Welcome to CLPHA's Press Room
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David Greer
Director of Communications
(202) 550-1381 or dgreer@clpha.org.
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Washington, DC – Members of the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (CHCDF) hosted a national call with over 2,200 registrants yesterday, January 15, about the effects of the partial government shutdown on low-income people and communities and the affordable housing programs that serve them.
Experts from multiple affordable housing organizations shared information on the shutdown’s impact on federal affordable housing and community development programs and emphasized that the longer the shutdown continues, the more negatively it will impact people with the lowest incomes – seniors, people with disabilities, and families with children. Panelists spoke about the shutdown’s effects on public housing, project-based rental assistance, housing vouchers, rural housing, and housing and services for seniors, people with disabilities, the homeless, and those at risk of homelessness.
The panel encouraged listeners to contact their members of Congress and tell them to vote now—before residents in federally assisted housing experience rent hikes and evictions—to reopen the federal government and pass clean fiscal year 2019 spending bills. Listeners were also urged to encourage their members of Congress to sign onto a “dear colleague” letter led by Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and Representative Marc Veasey (D-TX) to be sent to President Trump on the shutdown’s severe consequences for affordable housing.
“Nearly 700 property owners that have HUD contracts to operate housing affordable to the lowest-income seniors, people with disabilities, and families with children have seen those contracts expire due to the shutdown, and more will expire this month and next,” said NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel. “These contract suspensions put the homes of nearly 70,000 low-income renters at risk of serious rent hikes and evictions. HUD has asked owners of these properties to dip into their savings, if they have any, to cover the costs. Some will be able to do so, but not forever, and some have already communicated to their tenants that rent hikes are coming. The longer the shutdown goes on, the more untenable it will become for properties owners to keep scraping by without their federal contracts - and the more the lowest-income renters will suffer.”
“Public housing authorities, which are responsible for housing over 3 million low-income households nationwide, are doing everything they can to keep things running during this period of tremendous uncertainty, but it is unclear how long they can continue with business as usual for residents and landlords,” said Council of Large Public Housing Authorities Executive Director Sunia Zaterman. “Without a guarantee from HUD that funding will be available in March, many PHAs will need to notify landlords and residents next month that delayed payments are a possibility. Anxious residents and landlords fearful of missed payments, combined with other cascading impacts due to lack of staffing at HUD, including program grants not being renewed and affordable housing development deals not being approved, amount to an unmitigated disaster for millions of low-income families.”
“As the budget stalemate continues, the impact on small towns and rural families grows more severe. Everyday Americans are losing out on billions of dollars’ worth of affordable housing, clean drinking water, and community facilities, like town halls, fire stations and hospitals,” said Housing Assistance Council CEO David Lipsetz.
“HUD has made clear already, in December, [it has] not renewed 224 contracts for rental assistance in Section 202 Housing for the Elderly communities, and more are set to expire in January,” said LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan.“LeadingAge’s members, all nonprofits, rely on regular and adequate funding to provide quality affordable housing to some of the nation’s lowest-income older adults. The average older adult in HUD’s Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program has an annual income of $13,300, an income far too little to make ends meet in any private housing market. More than 400,000 older adults rely on the Section 202 program, while another 1.2 million rely on other HUD programs for housing assistance. We urge Congress and the White House to end the shutdown so that . . . these 1.6 million older adults have the stable housing they need to age with dignity.”
“The shutdown’s impacts range far beyond Washington, DC,” said National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials CEO Adrianne Todman. “It’s hurting workers, small businesses, farmers, and housing providers across the country. Housing providers are struggling with contingency plans to make repairs to units and to pay landlords in the voucher program. And guess who will suffer the most? The low-income families and seniors who rely on a functioning federal government. They are at risk now and will be at even greater risk as the shutdown continues. If any of these families are harmed by the shutdown, the blame lays squarely at the feet of the White House and the Congress.”
“Every day that it drags on, the needless government shutdown threatens more low-income seniors, people with disabilities, and seniors who rely on critically important federally assisted affordable housing,” said National Housing Trust Federal Policy Director Ellen Lurie Hoffman. “Private rental housing owners are scrambling to cover operating costs for which the federal government is contractually responsible, with no end in sight.”
