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David Greer
Director of Communications
(202) 550-1381 or dgreer@clpha.org.
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CLPHA Submits Public Comments Opposing HUD’s Dangerous Non-Citizen Proposal
HUD’s cruel proposal would force mixed-status families to decide between a roof for some, or homelessness for all.
WASHINGTON (July 9, 2019) – The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) today submitted public comments strongly opposing a proposal from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that seeks to eliminate mixed-status immigrant families from HUD-assisted housing, including 55,000 children who are either U.S. citizens or otherwise eligible for HUD assistance.
HUD’s proposal, published in the Federal Register on May 10 for a 60-day comment period, would reinterpret Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act to disallow anyone who cannot verify their immigration status from living in public housing or living in a market-rate apartment with a federal rental subsidy, even if their child or other family members are eligible for assistance. Under current law, rental assistance to these households is prorated and those ineligible for a subsidy pay their portion of the rent unassisted, often at market rates.
“HUD’s cruel proposal would force mixed-status families to decide between a roof for some, or homelessness for all,” said CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman. “This reversal of long-standing policy is antithetical to the mission of public housing, which is to provide safe, affordable housing to very low-income families.”
“We know that stable housing is a platform for improving life outcomes and a foundation for healthy communities. Yet, this proposal instills fear and distrust, and would divert scarce resources, exacerbate the already crisis levels of homelessness, and, in the end, would do nothing to make our communities safer or better off,” said Zaterman.
“HUD’s proposal is contrary to our mission. Our members feel strongly that this re-interpreted regulation is bad public policy and our comments on the proposed rule reflect this,” said Zaterman.
Read CLPHA’s public comments and previous statements on HUD’s non-citizen rule on the CLPHA website, clpha.org.
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 Housing Is Initiative to better intersect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.
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For Immediate Release: July 2, 2019
CLPHA, Housing Experts Discuss Potential Dangers of HUD’s Proposed Housing Assistance Family Rule
A recording of the call is available HERE.
Washington, DC - Earlier today, immigration and housing experts gathered to address concerns regarding a recently proposed rule by the Trump administration that cruelly targets immigrant families to prevent them from receiving federal housing assistance. Experts discussed how the rule, which would affect about 25,000 households, would cruelly impact families of mixed-status.
The rule, the experts noted, would force families apart as they struggled to keep their current housing threatening many with homelessness, including the 55,000 children who are either U.S. citizens or otherwise eligible for housing benefits and who would be separated from their families
Below are quotes from today’s speakers.
Doug Guthrie, President and CEO, Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, said, “If this proposed rule change were to go through it would be devastating for Los Angeles families with mixed immigration status. It would impact as many as 11,600 individuals in assisted housing the majority of whom are young children who are American citizens and it would cost the housing authority millions of dollars. This would likely result in thousands of people becoming homeless at a time when homelessness is already a crisis in Los Angeles.”
Sunia Zaterman, Executive Director, Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, noted, “HUD’s proposal would force mixed status families to decide between a roof for some, or homelessness for all. This is antithetical to the mission of public housing, which is to provide safe, affordable housing to very low-income families. Instead, this proposal would exacerbate crisis levels of homelessness, divert scarce resources from already underfunded public housing authorities, and instill fear and distrust while doing nothing to make our communities safer or better off.”
Diane Yentel, President and CEO, National Low Income Housing Coalition, added, “The cruelty of Secretary Carson’s proposal is breathtaking, and the harm it would inflict on children, families and communities is severe,” said National Low Income Housing Coalition President and CEO Diane Yentel. “Tens of thousands of deeply poor kids, mostly US citizens, could be evicted and made homeless by this proposal, and – by HUD’s own admission – there would be zero benefit to families on waiting lists. This proposal is another in a long line of attempts by the administration to instill fear in immigrants throughout the country. We will not stand for it.”
Arianna Cook-Thajudeen, Bank of America Legal Fellow, National Housing Law Project, said, “The National Housing Law Project opposes this proposed rule because it would have a detrimental impact on the housing stability of millions of families. The federal housing programs in particular serve as a lifeline for many families who are one step away from homelessness. What the Administration is doing is through this proposal is ruthless and reckless. We urge everyone to submit comments to HUD to oppose this rule by July 9th.”
Tory Gunsolley, President and CEO, Houston Housing Authority, remarked, “The current system works. Undocumented occupants are not receiving federal subsidies. The proposed regulations, on the other hand, would cause a needless increase in homelessness and cost the federal government more money. The proposed regulation would force HHA to be an extension of immigration enforcement, a role that does align with our mission to provide safe, affordable housing. It simply doesn't make sense to implement.”
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The Immigration Hub is a national organization dedicated to advancing fair and just immigration policies through strategic leadership, innovative communications strategies, legislative advocacy and collaborative partnerships.
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.
