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
(202) 550-1381 or dgreer@clpha.org.
*Please let us know if you are working on deadline.
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Congratulations to Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman on New Role as Acting Secretary
(Washington, D.C.) March 12, 2024 — “On behalf of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, we congratulate HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge on a dedicated career in public service from serving as Mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, to U.S. Congresswoman from Ohio’s 11th district, and culminating as the 18th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,” said Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities. “When Secretary Fudge took the reins of HUD in the middle of a global COVID-19 pandemic, she provided steadfast leadership that expanded rental assistance and served more than 1.2 people experiencing homelessness. She has been an ardent housing champion giving voice to millions of people in need. “Secretary Fudge worked with CLPHA throughout her tenure to provide greater flexibility to address housing needs and redress systemic racism that has been embedded in housing policy for decades. “We commend her on an exemplary career in public service and wish her well in the next chapter of her life. We look forward to working with Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman, former CLPHA Vice President, in her new role as Acting Secretary.” |
### Media Contact: David Greer, CLPHA
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
Policies Would Bring Housing Stability to Nearly 1 Million Low-Income Americans |
(Washington, D.C.) March 7, 2024 — The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) applauds President Joe Biden for his call to expand the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) and Low-income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) programs. As part of the proposed HCV program expansion, the President is calling for a voucher guarantee for low-income veterans and youth aging out of foster care. Notably, President Biden is the first U.S. President to call for a portion of federally assisted housing to be classified as a guarantee. “President Biden’s call for voucher and LIHTC expansion would immediately bring housing stability to nearly one million low-income Americans who are one lost paycheck or unforeseen health event away from homelessness,” said Sunia Zaterman, CLPHA executive director. “Moreover, the President’s extraordinary call to guarantee vouchers for low-income veterans and youth aging out of foster care is a transformative measure that would bring much-needed certainty to a portion of federal housing funding. This demonstrates a commitment to safeguarding housing stability for our nation's most vulnerable populations.” This year’s State of the Union address is considered by many to be the kickoff of President Biden’s 2024 election campaign. “It is clear after tonight that President Biden intends to make housing a top election priority,” said Zaterman. “We encourage President Biden to become the housing president by creating a comprehensive long-term plan for a sustainable future for public housing that would include the recapitalization of the public housing portfolio, permanent expansion of the Housing Choice Voucher program, and a cross-sector approach that includes housing, health, and education. We look forward to working with the President on such a plan.” |
### Media Contact: David Greer, CLPHA
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
(Washington, D.C.) January 11, 2022 – The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) is pleased to announce that Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) CEO Jeffery K. Patterson has been named president of CLPHA’s board of directors.
Mr. Patterson was elected at CLPHA’s December 2021 board meeting, and previously served as the board’s vice president. He follows CLPHA’s previous board president, King County Housing Authority (KCHA) Executive Director Stephen Norman, who retired on December 31, 2021. CLPHA is also pleased to announce that La Shelle Dozier, executive director of the Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency, was elected CLPHA vice president and Maria Razo, executive director of the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino, was elected CLPHA secretary at the board’s December 2021 meeting. Ed Lowndes, executive director of the Housing Authority of Kansas City, MO, was re-elected board treasurer.
"I am honored to be elected president of CLPHA’s board and would like to thank Stephen Norman for his service and leadership upon his well-deserved retirement,” said Patterson. “Decades of chronic disinvestment, an aging housing portfolio and racial inequities have long predated the pandemic. Entering the third year of pandemic, these issues have only been magnified.
“We are at a critical juncture,” Patterson added. “Historic housing investments proposed by the White House and passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in the Build Back Better Act have stalled in the Senate. CLPHA will continue robust advocacy to ensure these significant housing investments are available to housing authorities across the country who are serving low-income families every day in their local communities.”
“Congratulations to CMHA CEO Jeffery Patterson on being named president of the Board of Directors of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities. I was pleased to join him, residents, and city leaders at the recent groundbreaking of the Buckeye-Woodhill Choice Neighborhoods transformation plan, which will provide high quality affordable housing that is connected to economic, educational, and health opportunities in a vibrant neighborhood. I look forward to continuing to work with CEO Patterson in his new role to bring greater affordable housing opportunities to more people and communities in Ohio and across the country,” said Senator Sherrod Brown, Chair of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
“Jeffery has been an invaluable asset to CLPHA in his seven years on the board,” said CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman. “He leads in many ways -- as board vice president and chair of the Racial Equity and Inclusion Committee and Communications Committee, but also more locally through the many boards he serves on in the greater Cleveland area. Jeffery has a deep understanding of national housing issues as well as local challenges and solutions, and his commitment to CLPHA will ensure continuity through this leadership transition. I look forward to working with CLPHA’s new board leadership to advance our goals and policy priorities in these unprecedented times.”