Listen to the CHCDF national call on the impacts of the shutdown on affordable housing programs and community development at: https://bit.ly/2DersVM
Read NLIHC’s latest update on the shutdown at: https://bit.ly/2AzHoju
Check out NLIHC’s interactive map and a state-by-state breakdown of how the shutdown is impacting some HUD-assisted housing.
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA): 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.
About National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC): Established in 1974 by Cushing N. Dolbeare, the National Low Income Housing Coalition is dedicated solely to achieving socially just public policy that assures people with the lowest incomes in the United States have affordable and decent homes.
About Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (CHCDF): An education, strategy and action hub led by NLIHC. The coalition of more than 70 national organizations works to ensure the highest allocation of resources possible to support affordable housing and community development. CHCDF’s members represent a full continuum of national housing and community development organizations, including faith-based, private sector, financial/intermediary, public sector and advocacy groups.
A coalition of more than 70 national organizations tell the Administration & Congress that people with the lowest incomes will be hit hardest if the shutdown continues.
Washington, DC - Members of the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (CHCDF) sent a letter to congressional leaders today calling on them to protect low-income Americans by ending the government shutdown and passing full-year spending bills that provide strong funding for affordable housing and community development programs.
CHCDF, a coalition led by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, expressed strong concern for the shutdown’s immediate and long-term impacts on affordable housing programs and the low-income people they serve. The letter also called out the shutdown’s impact on the housing stability of low-wage government contractors, like janitors, security guards, and cafeteria servers, who often live paycheck-to-paycheck. These individuals working without pay are at risk of being unable to cover their rent payments, putting them at risk of eviction.
The government shutdown is thwarting critical investments in local communities and in affordable and accessible housing for low-income families, threatening to destabilize over four million households that depend on HUD’s rental assistance programs and creating widespread uncertainty for affordable housing investors.
“The longer the shutdown continues, the more the lowest income people will be hard hit,” said NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel. “Residents living in HUD-subsidized properties are some of our country’s most vulnerable people - the clear majority are deeply poor seniors, people with disabilities, and families with children. They rely on government assistance to remain housed, and a prolonged government shutdown puts them at increased risk of eviction and potentially homelessness. It’s incredibly reckless to risk the homes of our country’s lowest-income and most vulnerable people as perceived leverage for a border wall.”
“The partial government shutdown is a disaster for the millions of low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities who depend on HUD assistance for safe, stable housing,” said Council of Large Public Housing Authorities Executive Director Sunia Zaterman. “Funding uncertainty puts more than two million voucher households at risk of losing their homes, and a lack of operating fund payments will force public housing authorities to shut units that cannot be repaired or properly maintained.”
“The bottom line for us is care and concern for the people we serve, and the shutdown hurts them,” said CSH President and CEO Deborah De Santis. “Every hour the deadlock drags on means people who really need housing and services are not going to get them. And the longer critical agencies stay shuttered the more likely it is families, children and other individuals now counting on help to stay housed and healthy will have their lifelines cut off.”
“Each day of the shutdown makes it harder and harder for the nearly 10 million people who live in HUD-assisted housing – low-income families, people with disabilities, veterans, and the elderly – to avoid eviction, keep their heat turned on, and access health care and supportive services,” said Enterprise Community Partners President Laurel Blatchford. “Congress and the Administration must find a way to restore funding for programs critical to the livelihoods of Americans across the country.”
“As the shutdown continues, HUD has made clear it will become unable to renew rental assistance contracts for housing providers,” said LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan. “LeadingAge’s members, all nonprofits, rely on regular and adequate funding to provide quality affordable housing to some of the nation’s lowest-income older adults. The average older adult in HUD’s Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program has an annual income of $13,300, an income far too little to make ends meet in any private housing market. More than 400,000 older adults rely on the Section 202 program, while another 1.2 million rely on other HUD programs for housing assistance. We urge Congress and the White House to end the shutdown so that each of these 1.6 million older adults have the stable housing they need to age with dignity.”
