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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March 11, 2021
(Washington, D.C.) March 11, 2021 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement upon President Biden’s signing of the American Rescue Plan Act into law:
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds President Biden for signing into law the groundbreaking American Rescue Plan Act. When combined with the $25 billion in emergency rental assistance in the previous relief bill, the total $45 billion in emergency rental assistance and $5 billion to prevent homelessness is scaled to the enormous scope of the rental crisis with more than 11 million renters behind on rent. The law is also historic in nature as it represents the largest federal investment since the creation of the Great Society programs more than 55 years ago, which launched what is now known as the Housing Choice Voucher program. Estimates show that the American Rescue Plan Act’s war on poverty will reduce the projected poverty rate this year by half. This historic investment in alleviating poverty and expanding housing opportunities constitutes one of the most significant steps towards ending racial inequity since the legislation passed during the Civil Rights Era.
"The American Rescue Plan acknowledges that housing stability for all Americans is essential to the economic well-being, racial equity, and public health of the nation. While this legislation directs critical federal investment to pandemic relief, new transformational federal investments will be needed to address the affordable housing crisis that was only exacerbated by the pandemic, including a 10-year roadmap to recapitalize the public housing portfolio and a permanent and significant expansion of the Housing Choice Voucher program.
"CLPHA looks forward to working with the Biden-Harris administration to make stable housing a reality for all Americans."
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
March 10, 2021 |
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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. 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 .
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative
The Housing Is Initiative, led by the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, helps build a future where sectors work together to improve life outcomes. Housing stability is a critical first step to improve life outcomes for low-income children, families, and seniors; CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative is based on the premise that sectors can better meet needs when they work together. Housing Is establishes, broadens, and deepens efforts to align affordable housing, education, and health systems to produce positive, long-term results. Learn more at housingis.org and on Twitter @housing_is.
(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
March 4, 2021 |
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(Washington, D.C.) March 4, 2021 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement urging the swift passage of the American Rescue Plan Act in the U.S. Senate: “The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities calls for the Senate to pass the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which includes desperately needed $30 billion in emergency rental assistance, $5 billion in single-use vouchers, and a significant extension of the eviction moratorium. “This legislation is critical to addressing the rental crisis facing the nation. The situation has only grown more dire 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. “The $5 billion in emergency housing vouchers will help transition persons-at-risk and homeless persons to stable housing. Emergency rental assistance is not only vital to renters, but its impact on the economy and public health is far-reaching. The Senate must act swiftly to provide emergency rental assistance and prevent a wave of evictions and housing instability 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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The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP)will redevelop the vacant Larimer School, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, into 35 affordable housing units. This project is part of HACP’s larger Larimer/East Liberty Choice Neighborhoods redevelopment plan.
The Otto Bremer Trust awarded a $100,000 grant and a $500,000 low-interest loan to the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA). MPHA will use the loan to support housing authority operations for its 6,000 public housing units and will use the grant to fund construction of the 16-unit Minnehaha Townhomes, slated to open in 2019.
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles alongside partner Meta Housing Corporation, opened El Segundo Apartments and 127th Street Apartments in Harbor Gateway, two new communities offering a combined 160 units of permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless families and individuals.
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), partner Red Eye, Inc., and celebrity guests celebrated the opening of the Watts Empowerment Center Sports Complex at HACLA’s Imperial Courts community with basketball games, soccer matches, a slam dunk contest, and other activities.
Fort Worth Housing Solutions (FWHS)President Mary-Margaret Lemons penned an op-ed in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about FWHS’s efforts to increase the city’s affordable housing options, such as their utilization of the RAD program.
From the San Diego Housing Commission's press release:
Ongoing, collaborative efforts to create additional permanent affordable homes with supportive services for people experiencing homelessness in San Diego will receive another infusion of state funding with the award of $35 million from the Homekey program to the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC).
The Homekey funds will support SDHC’s proposed purchase of an extended-stay hotel property on Hotel Circle, which will be converted into affordable homes with supportive services, in collaboration with the City of San Diego and County of San Diego.
“Housing ends homelessness, and this latest funding award will help us house more than 160 San Diegans and provide the services they need to remain stably housed,” Mayor Todd Gloria said. “I applaud Governor Gavin Newsom for this critical assistance and am grateful for the partnership of the Housing Commission, the County, federal partners, and the City Council in making the Homekey program a success in San Diego.”
The purchase and rehabilitation of the property at 2087 Hotel Circle South, to be known as Presidio Palms, will create 161 affordable rental apartments, all of which will serve people experiencing homelessness.
“Creativity and innovation are essential in solving our housing and homelessness crisis. The Homekey program has provided the tremendous opportunity to create affordable homes incredibly fast for San Diegans, meeting the moment of today’s need for housing. This new award shows just how fruitful collaboration between the City, the Housing Commission, and the County can be, and most importantly will result in lifting 161 of our neighbors out of homelessness and into housing,” City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera said.