Mr. Patterson has served as CMHA’s CEO for ten years and has over thirty years of dedicated service to the residents of Cuyahoga County. As CEO of one of the largest housing authorities in the country, he is responsible for a $230 million dollar budget, approximately 750 employees, 10,500 units of housing, 15,000 Housing Choice Vouchers, and nearly 55,000 residents and participants of CMHA's low-income Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher Programs. He also serves on the board of directors for the Housing Authority Insurance Group, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (Chairman), Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (Vice-Chairman), St. Luke’s Foundation, United Way of Greater Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Foodbank, Unify Labs Inc., University Circle Inc., the Cleveland Public Library Foundation, and the National Kidney Foundation.
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
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(Washington, D.C.) November 17, 2023 — Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement upon the Biden-Harris administration’s announcement yesterday of the U.S. Playbook to Address Social Determinants of Health and the CHIP Health-Related Social Needs Framework:: “The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds the Biden-Harris administration’s publication of the U.S. Playbook to Address Social Determinants of Health and the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Health-Related Social Needs Framework. President Biden and HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge have led the nation in raising awareness of the foundational role that housing plays in improving life outcomes for low-income Americans throughout the President’s term. “CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative has driven the conversation for a decade on how best to bridge the housing and health sectors to improve the life outcomes of residents living in federally assisted housing. CLPHA has long supported public policies cited in the Framework such as evidence-based interventions to support housing and nutrition needs for certain Medicaid enrollees. CLPHA has also advocated for innovative solutions like waivers for Medicaid through its 1115 demonstration that allow for housing-related assistance. “With current programs proving beneficial and innovative programs being developed we know we have the answers. Yet, for these programs to be successful they must be funded at a level that meets the need. Unfortunately, they are not funded at those levels currently. While announcements like these are important in raising the awareness of the foundational role of housing in improving health outcomes, we must continue to advocate for increased resources, including incentivizing PHA/Medicaid partnerships, so they can deliver the benefits they are designed to achieve.” |
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
(Washington, DC) November 30, 2022 -- Statement from Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, on the importance of finalizing the FY23 appropriations legislation:
“For the millions of families served by public housing authorities, it is critical for Congress to complete the FY23 appropriations legislation before the start of the 118th Congress in January. The leading public housing advocacy organizations, in one voice, call on Congress to get this legislation passed so that our most vulnerable families are not put at risk.
“The consequences of a government shutdown or a series of continuing resolutions, which lock the previous year’s funding levels in place, create uncertainty for PHAs by not accounting for inflation or current shortfalls that could be severe and would amount to a budget cut. It will tie the hands of housing authorities and impact their abilities to provide their residents with safe, secure, and affordable housing.
“These consequences are preventable if Congress passes the FY23 appropriations legislation at the funding levels requested by the public housing organizations in the letter sent to Congress. We look forward to working with Congress as they finalize the legislation.”
Media Contact:
David Greer, CLPHA
(202) 550-1381
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
(Washington, D.C.) September 9, 2022 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement upon the Biden administration's finalization of the rule rolling back the public charge rule:
“Today, hard-working immigrants are more welcome in America. The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds the Biden administration’s finalization of the rule unwinding the Trump administration’s pernicious and patently unlawful Public Charge Rule that included housing assistance 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 continuing working with the Biden administration to ensure the equitable and compassionate treatment of immigrants and their families when seeking federal housing assistance.”
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 .
CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman was quoted in BisNow’s recent article “Biden's Budget Includes 'Once in a Generation' Investment in Vouchers, Public Housing. Now Landlords Need to Get on Board,” offering CLPHA’s perspective on the Biden administration’s American Jobs Plan that would allocate $30 billion the Housing Choice Voucher program and $40 billion to public housing.
“To propose this level of investment in one fell swoop, it’s extraordinary,” Zaterman told BisNow. “There’s now a strong consensus that more could have and should have been done in 2008 and 2009 for reinvestment,” she added. “This $40B [proposal] does not meet the overall need, but it is extraordinary in the level that it raises the funding from our current baseline.”
