational supports
- Afterschool, summer and out-of-school learning opportunities
- Transforming non-school places and spaces into learning-rich environments
- Promoting school readiness, regular attendance and summer learning
- Parents succeeding as essential partners in assuring the healthy development and early school success of their children
- Parents succeeding in their own journey toward sustainable self-sufficiency.
CLPHA congratulates our members and their civic partners on this prestigious honor!
CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative works to elevate the importance of housing-education partnerships that support children’s literacy and education outcomes, and our PHA members have demonstrated an enduring commitment to improving literacy and school readiness for their residents. Through our close collaboration with CGLR, CLPHA was heavily involved in the marketing of this year’s AAC Award opportunity and the recruitment of our members and their cities to apply for this honor.
CLPHA also recognized the AAC Award finalists at our Housing Is Summit, held May 18-19 in Washington, D.C. The Day 2 Summit plenary “Improving Literacy Through Cross-Sector Efforts” featured CGLR, AAC Award Finalist the Housing Authority of Kansas City, MO, and nonprofit Turn the Page KC discussing how a housing authority and local partner are working together to improve literacy outcomes and education skills attainment for low-income children in the Kansas City area.