CLPHA Press Room

From Everett, WA's HeraldNet:

Housing Hope, a nonprofit and affordable housing developer, intends to build 52 apartments on a lot next to Edmonds Lutheran Church. Construction is to start this year.

“This is really executing on our plan to at least compete for and try to start a new project every year,” Housing Hope CEO Fred Safstrom said. “… It’s going to be a very attractive, nice project.”

...

The Housing Authority of Snohomish County board recently approved 26 vouchers for the development. When tenants live in an apartment with a project-based voucher, they only pay what they can afford. The government covers the rest. Unlike a Section 8 voucher, however, the subsidy stays with the apartment when a tenant leaves.

“This is one project I really don’t want to see drop,” housing authority Executive Director Duane Leonard told the board. “Housing Hope is a great partner, and we’re there to support the partnership. That’s what we’re doing by offering project-based vouchers.”

Read HeraldNet's article "Housing Hope to build affordable housing near Edmonds church," featuring the Housing Authority of Snohomish County. 

From the New Haven Independent:

“Equity” and ​“excellence” are about to get an update.

Those two words summarized the mission of a five-year plan to guide Connecticut’s schools. The State Board of Education drafted and began undertaking the plan five years ago.

Now the board is crafting a new five-year plan. It has a new chair to guide that process: New Haven’s Karen DuBois-Walton.

“I really want to lean in on those two pillars again” as the board crafts a new five-year plan — with an eye to meeting new or unaddressed challenges. DuBois-Walton said during a conversation Wednesday on WNHH FM’s ​“LoveBabz LoveTalk” program.

For instance, while state schools overall post high performance results, too often groups like English language learners and special-ed students are left behind from the success, she said.

DuBois-Walton, who for 15 years has run New Haven’s housing authority, said she also looks to examine how segregated housing contributes to school segregation. DuBois-Walton has played a leading role in a coalition challenging exclusive suburban zoning laws. Connecticut recently settled the 33-year-old Sheff v O’Neill desegregation lawsuit with promises to boost magnet schools through the Project Choice program for urban students to attend suburban schools.

The need for mental-health help for students has been dramatically revealed during the Covid-19 pandemic, another goal the state board can help pursue, DuBois-Walton stated.

Read the New Haven Independent's article "DuBois-Walton Takes Up ​“Equity” & ​“Excellence” Challenge In New State Ed Board Role," featuring Elm City Communities.

From Clark County Today:

Two affordable housing projects – one nearing completion and one in the planning stages –recently received grants from the Washington State Department of Commerce. 

The city of Vancouver received $1,059,085 for Laurel Manor and $161,907 for The Meridian to cover sewer, water or stormwater improvements and/or waive system development charges. 

Vancouver Housing Authority Development Director Victor Caesar said the grants help mitigate rising development costs due to the pandemic, supply chain issues and increasing material costs. 

VHA is a development partner for The Meridian, a supportive housing project from Housing Initiative LLC, a subsidiary of Council for the Homeless. Opening in early summer, The Meridian will house people exiting homelessness who have behavioral health challenges. VHA will manage the property and coordinate services while SeaMar-Community Services Northwest will provide case management. It features 46 one-bedroom, garden-style apartments with trauma-informed design. 

“We don’t want it to feel institutional,” said Brendan Sanchez, principal at Access Architecture. “People should be able to choose what they want to do and where they want to be.”

Sanchez said using wood and wood-look materials, large windows that let in lots of daylight and calming, desaturated accent colors throughout the property help decrease stress and promote positive health outcomes. The Meridian features community gardens, a courtyard and secure bike parking. 

Read Clark County Today's article "Grants boost two affordable housing projects in Vancouver," featuring the Vancouver Housing Authority.

From the Mountain View Voice:

A proposal to develop a city parking lot at 444 Bryant St. into affordable housing took a big step forward when the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors recently agreed to loan $9.75 million in county funds toward the project.

The Supervisors voted unanimously to approve the loan, funded through the county's Measure A Affordable Housing bond, on Feb. 8.

The loan will go to Related + Alta, a joint effort by Related California, a for-profit multi-family housing developer, and co-developer Alta Housing. They have proposed to build 120 apartments on a 1.5-acre parking lot, Lot 12, across three buildings, each up to five stories tall, with a podium garage. Lot 12 has been used on Thursdays during part of the year for Mountain View Farmers Market.

Of the 120 apartments, 20 will be for rapidly rehousing homeless individuals and families with special needs, 20 will be for households earning up to 30% of the area median income, considered "extremely low income"; 40 will be for households earning up to 50% of the area median income, considered "very low income"; and 39 will be for households earning up to 80% of the area median income, considered low-income. The area median income is $105,900 for a single-person household and $151,300 for a family of four in Santa Clara County.

The developer also plans to have 25 of the units reserved for the Section 8 housing program with the Santa Clara County Housing Authority.

Read the Mountain View Voice's article "County to provide $9.75 million loan for affordable housing project in downtown Mountain View," featuring the Santa Clara County Housing Authority.