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.
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Statement From Council of Large Public Housing Authorities Executive Director Sunia Zaterman
The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, which represents 70 of the nation’s largest public housing authorities (PHAs) in cities across the United States, congratulates Dr. Ben Carson on his nomination as Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Housing stability is critical to breaking the cycle of poverty for families, and our nation’s PHAs have been on the front lines of this fight, helping to develop creative solutions to our housing crisis, and implementing these ideas in their communities.
CLPHA looks to Dr. Carson to advocate for adequate funding for housing programs, to support implementation of innovative programs on the local level, including the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) and Moving to Work (MTW), and to provide PHAs with the tools to promote the cross-sector partnerships that connect housing to health, education and other sectors to lift families out of poverty.
As someone who spent part of his upbringing in public housing, Dr. Carson represents the promise to create opportunity and lift people out of poverty. We look forward to working with him and HUD to provide safe, decent, and affordable rental housing to low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.
From the Cambridge Housing Authority's press release:
The Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) is delighted to announce the fortification of its collaboration with The Home for Little Wanderers (The Home) through the acquisition of The Home’s Somerville Village property in Somerville, Massachusetts.
Somerville Village, an establishment under The Home, provides a nurturing environment for 15 young women transitioning out of the foster care system, aspiring to pursue higher education or vocational training. Offering support and guidance, Somerville Village empowers these women to pursue their aspirations and define their own paths.
Janice, one of the beneficiaries of Somerville Village, shared her transformative experience:
“I came to Somerville Village at age 18 with nothing—literally nothing. Growing up, I struggled through neglect and abuse. My parents told me I’m useless, that I wouldn’t amount to anything. My mom told me I could never go to college on my own. I cut ties with my family in my senior year because I had to pursue school. I took the risk. The staff at Somerville Village told me that I can achieve my own success. That I am the director of my own story. My first spring at Somerville Village, I finished high school with high honors and was awarded a scholarship to a private university. The Home for Little Wanderers gave me the opportunity to get my bachelor's degree."
Janice’s top grades have her on track to graduate with dual degrees in business and marketing.
The acquisition of the property by CHA ensures the continuity of this vital program in its current location. Without this strategic acquisition, the financial feasibility of the program could have been at risk, had a non-mission-oriented entity purchased the property. This acquisition marks a significant addition to CHA's portfolio, which comprises over 7,500 units across various programs.
For CHA Executive Director Michael J. Johnston, the move made sense personally and professionally.
“Our relationship with the Home for Little Wanderers started soon after one of our Commissioners heard an appeal by a young man that had aged out of foster care and was homeless,” he said. “That Commissioner suggested that the CHA find and partner with an organization that supported this vulnerable population."
“We reached out to The Home for Little Wanderers and joined forces using our Sponsor Based Vouchers and have never looked back,” continued Johnston. “As an agency, we are proud to be able to support two of their communities, and on a personal level, my wife’s brother spent time in their programs many years ago, making the collaboration very special for me."
Established in 1799, The Home for Little Wanderers is the oldest child welfare agency in the United States, dedicated to shaping better futures for children and young adults in their care, believing that no child should face life's challenges alone. You can learn more about The Home for Little Wanderers at The Home's website.
Somerville Village exemplifies the crucial role of supportive housing in addressing the community's needs. Among the 46 communities managed or owned by CHA, seven offer tailored supportive services that foster housing stability, crucial for residents to realize their potential.
The CHA extends its gratitude to the individuals and organizations involved in the successful acquisition:
- The Home for Little Wanderers: Matt McCall, Courtney Brown, and John Davis.
- Jon Ash of Lawson & Weitzen.
- Madeline Nash, Veronica Pelletier of CEDAC.
- Kimberly Martin-Epstein of Hackett-Fineberg.
- Lynne Stewart, Steve Nolan of Nolan Sheehan Patten.
- Felicia Jacques of Maloney Properties.
- Jeff Sacks of Nixon-Peabody.
