CLPHA Press Room

From the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee's newsletter:

Five years after reopening, the historic Old Main building on the Milwaukee VA campus continues to provide stable, permanent housing for Veterans who have experienced homelessness.

Originally constructed in 1867 as one of the nation’s first soldiers’ homes, the landmark building was vacant for decades before undergoing a major renovation. It reopened in March 2021 as part of the Milwaukee Soldiers Home campus, offering 101 housing units across six buildings.

The units are leased from the VA by the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM), and The Alexander Company manages the facilities. Veterans living at the Soldiers Home receive federal housing vouchers administered by HACM, allowing them to access safe, affordable housing in a historic setting.

One resident, a Navy Veteran who moved into Old Main when it first opened, said the stability of permanent housing has helped him maintain sobriety and rebuild his life. He described the environment as peaceful and supportive, with a strong sense of community among residents.

Unlike transitional housing programs, units at the Soldiers Home are considered permanent housing. Veterans who live there are enrolled in the HUD-VASH program and receive supportive services from VA staff located on site during business hours.

Today, the Soldiers Home units remain consistently occupied, with many of the original residents still living there, a sign of the program’s long-term success. Staff say the combination of stable housing, on-site support, and a close-knit community has helped Veterans remain housed and connected.

From Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass' press release:

Mayor Karen Bass today unveiled a new 100% affordable housing project a short distance away from the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center – a 53-unit development that developers say will provide dozens of Veterans, including many who have struggled with homelessness, a safe and permanent place to call home.

As a result of Mayor Bass’ Executive Directive 1, more than 40,000 affordable housing units are in the pipeline, with over 6,000 already under construction – including the site of today’s event.

“When I took office, it could take years just to approve an affordable housing project in Los Angeles,” said Mayor Bass. “A maze of bureaucracy and years of inaction by past City leaders left far too many Angelenos and too many Veterans sleeping on our streets. We never hesitate to fund war, but when those young Americans come home, too often we fail them – and that’s unacceptable. That’s why my administration is cutting red tape, building affordable housing faster than ever, and, for the first time in our city’s history, actually reducing homelessness for Veterans and all Angelenos."

Directing her remarks to the Veterans in attendance at the event, Mayor Bass doubled down on her commitment to ensuring that no former servicemember is left to sleep on the streets of Los Angeles.

“I wouldn’t be here today without the Mayor’s push to help homeless veterans. It literally saved my life, and that’s no exaggeration,” said Army Veteran David Sinatra. “After two long, painful years living out of my truck, I finally have a place to call home and have my life back. I’m just one veteran who fell on hard times, but there are so many more like me. Thank you to Mayor Bass, the VA, HACLA, and all the property owners and developers who are helping us get a fresh start."

To date, the Mayor’s House Our Vets initiative has already placed more than 750 Veterans and their families into permanent, stable homes, while street homelessness has dropped 17.5% and the City has recorded its first consecutive two-year decline in overall homelessness under Mayor Bass’ leadership.

“For a long time, it felt like the system just didn’t work,” said Simon Aftalion, Principal at Passo, the development firm leading the project. “Then Mayor Bass took office and changed that. What you see here today – this construction site – is proof of that leadership. In just nine months from now, it will deliver 53 new homes right here in the heart of West LA, built specifically for veterans."

“Thanks to our partnership with Mayor Bass, the VA, and property owners stepping up, nearly 800 veterans now have stable homes,” said Lourdes Castro Ramírez, President & CEO of HACLA. “This is the impact of a coordinated, nimble government response and the generosity of owners who open their doors to those who served our country. With streamlined leasing and a dedicated online portal, we’re moving faster than ever to get veterans housed – and keep them housed.”

From the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority's newsletter:

Spectrum announced the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) received an additional $25,000 toward its workforce development program through Spectrum Community Center Assist (SCCA), the company’s philanthropic initiative to revitalize local community centers and invest in job training programs in underserved rural and urban neighborhoods where Spectrum operates.

Over the past four years, Spectrum has provided a total of $157,000 to support the organization’s efforts.

“Through Spectrum’s investment in the community, we’re creating real pathways to economic mobility for individuals across Cleveland,” said Jeffery K. Patterson, CEO and Safety Director of CMHA. In 2025 alone, over 600 individuals advanced their employment goals through CMHA’s workforce development initiatives at Lakeview Community Center, gaining direct access to employers through job fairs, target skills workshops, and personalized digital support. “Each successful hire brings greater stability to families and lays a foundation for lasting success. When families thrive, the entire community rises with them,” Patterson added.

