CLPHA Press Room

From  Public News Service:

A coalition effort led by Energy Outreach Colorado has completed a first-of-its-kind multi-family electrification project, replacing gas-powered furnaces and water heaters with new climate-friendly technologies.

Denver is experiencing its second hottest summer on record, and Luke Ilderton - executive director of Energy Outreach Colorado - said many income-qualified residents were living in their basements to escape the heat.

"This housing community didn't have any central cooling," said Ilderton. "We were able to really solve that problem by bringing in this highly efficient all-electric heat pump that is now providing cooling to the residents."

Electrifying the 17 Denver Housing Authority units on the city's west side is expected to improve indoor air quality and lower the health risks associated with living in extreme cold or heat.

It can also reduce methane pollution associated with natural gas, which is at least 80 times more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere than CO2.

Ilderton said the challenges and lessons learned during the project could help retrofit thousands of affordable housing buildings across Colorado with the latest technology, including some 350 buildings similar to the pilot site in Denver.

Read Public News Service's "Colorado's first multifamily housing units upgraded to all-electric."

From Houston Agent Magazine:

The Houston Housing Authority (HHA) recently opened its newest affordable-housing complex, The Lawndale, in Houston’s East End. 

The mixed-income community “is strategically designed to provide accessible, affordable housing for those who are vital to keeping Houston running smoothly,” HHA said in an announcement. Over half of the 106 apartments are set aside for any HHA-qualifying families and residents. 

Units come in one- to three-bedroom floorplans and offer 10-foot ceilings, washers and dryers, granite countertops and chef’s islands. 

Community amenities include a resort-style pool, pavilion with outdoor grilling stations, business center, lounge and dog wash.  

Read Houston Agent's article "Houston Housing Authority opens new affordable-housing complex in East End." 

From Signal Cleveland:

Rental assistance is set to be available at two Cleveland housing developments intended for veterans and their families.

The Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Board of Commissioners approved two agenda items at its Aug. 7 meeting allowing the authority to enter agreements with developers for housing vouchers at two forthcoming projects: 

• Cleveland West Veterans Housing on the West Side

• Emerald Senior Apartments in Glenville

Neither are CMHA properties. CHN Housing Partners is developing Cleveland West Veterans Housing, and it’s teaming up with Emerald Development and Economic Network, Inc. to develop the Glenville property.

Dorivette Nolan, CMHA’s chief of policy, planning and voucher administration, said units are set to be available in fall 2026 at Cleveland West Veterans Housing. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will offer direct referrals.

The Glenville project will feature 62 fully furnished one-bedroom units, Nolan said. She added that units will be available to senior veterans whose income is at or below 50% of the area median income.

Read Signal Cleveland's article "Rental assistance planned for new veteran housing in Cleveland."

From Delaware Public Media: 

The Wilmington Housing Authority’s Wellness Checker Program made over 5,000 wellness check calls during the program's first year.

The program to promote the health and wellbeing of senior residents in Wilmington Housing Authority buildings was free of charge to residents from WHA in collaboration with Mayor Mike Purzycki and Councilwoman Zanthia Oliver.

The program is designed to ensure WHA senior residents are doing well by offering companionship and support, health reminders, regular training and confidentiality and safety.

"You figure somebody is checking on you, make sure you're okay, have you had your medicine, talking about support services, so you need me to call anybody,” said Oliver. “Whatever the issue is, the checker is able to put it in the system, make a call back, maybe for their medicine, maybe for some food. It's just a hands-on resource."

Six Wellness Checker Volunteers make regular wellness check calls to 72 senior and disabled residents across various high-rise buildings.

Read Delaware Public Media's article "WHA Wellness Checker Program provided help for seniors in first year."

From the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority's press release:

2024 is proving to be a banner year for the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA).

CMHA announced today it has closed on financing and will move forward with its plan to build the new Cobblestone Manner community, located at 1050 Lamplighter Drive roughly eight miles south of Columbus, marking the agency’s first-ever development in its 90-year history in Grove City.

The $28.6 million, 82-unit apartment complex will serve low- and fixed-income senior citizens and is tentatively expected to begin construction in September with a grand opening anticipated in 2026.