“Local governments rely on consistent contact with HUD in order to ensure reliable funding for services, projects and developments funded with grant programs like the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships program,” said National Association for County Community and Economic Development Executive Director Laura DeMaria. “These programs provide vital services and resources to low-income families across the country. As long as HUD remains shut down, local governments, their community partners, and the low-income families they serve will lack the stability and constant flow of funds they need to operate.”
“This shutdown is hurting families across the country whether or not they work for the federal government and prolonging it will make matters worse,” said NAHRO CEO Adrianne Todman. “Capital expenses that require approval from HUD employees are left undone, and housing vouchers are not reaching families in need as housing agencies curtail additional spending. We should be especially concerned about the public- and private-sector landlords in the project-based rental assistance program who are left without funding and/or contract renewals. Those who can are already dipping into their reserves to make repairs and respond to their residents’ needs, but these reserves only go so far. This is unacceptable. End the shutdown.”
“Vulnerable Americans are the casualty of the current political battle. As a partial federal shutdown drags on, essential federal housing programs and tenant protections are in jeopardy,” said National Housing Law Project Executive Director Shamus Roller.
“The needless government shutdown has put the lowest-income residents at risk and left private rental housing owners scrambling to cover operating costs for which the federal government is contractually responsible,” said National Housing Trust Federal Policy Director Ellen Lurie Hoffman. “This threatens seniors, people with disabilities, and families who are struggling to make ends meet, as well as the viability of critically important affordable housing properties.”
Read the complete letter outlining the impact of the shutdown on specific affordable housing programs at: https://bit.ly/2RkB8Xd.
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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.
About National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC): Established in 1974 by Cushing N. Dolbeare, the National Low Income Housing Coalition is dedicated solely to achieving socially just public policy that assures people with the lowest incomes in the United States have affordable and decent homes.
About Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (CHCDF): An education, strategy and action hub led by NLIHC. The coalition of more than 70 national organizations works to ensure the highest allocation of resources possible to support affordable housing and community development. CHCDF’s members represent a full continuum of national housing and community development organizations, including faith-based, private sector, financial/intermediary, public sector and advocacy groups.
Announcing the New CLPHA.org
(WASHINGTON) January 7, 2019 - The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) is pleased to announce the launch of our newly-redesigned website.
The new CLPHA.org showcases our member PHAs and offers industry news and updates with a bright, modern look and dynamic, user-friendly content that is easy to navigate on a desktop computer or a mobile device.
DYNAMIC: A carousel of stories and the latest news on the front page keeps the content fresh. CLPHA.org is a website to bookmark and visit regularly.
INFORMATIONAL: At the new CLPHA.org, you will find articles and information about the latest developments on Capitol Hill and from HUD, facts and updates about programs important to public and affordable housing, and news from CLPHA about our work on behalf of our members.
USER-FRIENDLY: The new CLPHA.org features sections on each of CLPHA's priorities: Public Housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, Moving to Work, RAD, and our cross-sector initiative Housing Is. Plus, dedicated sections for Legislation & Policy, Press, News & Events, and Membership.
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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.
(Washington, D.C.) June 17, 2021 – The nation's leading advocacy organizations representing public housing authorities have come together to support universal housing vouchers. The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, the Moving to Work Collaborative, the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, and the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association have released the joint letter below:
"Safe, secure, and stable housing is as essential to America’s social safety net as are Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. Housing stability is central to improving life outcomes and economic mobility for low-income Americans. However, only one in five low-income households that are eligible to receive housing assistance can be served by existing programs due to limited funding. The pandemic has reinforced that rental assistance, such as the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, is critical to ensuring housing stability and managing sudden losses in income. Just as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are structured to be available to all who are eligible, rental assistance must be too. Expansion of the voucher program offers a proven and effective approach to scale universal housing assistance to address housing instability and prevent homelessness in America.
