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(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
December 10, 2020 |
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(Washington, D.C.) December 10, 2020 – The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) is proud to support the nomination of Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) to be the 17th Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department. CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement:
"Congresswoman Fudge is a longtime champion of affordable housing, urban revitalization, and infrastructure investment. She has demonstrated her leadership as a mayor, as a Member of Congress, and as the head of the Congressional Black Caucus. She understands that racial and economic inequities are deeply rooted, particularly in our housing systems, and that working across sectors is imperative. Her many years of work on economic justice issues such as food insecurity and education access can bring much-needed leadership to aligning systems and services to better meet the needs of low-income Americans. We look forward to working with Congresswoman Fudge in her role as HUD Secretary to address the growing need for COVID emergency rental assistance and safe, affordable housing."
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities |
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 and follow @housing_is for news on CLPHA’s work to better intersect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.
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 and follow @housing_is for news on CLPHA’s work to better intersect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.
The Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County and partners cut the ribbon on The Lindley, a 200-unit high-rise in Chevy Chase, MD. The opening of The Lindley constitutes a net increase of 22 units of affordable housing in the neighborhood. You can watch a time-lapse video of The Lindley’s construction here.
The long-awaited Opportunity Atlas, published today by the Census Bureau in collaboration with researchers at Harvard and Brown, got top billing on today’s homepage of the New York Times’ data-driven digital property The Upshot. “Detailed New National Maps Show How Neighborhoods Shape Children for Life,” includes the new interactive mapping tool, some of the project’s main findings, and examples of the mobility work that public housing authorities are currently doing, and plan to do, with the data. In addition to quoting Raj Chetty, one of the project’s researchers, authors Emily Badger and Quoctrung Bui feature quotes and examples from CLPHA members Greg Russ, Executive Director of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, Andrew Lofton, Executive Director of the Seattle Housing Authority and Andria Lazaga also of SHA who each discussed how PHAs are using the data as part of their Creating Moves to Opportunity (CMTO) work.
Additional news coverage of the Opportunity Atlas includes an NPR segment during today’s Morning Edition broadcast that features interviews with Chetty and local officials in Charlotte, NC, who intend to use the data to shape future policy decisions.
Read the article and use the interactive maps on the NYT website and listen to the Morning Edition story on NPR’s site.
On August 9, HUD sent the 2017 Worst Case Housing Needs Report to Congress, providing national data and analysis of critical problems facing low-income renting families throughout the nation. The report, which is HUD's 16th in a longstanding series, chronicles an increase in severe housing problems, with the number of households considered to have worst case housing needs jumping from 7.72 million in 2013 to 8.3 million in 2015. HUD also reports that, since 2007, the U.S. has seen a 41 percent increase in severe housing problems, and a 66 percent increase since 2001. The Worst Case Housing Needs Report defines households with worst case needs as very low-income renters who do not receive government housing assistance and who paid more than one-half of their income for rent, lived in severely inadequate conditions, or both.
Using data from the 2015 American Housing Survey, HUD found that the economic benefits of an improving national economy are not reaching the lowest-income renter households and that overall severe housing problems are on the rise. The report acknowledges a large shift from homeownership to renting as playing a major role in the increase of worst case housing needs, noting that, "modest gains in household incomes were met with rising rents, shrinking the supply of affordable rental housing stock in an increasingly competitive market."
You can view the 2017 Worst Case Housing Needs Report by clicking here.
On August 1, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing, “America’s Affordable Housing Crisis: Challenges and Solutions.” The hearing focused primarily on the challenge of increasing the supply of affordable housing and strategies to address the significant housing cost burdens faced by many Americans. Senator Hatch opened the hearing, stating that the affordable housing crisis, “is a problem that should be ready for a bipartisan solution.” To view our write-up of the hearing, click here.
To help tackle the affordable housing issues discussed in the hearing, Senators Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) have introduced legislation, S. 548, the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act. The bill would increase Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) credit authority by 50 percent, as well as enact roughly two dozen changes to strengthen the program by streamlining program rules, improving flexibility, and enabling the program to serve a wider array of local needs.
During the hearing, Committee Members expressed their support for the Cantwell-Hatch bill and there was broad bipartisan consensus that the LIHTC program is a vital tool for increasing the production of affordable housing and providing low-income households, safe, quality, affordable homes. However, there were also concerns raised regarding oversight and compliance of the program. Daniel Garcia-Diaz, director of financial markets and community investment at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), presented testimony that IRS oversight of LIHTC is minimal and that there are no robust controls in place to ensure reasonableness of costs or compliance with program requirements. According to Mr. Garcia-Diaz, the GAO recommends that HUD, as an agency with a housing mission, play a greater role in the oversight of the program.