- CHA members: Andrew Kerivan, Shayla Simmons, Sue Nohl, Margaret Donnelly-Moran, and Devin Chausse.
Special thanks are extended to:
- Sue Cohen of the CHA, for her remarkable contribution and dedication over 35 years, ensuring residents' comfort and housing security. Her tireless efforts in policy advocacy have positively impacted public housing nationwide.
- Diana Kelly of FOCUS and Maloney Properties, for her compassionate work benefiting residents across the Greater Boston area. Her commitment to supporting residents and understanding their needs has been invaluable. The CHA is dedicated to continuing the vital work at Somerville Village and wishes Diana a fulfilling retirement.
For further information about The Home for Little Wanderers and Somerville Village, visit The Home's website | Somerville Village's page.
From WTOL 11 News Toledo:
New life for an old hotel began Wednesday with the demolition of a blighted historic south Toledo property.
Lucas Metropolitan Housing began the demolition of the old Park Hotel on Wednesday morning at 201 Knapp Street.
In its place, LMH will build new apartments for individuals between the ages of 18-25, who may be experiencing housing instability or aging out of the foster care system and in need of assistance transitioning from high school to adulthood.
The demolition coincides with National Homeless Youth Awareness Month.
Data from the Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board shows 1,590 youth experiencing homelessness in Lucas County for 2022, with 592 between the ages of 18-24 experiencing housing instability due to a number of factors. Those factors include leaving foster care, aging out of child welfare, transitioning from high school to adulthood and family breakdowns or other issues.
The Park Apartments will include 41 one-bedroom apartments and four two-bedroom apartments. It will include spaces for socialization, counseling and education resources along with a community room with an attached kitchen, a fitness space, laundry and storage.
"Beyond shelter, the new Park Apartments will stand as a cornerstone for our most vulnerable young adults, offering them not only a stable home but also a pathway to essential services that will pave the way for a brighter future,” Coleen Ali, city of Toledo Manager of Tenant and Landlord Services, said.
Officials expect that the building will be fully leased in under four months once finished.
Tenants for the apartments will be referred through Lucas County Children Services, the Lucas County Juvenile Justice Center and Continuum of Care, the Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board.
"Many of these various partners who are currently working with young adults, who are often times at a certain age no longer have access to their resources," LMH Deputy Executive Director Rachel Gagnon said. "So we want you to be able to pick up where they left off, have warm, handoff and continue to support that they need so that they can build cast-off self-sufficiency."
LMH will partner with Harbor for support services, which will include mental health and behavioral support, workforce development job opportunities, childcare, and food and transportation assistance, according to Gagnon.
"Whatever the individual needs, we're here to support them," Gagnon said.
Read WTOL 11 News' article "Lucas Metropolitan Housing kicks off demolition of abandoned Park Hotel for planned affordable housing for young adults."
From the Housing Authority of Baltimore City's press release:
The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) and Coppin State University (CSU) today launched the Student Housing Initiative, a first-of-its-kind program in Maryland to provide low-income college students with vouchers to live in tenant-based housing.
The Student Housing Initiative will provide 10 time-limited vouchers to students who will be identified by CSU and must meet eligibility requirements, including:
- graduate from a Baltimore City high school,
- qualify as an independent student using HUD’s independent student criteria,
- matriculate in a four- or five-year college program located within HABC’s jurisdiction,
- full-time student enrollment, and
- maintain a at least a 2.5 GPA
The initiative will be an investment by HABC valued at about $600,000 over four years.
“We know housing can be a major barrier preventing low-income students from earning a college degree,” said Janet Abrahams, HABC’s President and CEO. “Our partnership with Coppin State University has created a unique initiative to break down this barrier and provide students with resources that they might not otherwise realize.”
Abrahams continued, “We need to be creative and thoughtful about how we tackle the affordable housing crisis in Baltimore and across the country. This is one of many resources and programs we have in place, helping to tackle a national crisis.”
