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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.
8 CLPHA Members Earn VASH Awards
We are pleased to announce that several of our members have been awarded crucial funding to support homeless veterans in finding permanent housing. HUD and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently awarded $14 million in HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers to 66 Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) across the country.
Congratulations to the following member organizations who received funding:
- Housing Authority of The Birmingham District
- Boston Housing Authority
- Cambridge Housing Authority
- San Diego Housing Commission
- Seattle Housing Authority
- Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority
- Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority
- Washington County, OR Department of Human Services
This funding will provide over 1,400 vouchers, offering critical assistance to veterans experiencing homelessness and their families. Here are some key highlights from the press release:
- Significant progress: The number of veterans experiencing homelessness has fallen by 11% since early 2020, marking the most significant decline in over five years.
- Over 110,000 vouchers: Currently, there are over 110,000 HUD-VASH vouchers being administered by PHAs across the country, with over 81,000 actively in use by veterans.
We commend our member organizations who are on the front lines, working tirelessly to ensure our veterans have access to safe and stable housing.
From the Memphis Housing Authority's website:
It’s not easy to see a doctor. If you try to book an appointment with a new doctor, you’ll have to wait an average of 26 days until your appointment. To speed up the process, you may look into an urgent care facility. The few we have in Memphis are located along the Poplar corridor or toward the suburbs, requiring transportation to get there. And if you need to see a doctor immediately, be prepared to pay $1,883 – the average cost of an ER visit in Tennessee. That doesn’t include the cost of an ambulance, if you need to call one to take you to the hospital.
Getting medical care isn’t easy, no matter your life circumstances. But for seniors with fixed incomes, the challenges are even greater. Preexisting conditions, unreliable transportation and fear of expenses can keep older adults from building relationships with primary care providers who could transform their lives – helping them live longer and more vibrantly. That’s why MHA has partnered with Matter Health to bring primary care providers to several senior buildings across the city.
What is Matter Health?
Matter Health is a preventive and primary health care company. Its model places physicians where people live so practitioners can build meaningful, long-term relationships with patients. For our residents, this means that Matter Health clinics are located in the common areas of our senior buildings. Tenants are now an elevator ride away from a team of health-focused professionals who can provide a wide variety of services. They accept all major insurance providers, including Medicaid; meaning, our seniors on fixed incomes don’t have to worry about the cost if they need to see a doctor.
Why invest in in-facility health care?
Everyone’s health improves when they have a relationship with a primary care provider. Chronic conditions are better managed, medication can be adjusted until the right fit is found for the patient, and changes in how a person feels can be addressed quickly. Not to mention that new ailments can be found and remedied before they become more serious. When people have easy access to a health care provider they trust, and one who won’t bust their budget, they are much more likely to get help when they need it.
Ms. Jackie’s story.
For several years, Ms. Jackie has been a mainstay at the College Park senior building. She pays close attention to her health and used to walk miles to get to the clinic closest to her. That was challenging for her physically, causing her joint pain, but the bus was too unreliable in getting her to her appointments on time. When Ms. Jackie moved back into the senior building after the RAD conversion, she noticed a logo in the lobby of her building – one with a red heart and a navy blue door. Ms. Jackie hesitantly knocked and was greeted by several warm faces who were eager to get to know her. She ended up speaking with a nurse practitioner for over an hour that day, sharing her medical history and the challenges she was having with getting regular care. The next day, she was able to have a formal evaluation with lab work and a physical. With her results, Ms. Jackie was able to change her prescriptions, reducing the amount of medication she needed to take every day.
Ms. Jackie’s story is the perfect example of how providing access to medical care can improve people’s lives. She was able to get proper evaluation for existing conditions and reduce her medications – which helped her feel better and saved her money. The providers spent time getting to know her, something that may not be possible in a more crowded clinical setting. And now, if she ever experiences a health care emergency or sickness, Ms. Jackie has a trusted clinician she can see – and she only needs to catch the elevator to get there.
Getting access to medical care can be challenging, but if we get creative and think of new solutions to provide high-quality health care, we can improve health outcomes for residents of our community. MHA is committed to partnerships with reputable organizations like Matter Health and will continue to seek organizations whose innovative practices will improve the lives of our residents.
From the City of Austin's press release:
The City of Austin Housing Department celebrates the monumental opening of the Austin Housing Finance Corporation’s (AHFC) first permanent supportive housing community. Espero Rutland is located in District 4 at 1934 Rutland Drive. The development is already accepting applications and began welcoming residents at the beginning of the year. The 2-acre property features 171 furnished studio apartments designed to house residents at risk of or who have experienced chronic homelessness – permanently. All units will be affordable for households earning at or below 60% median family income.