Read BisNow’s article. (requires free registration for access to the article)
NPR’s Pam Fessler quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman in a story about the challenges of utilizing the $5 billion in emergency housing vouchers included in the American Rescue Plan. Zaterman told Fessler that while balancing landlord, tenant and taxpayer interests has always been hard, the situation is more dire than ever in the pandemic with millions of Americans struggling with rent. “There is a need for all of our members, a crying need, for additional vouchers that are serving a wide range of populations,” Zaterman said.
Sunia Zaterman participated in a recent story on the unique opportunities presented by the new administration to address the nation’s dire affordable housing shortage as part of Fast Company’s Home Bound, a series that examines Americans’ fraught relationship with their homes.
“Our focus now is assembling the tools to give housing authorities more ability to acquire properties and to bring to neighborhoods other types of affordable housing,” Zaterman told Fast Company of CLPHA’s goals to capitalize on this inflection point in the public and affordable housing industry. She added that while the new HUD administration’s more flexible rules help housing authorities create more affordable housing in their communities, the main need facing PHAs and affordable housing providers is more money: “You may have heard this before—money is the key obstacle.”
This week, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman was quoted in The Washington Post's article "In George Floyd’s old neighborhood, Biden’s war on poverty faces a crucial test." The article examines the potential impacts of President Biden's American Rescue Plan on families in poverty through a focus on Houston's Cuney Homes public housing community, where George Floyd lived much of his life before his killing in police custody.
“If we don’t make a difference in individual lives, then we really haven’t done the job yet,” Zaterman said of the Biden plan's antipoverty efforts. “The folks in the community that George Floyd grew up in — that is our test of whether our models, our resources, our impact has hit our target.”
This morning, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman appeared on C-SPAN's Washington Journal to discuss public and affordable housing issues and President Biden's proposed American Jobs Plan.
Ms. Zaterman answered questions from host Pedro Echevarria and members of the public from around the country, explaining what public housing authorities do, who they serve, and why increasing funding for public housing, vouchers, and other HUD programs is crucial to preserving affordable housing opportunities, strengthening the social safety net, and improving the life outcomes of low income Americans. She also discussed the positive impacts of the American Jobs Plan -- CLPHA estimates that 440,000 jobs will be created and $76 billion in economic impact generated during the time when the $40 billion in funds from the Plan are spent.
On Friday, April 9 from 8:45 to 9:30 a.m. ET, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman will appear on C-SPAN's Washington Journal to discuss President Biden's proposed American Jobs Plan, public and affordable housing, and related issues. Read Ms. Zaterman’s statement applauding President Biden’s announcement of the American Jobs Plan here.
You can watch Ms. Zaterman’s interview on the C-SPAN channel or live on C-SPAN's website and ask questions of Ms. Zaterman during the program via phone:
Outside U.S. and Text: (202) 748-8003
Republicans: (202) 748-8001
Democrats: (202) 748-8000
Independents: (202) 748-8002
Viewers can also share their thoughts and questions via email (journal@c-span.org), Twitter, Facebook and text messages (202-748-8003).
Seattle Housing Authority’s Pioneering Foster Youth Wraparound Services Highlighted
HUD announced $12.7 million will be available to PHAs on a competitive basis through HUD’s Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Initiative to provide housing assistance to young adults transitioning out of foster care. These FYI vouchers will be used to provide housing assistance to young adults in between the ages of 18 years and not more than 24 years old who left foster care or will leave foster care in the next 90 days and are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Eligibility requirements to apply for the FYI Competitive vouchers can be found here.
FYI makes Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) assistance available to PHAs in partnership with Public Child Welfare Agencies (PCWAs). This funding helps connect youth and young adults in foster care with stable housing and mitigate experiences of homelessness during their transition out of foster care.
Questions regarding the FYI Competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024 should be directed to FYICompetitive@hud.gov.
HUD’s new Northwest Regional Administrator and former CLPHA Board Member Andrew Lofton made the announcement in Seattle at an event with the Seattle Housing Authority. In nearly 15 years of working with youth exiting the foster care system, the Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) has developed an integrated model to provide personalized wraparound services designed to equip youth with the housing and education, training and employment services they need to stabilize and build toward self-sufficiency. Based on its success, and a regional network SHA partners with, it was one of the first housing authorities to receive an allocation of Foster Youth to Independence vouchers, followed by a second allocation approximately a year later. SHA’s funding flexibility through HUD’s Moving to Work program has also enabled SHA to extend the time frame for voucher and service support to formerly foster youth who are actively working to establish independence but need a little more time to be successful.