Participating students will pay the highest of 10 percent of gross monthly income, 30 percent of adjusted monthly income or a $25 minimum rent and will have recertifications completed on a biennial basis during their participation in the program. The voucher will be provided for up to five years for eligible, matriculated, full-time students in an accredited five-year college program. Students enrolled in four-year community colleges within HABC’s jurisdiction are also eligible under this program.
Participants must continue to remain enrolled full-time and maintain the required GPA to be eligible for subsidy renewal each year. Each student will be required to utilize academic support services and counseling services available at the college, which HABC will make available as part of the initiative.
“We are pleased to partner with HABC to initiate this important housing program,” said Coppin State University President Anthony L. Jenkins. “As a leader in urban higher education, we pride ourselves on being an institution that is in tune with our students’ needs and we are committed to providing holistic support mechanisms to address these needs and ensure their success. This program affords us yet another opportunity to address a student challenge — housing insecurity.”
The subsidy will be limited to housing assistance, in the form of rent in privately owned housing and will be paid directly to the housing provider. The subsidy may also cover security deposit assistance up to one month’s subsidy. HABC will conduct the HQS inspections and conduct reasonable rent determinations prior to unit approval.
In addition, HABC will provide utility allowances to students where the cost of utilities is not included in the rent.
“We look forward to a thriving initiative, the success of the participating students, and our ongoing partnership with CSU,” said Abrahams.
December 5 | 2:00 p.m. ET
Join CLPHA's Housing Is Initiative and the National Center for Health in Public Housing (NCHPH) for a webinar on how improving health care access for people with disabilities!
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 1 in 4 adults in the United States have some type of disability, and 1 in 5 of them did not have a routine check-up in the last year. Disability inclusion allows for people with disabilities to take advantage of the benefits of the same health promotion and prevention activities experienced by people who do not have a disability. Challenges to community integration for people with disabilities also need to be addressed through innovative integrated care programs in the community. Public Housing Authorities serve a concentrated number of individuals with disabilities among their residents, with 38% of public housing households and 46% of voucher households include an individual with a disability and so are uniquely poised to assist in facilitating health care access for people with disabilities. This webinar will explore health centers’ and public housing authorities' initiatives to improve access to primary care and address social determinants of health affecting people with disabilities. We are pleased that Wilson Kimball, President and CEO of the Municipal Housing Authority of City of Yonkers, a CLPHA member, will present on this webinar!
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the social and health needs of people with disabilities
2. Identify strategies to improve access to care for people with disabilities
3. Recognize programs addressing social determinants of health affecting people with disabilities
Panelists:
- Maranda Figueroa, Chief Development Officer, A New Leaf
- Ms. Wilson Kimball, President and CEO, Municipal Housing Authority of the City of Yonkers
- Michelle Garcia, Alivio Health Centers
- Jose Leon, MD, Chief Medical Officer, National Center for Health in Public Housing (NCHPH)
Last month, over one hundred CLPHA members gathered in Washington, D.C. for CLPHA’s Fall 2023 Membership Meeting. The main focus of the conference was CLPHA’s 10-year Roadmap for Public Housing Sustainability. CLPHA is calling for this roadmap to marshal the necessary political support, policies, resources, and services to recapitalize the portfolio by leveraging public and private investments through preservation, redevelopment, mixed-use transformations, transfer of assistance, and other innovative strategies. This investment will also bring climate resilience, energy efficiency, resident health improvements, and better service connections to our country’s most disadvantaged families.
The conference kicked off with an all-star roundtable of housing experts discussing how CLPHA and our industry partners can develop and implement this 10-year roadmap. U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY), HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman, Former NYCHA Chair & CEO Greg Russ, CLPHA General Counsel Steve Holmquist, and CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman shared their thoughts on what strategies we need to employ to meet the public housing portfolio’s capital needs backlog of over $100 million. Key elements that must be included in the roadmap that surfaced during their panel included new financing mechanisms, illustrative data, new legislative fixes, and changes in regulatory structure. You’ll be able to hear the panelists’ full conversation during a future episode of CLPHA’s To The Point Podcast – subscribe to To The Point here so you’ll be notified when that episode drops soon!
