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.
To view all of CLPHA's press releases, click here.
To view all of CLPHA's press statements, click here.
You can subscribe here to our biweekly newsletter, events invite list, and topic specific newsletters. You can also follow us on Twitter at @CLPHA. Or, send us an email with your interests and we would be happy to add you to our press lists.
Thanks again for your interest in CLPHA!
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.
August 10, 2020
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.
- Listen to HousingWire's coverage of our letter in their Daily Download podcast.
- Read HousingWire's article about our letter.
August 3, 2020
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 the Chicago Housing Authority's website:
CHA and the Michael’s Organization celebrated the grand opening of the $45 million rehab of Irene McCoy Gaines Apartments, a 150-unit CHA senior property in East Garfield Park. The 17-story building, more than five decades old, will remain affordable for years to come after work financed through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) RAD program and support from the City of Chicago.
Built in 1964, Irene McCoy Gaines has undergone extensive rehab of all units, including new HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems and new amenity spaces that include a redesigned dining/community room, exterior courtyard, reception areas, meeting, game, exercise and computer rooms and updated laundry spaces.
From the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles' press release:
On Friday, November 15, 2024, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) joined community leaders and elected officials to celebrate the grand opening of the new Watts Los Angeles Worksource Center location, located at 2212 E. Imperial Highway. This enhanced center will serve as a vital resource for career development, providing a range of employment and training opportunities for residents of Los Angeles.
The ceremony was facilitated by Britney Chine, HACLA’s Workforce Development Manager, with opening remarks by HACLA’s Board of Commissioner and Business Agent for Laborers' International Union of North America Local 300, Delfino De La Cruz Jr. followed by inspiring words from Deputy Mayor of Economic Opportunity, Brenda Shockley; the City’s General Manager of Economic & Workforce Development Department (EWDD), Carolyn Hull; State Representative for Watts and parts of South Los Angeles, Assemblymember Mike Gipson represented by Deon Arnold and key State partner the Employment Development Department represented by Ken Gomez; as well as Aysa Evelyn, CaseWork Manager for Representative Maxine Waters.
Attendees were moved by testimonials from David Wyatt and Grandelia Pasillas, who shared how programs like Prison to Employment (P2E) and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) opened new career paths for them. Their stories highlighted the center's role in transforming lives through education, training, services and job support. The ceremony was concluded by Jenny Scanlin, HACLA’s Chief Development Officer who invited the dignitaries to join her in cutting the ribbon to open the new Center.
“HACLA is proud of the thirty-two year history of its Watts/LA WorkSource Center which was started intentionally by the great Mayor Tom Bradley after the 1992 Los Angeles Uprising to address the grave inequities in economic opportunity for residents living in underserved communities like Watts and South Los Angeles,” said Chief Development Officer Jenny Scanlin.
“Thank you to HACLA for their continued commitment to uplifting South LA’s workforce. This WorkSource Center will assist local Angelenos impacted by job insecurity get enrolled into training and support services so they can get on a path to gaining access to employment in industries that will offer financial security and career advancement,” said EWDD General Manager Carolyn Hull.
“We are committed to helping Angelenos connect to new career pathways and access life-changing opportunities,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “The expanded Watts Los Angeles WorkSource Center is not just a resource for the present; it is an investment in the economic future of L.A.”
“The new Watts/LA WorkSource Center will be a crucial investment in our community, providing One-Five and South LA residents with access to essential training and career pathways. This center will open doors for individuals who deserve the opportunity to thrive in careers, strengthening both our local workforce and the families that make this community resilient,” stated the Office of Councilmember Tim McOsker.
“Serving thousands of adults and youth in and outside of HACLA’s public housing and Section 8 programs to successfully upskill, cross-skill and re-skill to enter the workforce, start a business and/or climb career ladders is what the Watts/LA WorkSource Center does best and this new facility will allow us to expand the array of services and offerings our clients deserve,” said HACLA Commissioner De La Cruz.