Housing Choice Vouchers are a proven source of permanent housing stability. They are highly effective at providing long-term financial stability to formerly homeless populations and others experiencing housing instability. A recent HUD study found that offering families a permanent housing voucher resulted in greater housing and family stability compared to short-term interventions. Furthermore, a recent study from Columbia University found that expanding housing vouchers to all eligible households could help reduce poverty by 9.3 million people as well as reduce racial disparities in poverty. Vouchers are also frequently paired with supportive services to offer comprehensive assistance to individuals with complex mental and physical health conditions. Public housing authorities are uniquely positioned to aid low-income families in their challenges to regain employment and support children’s virtual learning because of their partnerships with nonprofit and government service providers that focus on education, health, and employment. Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies recently reported on the critical role that service coordinators in publicly funded housing have played in providing food and supplies, assisting with technology, and combatting resident anxiety and loneliness. Housing Choice Vouchers are a proven and effective rental assistance delivery system to scale universal housing assistance because they can be quickly distributed through the existing network of 2,200 state and local housing agencies that administer vouchers in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Housing authorities are trusted experts and partners in their local rental markets, have been administering the voucher program for nearly 50 years and are accountable to local and federal oversight and operate with significant public input. With the proper funding, housing authorities have the capacity for a rapid expansion. Housing vouchers power local communities. Landlords, many of whom operate as a small business, understand that the voucher program is a guaranteed, reliable income source and provides the benefit of long-term stability. PHAs have been using the additional funding and regulatory relief provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to expedite administrative processes most often cited by landlords as reasons for preferring unassisted tenants. With this funding, PHAs have also been able to offer incentives and support to increase landlord participation in the HCV program. We must strive to be a nation that believes that all people deserve the security that comes from having a home. Housing Choice Vouchers are the path to achieving this vision." |
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
May 11, 2021 |
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(Washington, D.C.) May 11, 2021 – CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement supporting the New York City Housing Authority’s call to double the public housing infrastructure investment proposed in the American Jobs Plan to $80 billion:
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities urges the Senate Majority Leader to stand firm on his call to double the public housing infrastructure investment in the American Jobs Plan to $80 billion in his meeting today with President Biden, Speaker Pelosi and GOP leadership.
“The New York City Housing Authority deserves its fair share of Senator Schumer’s request since it serves nearly double the amount of residents than any other housing authority, and its housing portfolio is among the oldest in the nation. Decades of chronic disinvestment has driven its unmet capital repairs alone to $40 billion. The $80 billion request enjoys critical support from Congresswoman Nydia Valezquez (D-NY) and the NYC-area Congressional delegation. This investment would also be a significant step to addressing racial inequity, a key priority of the Biden administration.
“As the American Jobs Plan moves through the legislative process, political leaders must guarantee that housing will remain in the infrastructure bill and that the commitment to recapitalize public housing infrastructure be doubled to $80 billion so that the needs of NYCHA and public housing portfolios across the nation are adequately met.”
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
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April 28, 2021
(Washington, D.C.) April 28, 2021 – CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement in response to President's Biden's joint address to Congress tonight to mark his first 100 days in office:
"President Biden’s commitment to investing in our nation’s future through the American Jobs Plan and the American Families Plan, which was released tonight, has the potential to lift the lives of more than 2 million families living in our nation’s public and affordable housing. The American Jobs Plan improves the lives of public housing residents through a $40 billion commitment to retrofit and rebuild public housing properties to 21st century codes and standards.
"The American Families Plan improves the lives of public housing residents by expanding access to quality pre-school, direct support to children and families through child care, and investing of the childcare workforce, of which many public housing residents are employed. Because public housing residents are often employed in low-wage positions that do not offer paid leave they will be among the many beneficiaries of the national comprehensive paid family and medical leave program in the Families Plan.
"Public housing has always been about more than buildings. It is about the hopes and dreams of millions of Americans. The combination of the American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan is a powerful offer to make those dreams a reality."
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
Pacific Standard quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman in today's article "The Government Shutdown Could Decimate America's Subsidized Housing Programs." Of the partial government shutdown's impact on the housing market, Zaterman said, "Owners in many cities will be faced with financial disruption, foreclosure, or bankruptcy if they're not able to pay their mortgage or meet the other costs of the property... This really is going to ripple through the whole housing market system."