The new Grove City investment also has helped CMHA surpass an agency record-setting total of $195 million in annual real estate transactions for 2024.

“CMHA’s activities this year have accomplished an unprecedented social and economic impact on our region at a time when the demand for housing at all income levels is at an all-time high in Central Ohio,” said CMHA President and CEO Charles Hillman.

“The need for affordable housing is especially critical for seniors in Franklin County because our elderly population is significantly increasing and is projected to grow for the foreseeable future,” Hillman said.

Studies show safe and stable housing can reduce stress and improve physical and mental health outcomes. Research by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows that affordable housing for seniors can lead to lower hospitalization rates and annual healthcare cost savings of $1,300 per person.

“Our aim with Cobblestone Manor is to promote healthy aging by offering rents that are reasonably priced to lower-income older adults and allowing them to have money left each month to pay for other life necessities,” said Hillman. “Providing affordable housing can help seniors free up resources to spend on other essential needs, like healthcare and food.”

Similar to many Central Ohio suburbs, Grove City’s population increased rapidly during the 1960s and 1970s and has continued to see steady growth. Between 1960 and 2020, the population of Grove City rose from 8,107 to 42,366, based on census data. According to GroveCity2050, the population is expected to increase by at least 15,000 more people by 2050. City officials have noticed a change in demographics in the rising population and are now making housing decisions to meet these needs.

According to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s Insight2050 initiative, the fastest-growing age groups in Grove City are those under the age of 35 and over the age of 55. As of August 07, 2024, Grove City has 12 affordable housing complexes, including 188 federally subsidized section 8 apartments and 755 approved low-income housing units.

CMHA’s introduction of Cobblestone Manor represents a much-needed addition to Grove City’s senior housing inventory.

When construction is completed, the property’s single, three-story building will include 22 apartments reserved for residents below 80% of the Columbus area median income ($55,550 for a one-person household). The remaining 60 apartments will be covered by a federally funded project-based voucher contract that will serve residents designated as extremely low-income below 30% of the area median income ($19,700 for a one-person household).

Cobblestone Manor will offer an array of amenities to its residents, including a fitness center, a community room with a coffee bar, a library, a computer room, a flex-space room, a large covered outdoor patio overlooking a pond, and a paved walking trail that will surround the property.

The CMHA Board of Commissioners voted in April to authorize the issuance and sale of $17 million in general revenue bonds to construct the Cobblestone Manor. Columbus-based Elford Construction will serve as general contractor for the project.

Additional funding support for Cobblestone Manor came from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ($4.5 million), Ohio Housing Finance Authority ($2 million) and the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing ($9.1 million). 

CMHA cites studies that have shown the average age of residents moving into an elderly housing facility is at least 74 years. Recent surveys indicate that 25% of all residents in federally assisted elderly housing need some level of supportive services.

That’s why CMHA will prioritize promoting awareness and encouraging Cobblestone Manor residents to utilize the services offered through CMHA’s RISE (Resident Initiatives for Success & Empowerment) Center. The nonprofit RISE Center, which opened in 2021, is a centralized hub of collaborative services designed to connect Franklin County residents to valuable resources—empowering them to identify, pursue, and achieve their goals.

To further support Cobblestone Manor residents, CMHA has confirmed a formal relationship with the YMCA of Central Ohio that is focused on catering to the needs of the seniors who will be housed within the development. CMHA research shows most older persons have at least one chronic condition and many have multiple conditions. The most frequently diagnosed conditions are arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, hearing impairments, orthopedic impairments, diabetes, cataracts, and other visual impairments.

The RISE staff also will work with other community organizations to coordinate on-site events and activities such as resource fairs, digital literacy programs, and health clinics.

CMHA’s most recent investments come amid a well-documented shortage of affordable housing in central Ohio.

Only 29 affordable housing units are available for every 100 extremely low-income households in the Columbus and Franklin County area. In Franklin County, roughly 54,000 families spend more than half of their income on housing, according to the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio (AHACO).

Rents nationally have risen 14% overall since 2021, going up much more than wages, according to U.S. Census data. Experts say the spike is partly due to landlords making up for their inability to raise rents during the COVID-19 pandemic and current vacancy rates at their lowest point in 35 years, census data show.