In our Statement for the Record, CLPHA applauded the leadership the Senate Finance Committee has shown in support of LIHTC to date and encouraged the Committee to support S. 548. The bill is especially beneficial to the public housing program, which has experienced decades of underfunding and federal disinvestment. We noted that LIHTC has proven to be an extremely important preservation tool for public housing, and PHAs have a long history of leveraging private equity through LIHTCs to fill the funding gap created by decreased federal appropriations. Without the LIHTC program, preservation of their public housing stock would not be possible.
CLPHA also acknowledged that competition for more valuable 9% LIHTCs is fierce in many states and that there have been concerns within the affordable housing community about increased demand from the public housing portfolio. Increasing the allocation authority by 50 percent would support the preservation and construction of up to 400,000 additional affordable apartments over a ten-year period, including the renovation of vital public housing units that are currently at-risk. Additionally, the legislation allows for an increased basis boost for projects serving extremely low-income households. This would be particularly beneficial to housing authorities, as 75 percent of public housing residents are extremely-low income.
CLPHA has been strongly supportive of the legislation. In addition to the Statement of Record above, CLPHA has also engaged in this work as a member of the A.C.T.I.O.N. Campaign Steering Committee (A Call to Invest in Our Neighborhoods). The A.C.T.I.O.N. Campaign has taken a lead role in promoting the expansion of LIHTC, including support of S.548. Last month the Campaign submitted a letter to Senator Hatch in response to his request for comments on tax reform, urging Congress to expand and strengthen the housing credit. Along with other Steering Committee members, CLPHA endorsed and signed the letter.
As Congress takes on tax reform in the upcoming months, we will continue to support this important legislation that would provide needed resources to public housing. CLPHA members should support the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act by contacting their senators during recess to urge them to support the bill.
Two-Generation Economic Act reflects the cross-sector collaboration that CLPHA’s Housing IsInitiative promotes.
Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) recently reintroduced bipartisan legislation in the Senate, calling for the development of support programs that improve family economic security by breaking the cycle of multigenerational poverty through a comprehensive strategy that addresses the needs of parents and children. The Two-Generation Economic Act of 2017, or S. 435, seeks to align and link existing service systems and funding streams that currently support parents and children separately. Heinrich and Collins believe that aligning the support systems to help parents and children together will increase the whole family’s chances for success in life. The bill also establishes the Interagency Council on Multigenerational Poverty to provide guidance on two-generation programs; establish a system of coordination among agencies and organizations; identify best practices; and identify gaps, research needs, and program deficiencies.
The Two-Generation Economic Act of 2017 is a significant step in the fight against poverty. It would be the first piece of legislation to incorporate a two-generation approach aimed at increasing economic security, educational success, social capital, and health and well-being for parents and children together. In seeking to better align service systems and funding streams, the bill would give states, local governments, and tribes more flexibility to develop programs that meet their specific needs. The approach outlined in S. 435 would greatly improve the effectiveness of service delivery, and it highlights the same principles and goals around which CLPHA’s Housing Is initiative was founded, to better intersect housing and other sectors in order to improve life outcomes. CLPHA has long promoted two-generation initiatives as a best practice and has been a leader in fostering partnerships to encourage innovative solutions to address generational poverty.
The Interagency Council on Multigenerational Poverty will create a national focus on multigenerational poverty by facilitating coordinated efforts across multiple agencies and departments. This interagency collaboration will align and link fragmented systems and funding streams, resulting in holistic approaches that simultaneously address the needs of children and their parents or guardians.
A collaboration that has been in the works for several years, the Two-Generation Economic Empowerment Act includes a balance of input and interests from local service providers, families, administrators, and other stakeholders. Heinrich and Collins hope that this innovative approach will help collectively ensure that people will have an opportunity to use already existing federal resources or attract private investment to implement the two-generation approach in their community, regardless of one’s zip code.
When Senator Collins first introduced the bill, she told the story of a five-year-old girl named Arianna who was homeless, living in a tent with her family outside of Portland, ME. A state social worker worked with the Maine Homeless Veterans Alliance to provide support services to the girl and her family, who are now living in an apartment near where Arianna is attending school. This is a small-scale example of the holistic approach that Collins and Heinrich wish to achieve with their legislation.
“Just as a child’s ZIP code should not determine his or her future success, neither should bureaucratic inflexibility make it so difficult for families to get the help they need to escape intergenerational poverty,” Senator Collins said.
You can learn more about the Two-Generation Economic Act of 2017 by reading this fact sheet that explains the principles of the bill or view a copy of the bill by clicking here.