From left: La Shelle Dozier, CLPHA Board Vice President and Executive Director, Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency; Steve Holmquist, CLPHA General Counsel, Reno & Cavanaugh PLLC; Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY); Greg Russ, Principal, Pine Street Partners and Former Chair & CEO, New York City Housing Authority; Adrianne Todman, HUD Deputy Secretary; Sunia Zaterman, Executive Director, CLPHA; Jeffery K. Patterson, CLPHA Board President and CEO, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority
Later in the afternoon, two panels dove deeper into how the 10-year roadmap can and must invest in climate resiliency and community behavioral health services, respectively. Alongside moderator Greg Russ, Vlada Kenniff, president of New York City’s Public Housing Preservation Trust, Joel Wool, deputy administrator for sustainability and capital transformation at the Boston Housing Authority, and Alejandro Sagrado-Colón, administrator of the Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration, discussed how their PHAs are creatively utilizing available funding streams and regulations to weatherize the public housing portfolio and prepare for the impacts of the changing climate. The panelists also advised on how to shape the 10-year roadmap so that PHAs can better access the tools and resources they need to protect their portfolios from the effects of climate change.
During our panel on the 10-year roadmap and community behavioral health, Jane King, PsyD, LP, senior consultant at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, educated attendees on addressing community mental health needs from different approaches, including mental health first aid staff training, stress management programs and community partnerships, and the expansion of certified community behavioral health clinics. Doug Guthrie, president & CEO at the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, and Karen DuBois-Walton, PhD, president of Elm City Communities, discussed their PHAs’ programming that addresses residents’ behavioral health needs while also providing their insights on how the 10-year roadmap could facilitate this work.
Audio from both the climate resiliency and community behavioral health panels will also be available via CLPHA’s To The Point podcast, so stay tuned!
CLPHA was also honored to have U.S. Representative Adam Smith (D-WA) join us to give remarks. Rep. Smith discussed his recently reintroduced the Expanding Services Coordinators Act, which CLPHA strongly supports. The bill acknowledges the critical role that service coordinators play in the lives of individuals and families living in federally subsidized housing. If enacted, the bill would make necessary reforms and increase funding for our nation’s service coordinator workforce. He also stressed the importance of building more housing to address our nation’s housing supply shortage and expanding PHA residents’ access to supportive services in order to help them address mental and behavioral health challenges and set them up for future success.
From left: Patterson; Dozier; Zaterman; Representative Adam Smith (D-WA); Lisa Wolters, Director of Intergovernmental Relations, Seattle Housing Authority; Gerard Holder, Legislative Director, CLPHA
During Thursday morning’s sessions we had a powerful, extended Ripples of Hope session where our members shared their local success stories, and we heard touching remarks from retiring members including Jon Gutzmann of the St. Paul Public Housing Agency, Denise Wise of the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura, and Sue Cohen of the Cambridge Housing Authority. We also welcomed new CLPHA member executive directors and celebrated Tacoma Housing Authority Executive Director April Black’s election to CLPHA’s board. Later in the conference we were also pleased to hear a presentation from Mary-Margaret Lemons, president of Fort Worth Housing Solutions, on the progress of Stop Six, FWHS’s Choice Neighborhoods project.
Our Friday sessions were jam-packed with presentations from senior HUD officials on the usual alphabet soup of topics important to PHAs, including NSPIRE, HIP, RAD and post-RAD issues, HOTMA, TARs, SAFMRs, and more. As always, our members appreciated the ability to chat face-to-face with staff from HUD headquarters and ask questions about the programs and policies that matter most to them.
CLPHA thanks our attendees, guest speakers, and sponsors CVR Associates, Bronner Group, Nan McKay & Associates, Yardi, and Du Associates for helping to make our fall meeting a success! We look forward to seeing everyone at our Spring 2024 Meeting, to be held March 21-22 in Washington, D.C.