The event concluded with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, after which guests were invited for a tour of the almost 9,000 square foot center built out with an active computer lab, business center, private counseling space and large training rooms. The center is located on HACLA-owned property shared with a 100-bed Bridge Housing site run by Salvation Army and will be partnering with this shelter as well as other shelter and transitional housing sites to offer easy access to training and job resources for Angelenos coming out of homelessness. Light refreshments and networking continued as guests enjoyed the new indoor and outdoor space.
From the Housing Authority of the City of Austin's press release:
Two significant grants totaling more than three-quarters of a million dollars will help provide transformational services for people assisted by the Housing Authority of the City of Austin.
Through its Austin Pathways subsidiary, HACA plans to increase its efforts focused on providing healthcare, as well as self-sufficiency education. Austin Pathways is a 501(c)(3) organization.
“HACA is always looking to expand the transformative programs that improve health and self-sufficiency outcomes for our families,” HACA President and CEO Michael Gerber said. “We are grateful to our funding partners for supporting our critical wrap-around services that truly improve resident quality of life.
A $500,000 Community Driven Change grant from the St. David’s Foundation will allow for the continuation of the Bringing Health Home (BHH) program. The funding sustains five Community Health Worker positions for two additional years, enabling them to help HACA residents make informed health decisions, creating long-term positive outcomes for historically marginalized communities.
Chronic diseases disproportionately affect low-income communities. In a recent HACA Community Health Needs Assessment, 76% of respondents reported having at least one chronic disease. The nationwide prevalence of diabetes, for example, is around 10.5%, while data from HACA’s assessment reflected rates as high as 36%. The causal relationship between poverty and chronic disease is exacerbated by the fact that, for those in treatment, direct health care costs for a chronic disease average more than $6,000 annually.
Maritza Echavarria is one of many HACA residents who rely on the BHH program.
“It means a lot to me. It helps take care of my disabled son’s needs. Without it, the issues he faces would be a lot more severe,” she said.
“BHH is very good for the community. It helps people feel better for themselves because they know they have someone there who helps take care of them.”
The St. David’s Foundation debuted its Community Driven Change grants in May of this year, focusing on organizations fostering healthier communities and improving access to healthcare. A total of 23 groups received a combined $9.1 million in funding. The grant term begins this month.
Previous funding sources for HACA’s Community Health Workers have included Austin Public Health and United HealthCare.
The second grant, which totals $265,540, comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation.** First-year funding totals $129,381; second-year funding comes out to $136,159.
This grant will jumpstart the second phase of HACA’s evaluation of its self-sufficiency programs, aiming to better understand residents’ needs with an eye towards improving services offered. Self-sufficiency programs focus on job training, childcare assistance, financial literacy and health services.
The funding will also enable HACA to expand its new case management system to more effectively monitor residents’ progress as they utilize the various services that are available to them.
From Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Panda Cares' press release:
Since 2020, Panda Cares Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express, has committed more than $51 million to Boys & Girls Clubs of America to support academic success for young people in Clubs nationwide. Now, the partnership has reached a new milestone with the opening of its 100th Panda Cares Center of Hope at Boys & Girls Clubs of West San Gabriel Valley & Eastside’s historic Estrada Courts Club and public housing project. The newly renovated Center will serve some 150 local youth of all ages, providing them with academic support and programming that sparks joy and fun in a safe and supportive environment.
Intentionally designed to give young people the resources and support they need to develop and improve their academic skills while out of school, Panda Cares Centers of Hope are established within Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation to foster learning and enrichment. This encourages character building, makes academics more engaging, fosters positive relationships, and increases access to opportunities beyond what’s available in school. Utilizing relationship-centered practices that support youth’s individual needs and creates a sense of belonging allows Club members to dream big.
“Boys & Girls Clubs are dedicated to empowering young people to achieve academic success and reach their full potential. These Centers of Hope are already serving over 50,000 youth in hundreds of communities. We are grateful and proud to partner with Panda Cares for the opening of this 100th Center of Hope and the many more still to come,” said Jim Clark, president & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
To support youth on their path to great futures, each Center of Hope, located inside of a Boys & Girls Club, implements Project Learn -- an evidence-informed academic strategy that fosters learning, character development, and, ultimately, career access. This strategy reinforces and enhances what young people learn during the school day through activities such as homework help and tutoring, intentional high yield learning activities and technology access while creating experiences that invite them to fall in love with learning.