Zaterman added that the shutdown is likely to negatively impact landlords' perceptions of the HCV program and other federally funded rental assistance programs, observing that in light of the shutdown landlords may be discouraged from participating in the HCV program because now "[funding] is something an owner would have to calculate as a risk now that was previously not seen as a risk."
CLPHA’ Executive Director Sunia Zaterman spoke to Multi-Housing News about the disastrous effect the shutdown will have on not only on Housing Choice Voucher funding and other rental assistance programs, but also affordable housing projects, if it continues beyond February. Zaterman added that if the shutdown continues into March, for smaller landlords and property owners especially “there is a huge concern about the ripple effect and concerns about bankruptcy and foreclosure.”
However, as Zaterman noted in a January 16, 2019, joint press release accompanying a national conference call about the effects of the partial government shutdown on low-income people and communities and the affordable housing programs that serve them, the shutdown is already a catastrophe for millions who rely on HUD funding. “Anxious residents and landlords fearful of missed payments, combined with other cascading impacts due to lack of staffing at HUD, including program grants not being renewed and affordable housing development deals not being approved, amount to an unmitigated disaster for millions of low-income families,” said Zaterman.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development today issued additional information about HUD’s contingency plan so that PHAs administering the HCV program may access their HUD-held Housing Assistance Payment Reserves (HHR) under certain circumstances due the lapse in appropriations.
According to the letter, HAP renewal funds and Administrative Fees are scheduled to be paid on time for February, but HUD recognizes that the funds may not cover the monthly HAP needs as a result of additional leasing or costs.
HUD will allow access to HHR funds in situations where the failure to act “would result in an imminent threat to the safety of human life or the protection of property.”
PHAs may request HAP reserves from HUD under the following circumstances:
- To protect families that are imminent risk of termination of assistance; and/or
- PHAs that were eligible to receive a payment for January 2019 and did not receive it (e.g. first time RAD payments for a project) and need reserves to ensure that the property owner(s) receive(s) a HAP payment to continue assistance and protect the residents at the property.
Read the letter for instructions to request an additional payment covered by the HHR.
For more information on the shutdown’s impact on public and affordable housing, join today’s national conference call at 4:00 pm ET for insights from CLPHA and other housing industry experts. Click here to register.
As the partial government shutdown continues and creates more uncertainty for public housing authorities, CLPHA is collecting information on the impacts and effects of the government shutdown on housing authorities and residents.
We are particularly interested in examples regarding landlord willingness to accept new vouchers from HCV participants, and PHA decisions around issuing new vouchers.
We will be sharing your feedback with our media contacts and coalition partners (please let us know if you do not want your PHA’s name identified).
Please send any information to Emily Warren at ewarren@clpha.org as soon as possible.
CHCDF National Call to Learn About the Impacts of the Government Shutdown
CLPHA, as a member of the steering committee of the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding, will be participating in a national conference call on January 15 at 4:00 PM ET to provide updates on the latest information and guidance on how advocates can engage lawmakers to help end the shutdown.
In response to a January 5 Washington Post article focused on new research about where voucher holders live, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman submitted a Letter to the Editor to emphasize examples of PHAs’ innovative housing mobility strategies. Although edited significantly for length, the version published in print and online describes landlord recruitment and retention efforts, and calls for additional local flexibilities and sufficient federal funding.
From the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority's press release:
The Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) Board of Commissioners approved a combined total of more than $25 million in investments that will develop over 100 new affordable housing apartments for Columbus-area seniors and families with included supportive services.
“This significant investment underscores CMHA’s unwavering dedication to enhancing the quality of life for our community members in Columbus and Franklin County,” remarked James L. Ervin Jr., Chair of the CMHA Board.
“By allocating over $25 million toward the development of new mixed-income housing for seniors and families, we are actively addressing the need for affordable housing in our region,” Ervin said. “This reflects our core values of community, commitment, and collaboration."