“Espero marks AHFC’s first of many permanent supportive housing communities to open in Austin,” explains Mandy DeMayo, Interim Director for the Housing Department. “We couldn’t be prouder to help 171 households have a place to call home. We are grateful to all of the partners that helped make Espero happen as we work together to increase affordable housing for vulnerable individuals and families.”
Espero, developed in collaboration with The Vecino Group and Caritas of Austin, was funded through various sources. This includes $17 million in Private Activity Bonds issued by AHFC, a $17 million construction loan and an $11.4 million permanent loan from Citi, $11 million in 4% LIHTC equity syndicated by Boston Financial and invested by Aetna (a CVS Health company), $3 million in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) debt financing through the Multifamily Direct Loan (MFDL) program, $750,000 from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, and finally, $7.5 million in AHFC debt financing through the Rental Housing Development Assistance (RHDA) program.
“We are thrilled to see the grand opening of Espero Rutland, which will provide much-needed affordable housing for our unhoused neighbors and help address the growing issue of homelessness in our community,” said Jo Kathryn Quinn, President & CEO of Caritas of Austin. “Homelessness is a complex issue, and there is no single solution. But we also know that housing is the critical first step in helping people rebuild their well-being.”
Both the City and the Housing Authority of the City of Austin dedicated project-based vouchers to support the facility’s operation. The development includes 101 housing vouchers dedicated to the property, trauma-informed design, and on-site supportive services provided by Caritas of Austin. The Housing Authority of the City of Austin provided 50 project-based vouchers, with a total value of $17 million over the course of 20 years.
“Espero Rutland development is a huge win for our community and a win for our homeless neighbors and veterans,” said Michael Gerber, CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Austin. “HACA is proud to partner with Caritas, the City of Austin, and so many community partners on this important development. Twenty-five chronically homeless veterans and twenty-five other homeless neighbors will receive nearly $17 million in rental assistance through HACA’s project-based voucher program over the next 20 years. Espero Rutland is a home run.”
From Atlanta Housing's website:
In alignment with the agency’s Five-Year Strategic Plan, which sets a goal of creating or preserving 10,000 affordable units, Atlanta Housing is moving forward with its priority to activate more than 300 acres of its vacant land to achieve 5,000 new units of housing that will limit displacement and enable lower-income families and individuals to call Atlanta home. This commitment requires several public and private partners to come together, including the City of Atlanta and Invest Atlanta. With their support, in July of 2023, Atlanta Housing incorporated the Atlanta Urban Development Corporation (AUD), a non-profit subsidiary of AH positioned to lead housing developments on publicly owned land.
Earlier this year, the AUD announced its first project – the redevelopment of Fire Station 15 in Midtown at 170 10th St. The proposed redevelopment would turn Fire Station 15 into a mixed-use site that will incorporate market-rate, affordable, and “deeply, permanently affordable housing,” as stated by CEO of AUD John Majors. With this plan, a residential tower would rise above a redeveloped, fully operational ground-level fire station. An RFQ has been issued for developers capable of taking the .78-acre property vertical. All responses to the RFQ are due by March 4, 2024, with a selection planned for the end of April.
Atlanta Housing is poised to throw its hat into the Midtown development boom through the innovative, new model of the AUD, which focuses on high-quality, deep, permanent, and adaptable affordability in inclusive neighborhoods where residents can thrive.
From Fox 61 New Haven:
The housing crisis is creating a dire situation for many people across Connecticut. Now, New Haven leaders are introducing a new ordinance to add more options for affordable housing.
“We all are very concerned about access to housing,” said New Haven’s Mayor Justin Elicker at a press conference at City Hall Thursday. “It’s a really urgent situation for many people in the community.”
If adopted, OR-2023-0047 would allow for more ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units).
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The new phase of the ordinance, already in the hands of the Board of Alders, gets rid of the owner occupancy rule and allows people to build brand new structures on their property. Those structures, however, do have to follow the current building code.
“The more that we can streamline and remove barriers to the process, that all contributes to the owner being able to rent that property at a lower rate,” said Karen Dubois-Walton, President of Elm City Communities.
If passed, a total of 4,000 new parcels could be created throughout the city of New Haven.
Read Fox 61 New Haven's article "New Haven leaders propose ordinance allowing homeowners to build small dwellings on property."