“Giving is one of Panda Restaurant Group's core values and we are proud to support Boys & Girls Clubs of America through the Panda Cares Foundation. Our vision for the Panda Cares Centers of Hope is to empower the next generation to reach their full potential. The opening of the 100th Center of Hope at a Boys & Girls Club marks a significant milestone in our shared commitment to investing in America's youth, providing hope and opportunities for communities nationwide,” said Panda Express cofounder and co-CEO Peggy Cherng.
Boys & Girls Clubs of West San Gabriel Valley & Eastside has been a cornerstone of the community since first opening its doors in 1972 and now serves over 11,000 youth annually across its five Club locations. The Estrada Courts Boys & Girls Club location proudly sits in the center of the Estrada Courts public housing project and will utilize its Panda Cares Center of Hope to enhance the academic outcomes of neighborhood youth.
“There’s no better place for the centennial opening than at our Estrada Courts Club, the first Center of Hope located in a public housing site,” said JR Dzubak, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of West San Gabriel Valley & Eastside. “We are excited to witness the positive effects of this incredible resource on our children, who are eager to learn and develop. Together, we will celebrate their achievements and provide support throughout their journey.”
From Home Forward's press release:
U.S. Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-Portland), Home Forward, Urban League of Portland and other project partners celebrated the grand opening of The Fairfield Apartments, a 75-unit permanent supportive housing (PSH) community in downtown Portland. The building, originally constructed in 1911, is a preservation project of Home Forward. Like the old building, the newly renovated property will continue to offer deeply affordable rents. Urban League of Portland will provide culturally specific services to individuals exiting chronic homelessness, with priority given to people in the Black/African American community.
"This project is a testament to the power of community partnerships in addressing homelessness," said Ivory Mathews, CEO of Home Forward. "The Fairfield not only preserves much-needed affordable housing in downtown Portland, but it also ensures that residents will have the appropriate support and services they need to thrive."
The renovation of the building, located in the historically significant LGBTQIA+ district, was made possible, in part, by a $2 million Congressional Direct Spending award secured by U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Rep. Bonamici.
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, who helped secure funding for the project, attended the celebration, saying, "The federal investment in The Fairfield will help address the severe housing needs of our community. We can better support residents in overcoming barriers and achieving long-term stability by providing culturally specific services. In Congress, I will continue to champion housing projects like the Fairfield.”
Fairfield Apartments features 66 single-room occupancies (SROs) and 9 studio apartments, all referred through Multnomah County’s Coordinated Entry system. The building provides on-site property management, security, and 24-hour client-centered supportive services. This ensures residents receive the support they need to remain stably housed. Residents will pay no more than 30% of their income toward rent, with rental assistance provided by HUD.
"As we continue to address homelessness issues, The Fairfield Apartments stands as a beacon of what’s possible when we invest in solutions that provide not just housing, but services that recognize the unique identities, needs and cultures of residents," said Urban League of Portland President and CEO Nkenge Harmon Johnson. "We are proud to be trusted by the public to manage these life-saving programs.”
The project also received substantial support from Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS), the City of Portland, U.S. Bank and Key Bank. Construction and design was led by Walsh Construction and Peter Meijer Architect.
"Fairfield Apartments is more than just a place to live – it’s a vital resource for individuals who have faced immense challenges," said JOHS Director Dan Field "Partnerships like this are what has allowed us to house some 5,500 individuals who were previously homeless."
The City of Portland acquired The Fairfield in 2010 and transferred ownership to Home Forward in 2023 to keep the apartments affordable and complete seismic upgrades and other rehabilitation.
Helmi A. Hisserich, Director of the Portland Housing Bureau, Kanoelehua Egleston, Director of programs at JOHS, and Chelsea Bunch, Director of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at OHCS, also spoke at the event to a crowded room of more than 100 people.
Residents will benefit from proximity to public transit, grocery stores, and other neighborhood amenities.
The ground floor of the building will feature community spaces and three commercial spaces owned and operated by Prosper Portland. The project also preserves affordable housing through the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) conversion, ensuring long-term affordability.