“I want to thank Governor Newsom for granting this Homekey Award, which will help reduce homelessness in my district,” said City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who represents District 3, where the Hotel Circle property is located. “The best way to help people off the streets is to provide them housing and services, and many people will benefit from this opportunity. I congratulate and thank the San Diego Housing Commission for successfully applying for this funding.”
The City’s investment in this project includes federal project-based vouchers and funding from the American Rescue Plan Act garnered for the City with the support of U.S. Rep. Scott Peters.
“Our national housing and homelessness crisis demands that we snatch every opportunity presented to us to build more housing everywhere for everybody. That’s why when asked to lean in to help get this deal done, I was glad to do it. Thank you to everyone who worked hard to make this happen and to the Governor for selecting this project to fund. I look forward to the day its doors are opened so more people have a safe place to live,” Rep. Peters said.
The County Board of Supervisors has also approved capital and services funding to support this project.
“California’s Homekey program is more than just providing housing; it’s about giving dignity, security, and hope to those facing housing instability. San Diego County is dedicated to partnerships and funding to keep families, seniors, and veterans housed. With an extra $35 million in Homekey funds, the State is creating over 600 affordable apartments in San Diego, helping those experiencing homelessness. The opening of Presidio Palms shows the power of teamwork, marking another step towards caring and inclusive communities,” said Nora Vargas, Chairwoman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.
SDHC has committed 161 rental housing vouchers to help residents pay their rent at this property. SDHC will request approval from the SDHC Board of Commissioners, subject to review by the San Diego City Council, sitting as the Housing Authority of the City of San Diego, to accept and expend the funds for the purchase and rehabilitation of this property before proceeding.
The San Diego community provided broad support for SDHC’s application for Homekey funds, with many organizations submitting letters in support to the state. These organizations included the Asian Business Association of San Diego; California Restaurant Association’s San Diego County Chapter; East Village Association; Downtown San Diego Partnership; Forever Balboa Park; Little Italy Association; Lucky Duck Foundation; San Diego Black American Policy Association Foundation; San Diego Food Bank; San Diego Padres; and San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.
In the current round of Homekey funding, the state allocated $41.1 million for the San Diego region. However, with the new award announced today, the state has awarded nearly $15 million more than that amount—$55.75 million—to San Diego in this round alone.
In addition to the Homekey funds awarded for Presidio Palms, San Diego has received more than $70.2 million from the Homekey program, including previous rounds of funding, to create 447 affordable homes:
- Pacific Village. In September 2023, the State awarded $16.85 million for SDHC’s purchase and rehabilitation of a hotel property at 3737-3747 Midway Drive in the Midway Community to create 62 affordable single-room occupancy (SRO) units with supportive services . SDHC committed 62 rental housing vouchers to help the residents pay their rent.
- Abbott Street Apartments. Also in September 2023, the State awarded an additional $3.9 million that will support SDHC’s collaboration with Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation to rehabilitate a vacant multifamily housing property at 2147 Abbott Street in Ocean Beach to create 13 affordable homes . SDHC awarded housing vouchers to help residents pay their rent.
- PATH Villas El Cerrito: In 2022, the State awarded $11.83 million in Homekey funds to help finance the development of 40 new affordable rental apartments at 5476 El Cajon Blvd. in the El Cerrito neighborhood. The development is a partnership among PATH Ventures, Family Health Centers of San Diego and Bold Communities. The City and County also allocated funds to this development, with the County committing additional funds for supportive services. SDHC awarded housing vouchers to help the residents pay rent.
- Kearny Vista and Valley Vista Apartments: During the pandemic in 2020, in the first round of Homekey funding, the state awarded $37.7 million to SDHC toward the purchase of two extended-stay hotel properties. The City also allocated funds toward the purchase of these properties, and the County allocated funding for supportive services. Today, the properties continue to provide 332 homes with supportive services and housing vouchers to help residents pay their rent.
The Homekey program provides an opportunity to bring much-needed housing online faster and cheaper than traditional new-construction affordable housing. Thanks to funding and regulatory streamlining from Homekey, San Diego has a unique opportunity to get people out of encampments and shelters and into permanent homes in months rather than years.
HUD has officially re-opened the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Jobs Plus Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to accommodate the anticipated FY24 Jobs Plus appropriations funding. This re-opening allows HUD to invite additional applications, enabling the allocation of more Jobs Plus Grants for the current fiscal year. CLPHA urges our members to take advantage of this funding opportunity.
For PHAs that did not previously apply for FY23 Jobs Plus funding or have not been recipients of a Jobs Plus grant before, we strongly encourage submitting applications to the re-opened NOFO, available on grants.gov. The due date for new applications is March 12, 2024.
Approximately $37 million in funds is now available, comprising $22 million in FY23 funding and an additional $15 million in anticipated FY24 funding. HUD emphasizes that there will not be another Jobs Plus NOFO for the FY24 funding cycle. The minimum project size is only 100 non-elderly households, with a maximum grant size of $3.7 million per PHA for comprehensive workforce development efforts. Award announcements for the FY23/24 Jobs Plus program are expected in Summer 2024.