The partnership launched in 2022 when Spectrum employees and community volunteers helped make repairs and improvements to CMHA’s Lakeview Community Center. Spectrum also provided Chromebooks, a Smartboard, and its advances 1-gigabit-per-second internet service for the organization’s new Spectrum Training & Technology Center. Strategic partnerships, including the “Next Steps to Employment” workshop series and the Cleveland Clinic Workforce Program, amplified this impact by providing practical job placement skills and individualized guidance. Complementing these efforts, an on-site Digital Navigator offered one-on-one tech support to residents for career searches and online readiness.

Patricia Wells, Executive Director of the Oakland Housing Authority, and Mark Gillett, Executive Director of the Oklahoma City Housing Authority, Elected to CLPHA’s Board 

CLPHA is pleased to announce the election of two new board members: Patricia Wells, Executive Director of the Oakland Housing Authority, and Mark Gillett, Executive Director of the Oklahoma City Housing Authority. These two new members were elected at CLPHA’s Spring 2026 Board Meeting, held March 18, 2026, in Washington, D.C. 

Wells and Gillett bring more than 50 years combined in public housing authority leadership to the board. CLPHA thanks Ms. Wells and Mr. Gillett for volunteering their time and expertise to the stewardship of our organization and looks forward to continuing our work with them to protect and expand affordable housing opportunities for low-income families across the country.  
 

From the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority's website:

Every day, MPHA helps provide stable, affordable housing to more than 26,000 people. But the agency’s impact goes beyond just residents and program participants—MPHA invests millions in the local economy annually through contracted projects and services. In 2025, MPHA paid out $142,710,556 in contracts to local landlords, construction companies, security firms, and social service providers.

“MPHA is a key infrastructure in the city of Minneapolis—both for the people it helps house and for its investment in the local economy,” said Abdi Warsame, Executive Director/CEO of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. “MPHA maintained thousands of homes, hundreds of jobs, and invested more than one hundred and forty million dollars in our community last year. I am proud of the incredible work our team does every day to make our community better, and I look forward to MPHA continuing to increase its investments in the years ahead.”

The largest portion of MPHA’s investment in the Twin Cities economy comes from administering nearly 7,500 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV). Through MPHA’s vouchers, the agency provides participants with a rental subsidy and partners with landlords and affordable housing developers in the private rental market. Last year, the agency allocated more than $83 million in Housing Assistance Payments to local landlords on behalf of nearly 20,000 people who benefit from vouchers in Minneapolis.

With the agency’s capital backlog estimated at more than $290 million, MPHA completes substantial construction and renovation work every year. For the most complex projects, MPHA routinely contracts with local construction companies to supplement the work of its own in-house team of skilled maintenance and tradespeople. Last year, the agency broke ground on the largest public housing redevelopment in city history, Spring Manor. Other recent examples include $20 million in high-rise capital repairs and major exterior enveloping renovations at 65 scattered site family homes. In 2025, MPHA spent nearly $50 million with local contractors on the agency’s various construction projects.

Other major investments include security and social services, which are routinely listed as MPHA residents’ top priorities in annual budget conversations. MPHA spends several million dollars every year on security and social services across its high-rise buildings and family housing portfolio. The agency leverages security personnel, property gates, secure building access, and more to ensure its buildings are secure. Last year, the agency spent more than $5 million on security services.

To bring social services and community resources to residents, MPHA has a long-standing partnership with Volunteers of America (VOA). The services VOA team members deliver include helping residents through case management, health screenings and education, and referrals for additional support (food, health, etc.). In recent years, MPHA has seen the need for these services increase significantly. In response, MPHA has increased its VOA funding to nearly $1 million a year. This is part of a larger $3.5 million allocated to local partnered social service providers in 2025. In addition to the social services provided by VOA, MPHA contracts community and resident council support through Minneapolis Highrise Representative Council, housing stabilization support through Stable Homes Stable School, and more.

Helping provide housing to more than 26,000 people, MPHA is a key infrastructure in the City of Minneapolis and Twin Cities region. And with recent one-time and ongoing investments in MPHA by state and local leaders, the agency is poised to continue to expand its investments in the years ahead.