The community investments approved by CMHA’s Board are:
- Cobblestone Manor: Authorizing the issuance and sale of $17 million in general revenue bonds to construct an 82-unit senior housing community. This is CMHA’s first community in Grove City. Columbus-based Elford Construction will serve as general contractor for this project.
- Dering Family Homes Project-Based Voucher (PBV) Contract: Providing voucher assistance for 25 apartments at Dering Family Homes, an investment of over $9 million. This 245-unit family community is being developed by The NRP Group.
- Housing Stability First Program: Housing Stability First will receive a $1 million CMHA investment in 2024. The program is designed to prevent evictions and reduce the likelihood that residents will miss school or work due to housing instability. The funding also will be used to help CMHA residents experiencing economic hardships that may impact their housing stability, including expenses related to housing, utilities, child care, transportation, and basic needs. The program was a joint partnership that was created in 2023 with an initial funding contribution from First Church of God in Columbus.
“As we embark on these investments, we are not just building apartments; we are building hope and stability for the individuals and families we serve,” stated Charles D. Hillman, CEO of CMHA.
“This commitment to affordable housing for all underscores our dedication to fostering inclusive communities and addressing the pressing needs for accessible housing options in our region,” Hillman said. “Through collaborative efforts and strategic initiatives, we aim to create lasting impact and transform lives for the better.”
From the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority's website:
As the largest public housing provider in the state and with a capital backlog of more than $229 million, MPHA has a lot of construction and renovation work to complete. 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 trades persons (ex. high-rise fire suppression system installations). In 2023, MPHA contracted with local firms more than 590,000 labor hours, nearly 165,000 of which is this type of construction work, all of which pays prevailing wage rates.
Beyond helping more than 26,000 people access safe, stable, affordable housing every day, the agency is committed to helping build a more equitable Minneapolis through all its activities. Critically, this includes how the agency annually awards and spends on its contracted construction work.
In 2023, more than 40 percent of contracted labor hours were performed by qualified low-income workers and/or businesses (Section 3). Of the contracted construction project hours, more than 30 percent were done by minority-owned businesses (MBE) and over six percent went to woman-owned businesses (WBE).
“MPHA is committed to ensuring its investments make a lasting impact in our community,” said Abdi Warsame, Executive Director/CEO of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. “As a government agency, we have an obligation to make sure our dollars go as far as possible to effect positive change in our community. Our team works to partner with local businesses who are owned by and employ historically marginalized communities.”
The agency is committed to bridging equity gaps and creating a more inclusive Minneapolis, and it works to ensure MPHA’s contracted construction work reflects that commitment by making it a priority to seek and expand local partnerships with MBE, WBE, and Section 3 businesses.
While MBE and WBE might be common nomenclature, Section 3 is a designation unique to HUD. Named after the relevant section of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, Section 3 requires that economic opportunities generated from HUD funding be directed to low- and very low-income persons. In all its contracted work, MPHA seeks to exceed HUD’s requirements by directing as many opportunities as possible to businesses that are owned by, employ, or subcontract with qualified Section 3 workers.
JPMI Construction Co is a minority- and family-owned business that has worked with MPHA for decades. JPMI is currently working on some of the public housing buildings’ fire sprinkler installation and alarm system updates.
“All the residents are always very friendly. It’s a pleasure to work with them,” said Absaar Hadi, Project Manager of JPMI Construction Co. “It’s nice to know that MPHA has policies to ensure the smaller, minority-owned contractors don’t get overlooked.”
Iyawe and Associates is a qualified Section 3 business, and a minority-owned business, that has worked on MPHA contracts for over 15 years. Currently, they are updating unit doors in one of the agency’s public housing high-rises. For Iyawe and Associates, working with MPHA has allowed their business to grow.
“We have worked with MPHA for about 15 years now. Our project capacity has steadily increased because of the opportunities we have had with MPHA,” said Simon Iyawe, CEO of Iyawe and Associates. “We also appreciate how straight-forward the contracting process is.”
Partnering with MBE, WBE, and Section 3 businesses is a positive for everyone involved. These businesses that face systematic barriers get prioritized for agency projects, MPHA gets high-quality construction work, and together, Minneapolis’ economically disadvantaged communities are provided high-quality and well managed homes.