From WSYR Syracuse:
The five-year anniversary milestone is a measure of success for any kind of event. Now, the Syracuse Housing Authority Youth Basketball Tournament is celebrating just that. It’s all for a good cause: helping at-risk kids create positive and healthy connections.
Last year’s tournament was a big success, and this year, they’re hoping to make things even better. Jalyn Clifford of the Syracuse Housing Authority, along with a player in the tournament, Freddy Fowler for a preview and some practice shooting ahead of the game.
The tournament’s intention is to provide youth at risk of perpetrating or being victims of community violence an opportunity to create positive and healthy connections with adults throughout the city. The Syracuse Housing Authority hopes to use this event as a catalyst initiative to prevent youth violence and exemplify alternative pathways to destructive behavior.
Read WSYR's article "Syracuse Housing Authority hosting 5th annual $10K Youth Basketball Tournament."
From the Housing Authority of New Orleans' newsletter:
On June 18, AARP announced its latest round of Community Challenge grantees, and the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) is proud to share that it has been awarded $15,000 through AARP’s Livable Communities initiatives to develop a community center and computer lab at The Estates in the city’s historic 9th Ward community.
HANO is one of 383 grantees selected nationwide through this program. With this funding, HANO will install new appliances, flooring, and computers, transforming a space at The Estates into a much-needed resource for residents. The newly developed center will offer a place for young residents to do homework or research, adults to apply for jobs, and neighbors of all ages to build digital skills that open doors to new opportunities.
“This grant from AARP means a great deal to us and to the families we serve,” said Marjorianna Willman, Executive Director of HANO. “Access to technology is no longer optional. It is essential. We’re grateful to AARP for helping us create a space where our residents can learn, connect, and grow. This project reflects our shared commitment to strengthen the communities we serve."
The AARP Community Challenge grant program is part of the AARP Livable Communities initiative, which helps cities and towns make quick, meaningful improvements that support people of all ages. Since 2017, AARP has awarded $20.1 million through 1,700 grants in over 1,000 communities across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Read AARP’s full announcement here. Learn more about their Community Challenge program here.
From the District of Columbia Housing Authority's press release:
he District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) is launching an intensive renovation and modernization program for 19 public housing communities that will include both unit renovations and upgrades to building systems. This investment will improve the living conditions in approximately 3,500 units for current and future DCHA residents.
DCHA’s revitalization plan will be funded by $700 million in Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRBs), issued by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) to DC Housing Solutions Inc., an affiliate of DCHA, and $70 million of DCHA’s own funds.
“Our revitalization plan is a promise to our public housing families and the city. With this investment, DCHA will provide safe, quality, affordable homes for thousands of District families for generations to come,” said DCHA Executive Director Keith Pettigrew. “By designing this innovative financing model, DCHA has created a path to better the lives of our current residents and house more families. We are grateful to Mayor Bowser, DMPED and City Council for their support as we work towards our shared goal of preserving affordable housing in our city.”
The 19 public housing communities that are part of the revitalization plan were selected based on a comprehensive assessment of DCHA’s portfolio. The IRB funds will catalyze the work that DCHA already has underway and in turn, accelerate DCHA’s ability to improve the living environments for thousands of public housing residents.
The revitalization plan, which is aligned with Sustainable DC, will also have a significant effect on DCHA operations as the enhanced building infrastructure will create long-term cost savings. It will also help reduce maintenance requests, allowing staff to focus on routine and preventative maintenance work.
“This strategic investment will provide our public housing families with the modern, high-quality homes that they deserve, while supporting DCHA’s long-term financial health,” said Raymond Skinner, chair of the DCHA STAR Board of Commissioners.
The first phase of renovation and modernization work is anticipated to begin in the first quarter of 2026 and will include nine properties: Claridge Towers and James Apartments in Ward 2; Fort Lincoln in Ward 5; Hopkins Apartments, James Creek, Sibley Plaza and Syphax Gardens in Ward 6; Lincoln Heights in Ward 7; and Knox Hill in Ward 8.
The nine communities identified for phase one were selected, in part, because work can begin in vacant units, which minimizes the risk of off-site relocation. The planned work for the phase one communities will involve modernizing and rehabilitating approximately 1,900 units, including accessible units, and upgrading building systems and infrastructure. The specific scope of work for each property will be finalized following resident engagement sessions at the nine communities, which are scheduled to begin this month.
“The revitalization plan is about more than improving the physical structure of our portfolio,” said Executive Director Pettigrew. “By creating healthier homes for our residents, DCHA is ensuring our public housing communities are a foundation that fosters their success and well-being.”
Subsequent phases of the revitalization plan will include 10 other public housing communities: Harvard Towers and LeDroit Senior in Ward 1; Horizon House and Judiciary House in Ward 2; Regency House in Ward 3; Carroll Apartments and Kentucky Courts in Ward 6; Stoddert Terrace in Ward 7; and Highland Addition and Woodland Terrace in Ward 8.