From the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC):
Lack of affordable housing is a barrier for many in America and has left many community college students facing homelessness.
More than a quarter (26.6%) of all public community colleges have on-campus housing. And in the last year, more community colleges have been working—often in partnership with outside organizations — to provide affordable housing options for their students.
In early March, Columbus State Community College announced plans for Opportunity Pointe, a $47 million housing project adjacent to the college’s downtown campus.
The Ohio college has an independent real estate nonprofit, Columbus State Community Partners (CSCP), which was authorized in 2019 by Columbus State’s board of trustees to “advance, encourage and promote real estate development that supports the college’s mission,” according to the college’s website.
CSCP is partnering with housing developer Woda Cooper Companies, Inc., which will build and manage the 160-unit affordable apartment complex. Twenty units in the complex will be set aside for Columbus State students.
CSCP will contribute seven parcels to the project through a long-term land lease with Woda Cooper, which aims to secure additional parcels on the block.
Read AACC's article "Expanding affordable housing options for students."
From the Fairfax County and Redevelopment Authority's press release:
The Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA) plans to implement a major increase in the rental assistance to individuals with serious mental illness.
During their March 14, 2024 meeting, the FCRHA’s commissioners approved a $20 million agreement with the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) to increase access to supportive, affordable rental housing options for individuals with serious mental illness. The additional funding is expected to help prevent homelessness among individuals with serious mental illness, as well as reduce census at state psychiatric hospitals.
“Increasing access to affordable housing reduces homelessness. To be successful, we need to think about the individual’s whole life and what is needed to get them back on their feet. That is why this funding is so important – it provides critical support services along with rental assistance needed for people to be successful in their new home,” said Tom Fleetwood, Director, Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development.
Beginning in May 2024, the approved Memorandum of Agreement between the FCRHA and DBHDS will:
- Add 300 new supportive rental assistance vouchers available to Fairfax County residents over three years
- Create three new staff positions at the FCRHA to operate the program
Through a separate partnership with Pathways Homes, 50 participants will receive critical supportive services such as psychiatry, case management, and skill-building services with psychosocial rehabilitation. They can also gain access to funds for moving expenses, security deposits, and other expenses needed to lease a unit. The remaining 250 participants will be coupled with two Supportive Housing Teams under a separate contract.
The Fairfax County Community Service Board (CSB) will be coordinating referrals from various stakeholders such as state hospitals and the homeless Continuum of Care. The program prioritizes individuals experiencing long-term or repeated episodes of homelessness, individuals and those whose housing instability frequently leads to crisis, hospital visits, or contact with criminal justice systems. It also emphasizes those who are leaving state psychiatric hospitals, and people residing in congregate care settings with a high concentration of individuals with serious mental illness.
We are pleased to announce that the Gary Housing Authority has become a member of CLPHA!
The Gary Housing Authority provides rental assistance to over 3,000 households in Gary, Indiana. Taryl Bonds serves as the agency's Executive Director/CEO. Learn more at garyhousing.org.
Please join us in welcoming GHA to CLPHA – we look forward to working together to improve life outcomes for families served by PHAs!
After 36 years at the St. Paul Public Housing Agency, Jon Gutzmann retired from SPPHA on April 5, 2024. In his retirement statement, Mr. Gutzmann said, "This is the most meaningful work of my life. I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude for having been given this opportunity to serve our St. Paul community." Read more about Mr. Gutzmann's remarkable accomplishments at SPPHA here.
SPPHA announced that Louise Toscano Seeba, the agency's deputy executive director and general counsel, has been named executive director. Ms. Seeba joined the SPPHA as General Counsel in 2012, under the PHA’s contract with the City Attorney’s office. In that role she provided oversight for the PHA’s legal team, and provided legal advice and guidance to the PHA’s Board of Commissioners, Executive Director, and staff regarding local, state, and federal laws affecting the Agency. In 2018, and in addition to serving as General Counsel, Ms. Seeba took on the role of PHA Deputy Executive Director, still as an employee of the City Attorney’s office. Read more about Ms. Seeba here.
CLPHA wishes Mr. Gutzmann a happy retirement, and congratulates Ms. Seeba on her new role!