Notably, applications submitted by the original deadline of August 21, 2023, remain valid and do not require resubmission. However, PHAs may choose to submit a new application by the new deadline, which will be evaluated in lieu of the previously submitted application.
For further details, including eligibility criteria and application instructions, please refer to the Re-Opened NOFO. Should you have any questions, reach out to JobsPlus@hud.gov.
This month, HUD's Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) newsletter focused their spotlight on the Housing Authority of Kansas City's Sam Rodgers Place and discussed how HAKC and Kansas City successfully developed and implemented a comprehensive Choice Neighborhoods housing plan that responded to resident needs and culminated in a healthy living community that combined health and wellness with mixed-income housing.
From the Tacoma Housing Authority's press release:
Ballmer Group has awarded the Tacoma Housing Authority (THA) a three-year $1,233,000 grant. The funds will be used to expand capacity in THA’s successful 2GEN Family Engagement Program, which emphasizes a multi-generational approach to housing and family engagement, stability, and thriving for THA clients. The goal of the program is to create opportunities for families of elementary, middle, and high school students to learn about and practice Social Emotional Learning (SEL) together.
“We are excited to receive this grant from Ballmer Group in support of our 2GEN program,” said Tacoma Housing Authority Executive Director April Black. “2GEN is one of our most critical and successful programs in engaging THA families beyond housing, supporting their social, emotional, educational, and career development growth.” The 2Gen program focuses on whole family engagement and support, and this funding will help us bring on 50% more partners to a total of 18 partner organizations, to provide programming and support on-site and will allow for double the number of families served and goal plans completed. Ultimately, the program will serve no less than 110 families annually, including all members of the household, by the end of 2025.
Grant funding will support 2GEN staffing, professional development, and contracted partnership costs for expanded learning opportunities and mental and emotional well-being. THA’s Client Support & Empowerment (CSE) department, the department that created and oversees the 2GEN program, seeks to use these funds to expand access to our 2Gen program across our THA portfolio, including the Salishan neighborhood. We will continue to expand family-centered coaching practices into a supportive services model that recognizes the natural assets of multi-generational families and the importance of a multi-layered support ecosystem. We will integrate mental and emotional well-being into the model through social-emotional learning, mental health partnerships, and family-driven goal setting. Professional development dollars will enable CSE to implement The Prosperity Agenda’s Family-Centered Coaching model and help institute a sustainable train-the-trainer model to all 2GEN staff. This funding will also allow CSE to double the number of service contracts with smaller, grassroots organizations providing culturally relevant programming.
From the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority's website article:
The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) provides public and deeply affordable housing to nearly 10,000 residents at 30 percent of the resident’s adjusted income. For the thousands of residents on a fixed income, that means being vulnerable to macroeconomic conditions like inflation for their regular cost of living expenses. While paying $20 more for groceries a week might not seem like a lot to some, for those living in MPHA housing on a fixed income, that change can significantly alter their monthly budget.
Since the pandemic, MPHA has seen a significant increase in the number of residents not making rent payments. Unfortunately, because federal regulations require MPHA to collect rent and prevent the agency from waiving owed balances from current residents, the agency has seen a growing number of residents who had their housing threatened because of changes in their personal expenses.
Seeing this trend emerge early in the pandemic, MPHA established an internal housing stabilization team dedicated to connecting residents that had back-owed rents with various financial and service supports. The team was intended to help residents solve both their immediate financial needs to remain housed and aid in making lasting changes to ensure continued rent payment.
During the pandemic, MPHA assisted nearly 750 MPHA families receive more than $2.5 million in rent relief through RentHelpMN. But while state rental assistance went away, the economic hardships of MPHA residents did not. As a result, the housing stabilization team shifted to Hennepin County’s emergency assistance program. In 2023, the team assisted nearly 450 MPHA families receive more than $800,000 in rent relief payments from Hennepin County’s emergency assistance program.
Leading this work at MPHA is A Vue, Housing Stability Coordinator. A works across MPHA teams and with external partners to ensure residents can remain housed when they face financial challenges.
“Whether it is a single event—like a hospital stay—or a series of unexpected expenses that prevented a resident from paying their rent, having to pay back-rent can be overwhelming,” said A Vue, Housing Stability Coordinator at MPHA. “Our housing stabilization work saves many from eviction.”
When a resident first misses their rent payment, numerous MPHA teams work to connect with the resident. Team members from property management, rent collection, and on-site social services teams work to connect with the residents to understand their unique situation and needs. In some cases, it is as simple as the resident forgetting to pay, but often the missed payment is a result of a changing financial situation.
If a MPHA resident misses a rent payment, staff takes an all-of-the-above approach to help the resident make their payment. On-site property management and social service teams will work to make sure the resident is receiving any social, medical, or wellness benefits they need. The housing stabilization team will connect with the resident to discuss a possible emergency rent assistance application to help clear owed balances.
“We are committed to assisting our residents. Offering support and resources, especially when they aren’t expecting it, brings hope,” said A.