From the New Haven Independent:
A new roof and new bathrooms, computer upgrades, reconfigured office and community space and a whole range of modernizing renovations, to the tune of $3 million.
All that shiny new stuff’s on the way to the Housing Authority of New Haven (HANH)’s community and family center over in West Rock on 295 Wilmot Rd. — thanks to an old fashioned federal earmark.
HANH President Karen DuBois-Walton made the announcement Tuesday afternoon at the regular meeting of the public housing authority’s Board of Commissioners. The meeting took place at the housing authority’s headquarters at 360 Orange St.
It used to be called an “earmark,” she said, but now we refer to it as “congressionally directed spending.”
The grant of $3 million was secured through the efforts of U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal and signed into law last month by President Joe Biden as part of the new budget covering the departments of Housing and Urban Development and Transportation.
“It’s in the middle of a beautiful area,” DuBois-Walton added, referring to the aging one-story brick structure, a bit of an eye sore at the end of Wilmot Road, amid Rockview, Brookside, and Twin Brook, the spiffy and revitalized developments that HANH has nurtured into much desired locales out in the West Rock area of town.
Although it continues to be used for a wide range of HANH’s activities, as well as being a home base to important area nonprofits, the 20-year old building is in dire need of improvement, she said.
Read the New Haven Independent's article "HANH Scores $3M For Community Center Rehab."
From News 12 Brooklyn:
Tenants of a New York City Housing Authority complex in Eastchester are a part of the decision-making when it comes to redesign and redevelopment.
Residents of the Eastchester Gardens were able to enjoy their newly designed tenant's association office, made possible through the PACT Program.
The PACT Program, also know as the Permanant Affordability Commitment Together, is an initiative between NYCHA and developers to make repairs, redesign facilities, and maintain quality service for tenants.
RDC Development is a professional partnership between MDG Design & Construction and Wavecrest Management that was selected as the Eastchester Gardens PACT Partner.
Residents say what's special about this program is they are involved in the choices made for their homes, including designs and the team they want to work with.
The PACT Program says it aim to keep these homes affordable but improve the quality of life for NYCHA residents.
From HUD's press release:
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the appointment of Andrew Lofton to serve as Regional Administrator for the Northwest serving Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. As Regional Administrator, Mr. Lofton will serve as HUD's liaison to mayors, city managers, elected representatives, state and local officials, congressional delegations, stakeholders, and customers. In addition, he will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of HUD programs and services to communities and evaluating their efficiency and effectiveness.
With his arrival, Region 10 is ideally positioned to deliver on the agency’s goals and Acting Secretary Todman's vision. Mr. Lofton brings a tremendous wealth of experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm as a housing expert and public servant, and is honored to have the opportunity to work with HUD and the Biden Harris Administration.
"We are excited to welcome Andrew Lofton as the Regional Administrator for HUD's Northwest Region," said Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. "Mr. Lofton's experience and dedication to public service make him an asset to our team. He is a leader in housing, and I will rely on him to ensure the efficient delivery of HUD programs and services to communities across the region."
"It is an honor to serve the Biden Harris Administration and the people in the great Northwest, where I am blessed to call home," said HUD Northwest Regional Administrator Andrew Lofton. "Working together, we can make our communities stronger, more vibrant, and more equitable for generations to come."
A lifelong resident of Washington, Mr. Lofton’s career in public service spans nearly 50 years in municipal, state, and local government where he has been led by his passion for helping people. He previously served as the Executive Director for the Seattle Housing Authority where he worked for 17 years, and before that held positions at the City of Seattle ranging from Community Development Block Grant Administrator, Deputy Director of Community Development, Budget Director, and Chief of Operations, and was Deputy Director for Washington State Department of Trade and Economic Development.
Mr. Lofton has also held many leadership positions throughout his career including membership on the Board of the Council for Large Public Housing Authorities, National Association Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), and was a founding member and first Board Chair of the Moving to Work Collaborative.
CLPHA congratulates Mr. Lofton his new role!