From the New Haven Independent:
Sixty-five more apartments are on the rise in Beaver Hills — at a new complex where most rentals will be set aside for seniors and for residents making under half of the area median income.
That complex, called the West Ridge Apartments, is currently being built at 7 – 17 Stone St., in the shadow of West Rock.
The complex’s lead developers are Giordano, a Branford-based construction company, and the New Haven housing authority’s Glendower Group.
On Monday morning, Mayor Justin Elicker, Elm City Communities/Housing Authority of New Haven President Shenae Draughn, Beaver Hills Alder Brian Wingate, and develepors Sarah and Vincent Giordano III gathered under a tent on the grassy lawn across the street from the construction site to celebrate the new housing project. After a speaking lineup, they moved across the street for a celebratory groundbreaking.
Vincent Giordano III said the apartments — a new seven-story, 64-unit apartment building and an existing, empty single-family house that has been relocated down the block — should be finished and should welcome their new residents by the fall of 2026. The total development cost for the publicly and privately funded 65-unit project is $34.3 million.
Fifty-two of the new apartments will be reserved for renters making no more than 50 percent of the area median income (AMI), which currently translates to $45,500 for a family of two. Thirty-six of those units will be subsidized with project-based Section 8 vouchers from the housing authority, and 16 of the affordable units will be set aside as “supportive housing” with the help of the state Department of Developmental Services. The remaining 13 units will be rented out at market rates.
Read the New Haven Independent's article "Ground Broken On 65 Senior Apartments."
From the Boston Housing Authority's press release:
Mayor Michelle Wu yesterday joined federal and state colleagues and residents of the Mary Ellen McCormack public housing community to celebrate the start of a long-awaited effort to redevelop Boston’s oldest public housing community, breaking ground on the first phase of construction for a new 3,300-unit mixed-income community in South Boston.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, and Congressman Stephen Lynch joined residents and partners near the newly poured footings and foundations for the first apartment building of the project, known as Building A. The 112,000-square-foot structure will provide 94 modern apartments for low-income families currently living at the Mary Ellen McCormack community when it is ready for occupancy in the fall of 2026.
“Mary Ellen McCormack has long been a cornerstone of the South Boston community, anchoring generations of families and helping define what public housing means in our City and country,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Not only are we celebrating the start of this project, but a historic and sustainable transformation led by and for the residents themselves. This project ensures that the residents who have built this incredible community will continue to shape its future for decades to come.”
The groundbreaking marks a milestone for residents as it triggered provisions for the Mary Ellen McCormack Task Force to gain an ownership stake in all 1,016 affordable housing apartments planned for the 30-acre site. The project also features the first-ever underground geothermal heating and cooling system installed in partnership by WinnCompanies and the Boston Housing Authority.
“This is a proud moment for our partnership with Winn, the Boston Housing Authority and our elected representatives. The Task Force and the residents of this community have been preparing for this day for a long, long time. We have shaped every aspect of this first project from the playground equipment in Veterans Park to the layout of the apartments and the interior finishes. We cannot wait to see the smiles on residents’ faces when they move into their new, affordable homes,” said Carol Sullivan, executive director of the Mary Ellen McCormack Task Force.
The redevelopment will replace all 1016 public housing units on site, and all current residents in good standing have a right to return to new apartments. Existing buildings will be demolished in phases as part of a complex relocation strategy operationalized to maximize existing households moving directly into new apartments. The tenant-paid portion of the rent will not change. WinnCompanies will pay for basic utilities for affordable households. The BHA will retain ownership of the land to preserve permanent affordability for low-income families while management, ownership and maintenance of the buildings will be provided by WinnCompanies.
"The Mary Ellen McCormack Complex redevelopment is a great example of the impact our Affordable Homes Act is having to jumpstart construction of housing, rehabilitate public housing, and lower costs across the state,” said Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. "Thanks to the leadership of WinnCompanies, thousands of Boston residents will soon have reasonably priced, modern homes in a vibrant community."
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“For 90 years, the Boston Housing Authority has worked to create and provide quality affordable housing to Boston families. That work began right here at Mary-Ellen McCormack,” BHA Administrator Kenzie Bok said. “It is impossible to overstate how the legacy of this community, once called the Old Harbor Housing Project, has shaped the BHA, the South Boston neighborhood, the City of Boston and the thousands of families who have called this community home across generations. I’m excited to not only see that legacy secured through mixed-income redevelopment, but to know that Boston’s oldest public housing community will now be one of its greenest, safest, and most modern. Our residents deserve no less.”