Public Housing Authorities, Community Colleges, College Access Partners Collaborate to Eliminate Barriers to Postsecondary Success
New Report and Recommendations from the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities Highlight Innovative Cross-Sector Collaborations to Improve Postsecondary Achievement for Public Housing Residents and Housing-Insecure Students
Featuring Partnerships in Chicago, Columbus, Los Angeles, Louisville, Tacoma
WASHINGTON (May 16, 2019) – A new report released today from the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA), with support from The Kresge Foundation, showcases the work of five pioneering public housing authorities (PHAs) that are successfully collaborating with postsecondary institutions and local nonprofit organizations to increase college access, retention, and graduation rates for current public housing residents and college students who are experiencing homelessness. “Eliminating Barriers to Postsecondary Success: Cross-Sector Collaborations to Improve Postsecondary Achievement for Students Served by Public Housing Authorities,” identifies key elements of effective cross-sector collaborations and offers a series of recommendations to policy makers, PHAs, and philanthropic foundations seeking to scale, replicate, and invest in partnerships between housing and education organizations.
“The trailblazing public housing authorities featured in our new report, along with their postsecondary partners, are redefining the traditional role of public housing in their communities to reach beyond four walls and a roof,” said CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman. “With combined expertise from the housing and education sectors, two profoundly siloed systems, the partners are breaking new ground to implement targeted interventions that would not be possible without cross-sector collaboration. By documenting the successes, challenges, and future plans of the five partnerships, “Eliminating Barriers to Postsecondary Success” is an instruction guide to practitioners, policy makers, and philanthropy seeking new cross-sector solutions to serve low-income families.”
The report elevates 11 findings from a November 2018 convening in Washington, D.C., where partners from the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), City Colleges of Chicago, and One Million Degrees, and the Tacoma Housing Authority (THA) and Tacoma Community College discussed their work to provide financial support and housing opportunities for residents and housing insecure college students; the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) and partner Southern California College Access Network (SoCal CAN) detailed their program to facilitate the college application and enrollment process among young residents, and the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) and partner Columbus State Community College, and the Louisville Metropolitan Housing Authority (LMHA) with partner Family Scholar House explained their dual generation approaches to ensuring young parents can graduate with a degree.
“Housing insecurity and homelessness can create tragic off-campus barriers to student persistence and success,” said Bethany Miller, program officer with the Kresge Foundation’s Education Program. “But solutions-driven partnerships, including those highlighted in CLPHA’s recent analysis, between postsecondary institutions, government agencies and departments, nonprofit social service providers and public housing authorities can tear down those barriers, ease the anxiety of housing insecurity and help more students persist and succeed in college. We support this work because increased educational attainment among students with limited means is the key to breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty and increasing socioeconomic mobility.”
To announce the release of “Eliminating Barriers to Postsecondary Success: Cross-Sector Collaborations to Improve Postsecondary Achievement for Students Served by Public Housing Authorities,” CLPHA will host a press conference TODAY, May 16, 2019 at 2:30 PM ET during CLPHA's annual Housing Is Summit in Washington, D.C., a two-day meeting devoted to developing and sustaining cross-sector partnerships. The brief press conference will be followed immediately by an on-the-record panel discussion featuring executives engaging in postsecondary partnerships. See below for more details about the press conference and panel, which will both be webcast live at http://bit.ly/2URfFlK.
“Eliminating Barriers to Postsecondary Success” also includes an overview of the federal policies that support and limit postsecondary achievement for students served by PHAs, and profiles of the five partnerships.
Chicago Housing Authority, City Colleges of Chicago, One Million Degrees
“The Chicago Housing Authority is proud to support thousands of residents through CHA scholarships and the Partners in Education program with City Colleges of Chicago,” said Cassie Brooks, assistant director of education for CHA. “In pairing grant aid with individual counseling and holistic student supports from One Million Degrees, we continue toward the goals of increased academic achievement and, ultimately, self-sufficiency. We thank the Kresge Foundation and CLPHA for collaborating with public housing agencies, highlighting resident successes and bringing resident post-secondary programs to the forefront.”
Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, Southern California College Access Network
“The increasing complex college-going process requires students and families today to be well versed in the academic requirements, financial options, and application procedures,” said Alison De Lucca, executive director of the Southern California College Access Network. “The Southern California College Access Network is deeply grateful for the partnership we’ve forged with the Housing Authority for the City of Los Angeles to provide one-on-one college advising at the housing sites. For our students, the pathway starts with a conversation, followed by consistent guidance from a skilled college access counselor. As students are admitted to college with solid financial aid packages and the support they need to succeed, a strong message is being sent to all residents that college and career aspirations are within reach. This cross-sector collaboration demonstrates the readiness and need for continued college access support in place-based settings.”
Louisville Metro Housing Authority, Family Scholar House
"The long-standing partnership Louisville Metro Housing Authority has with Family Scholar House has helped hundreds of parents provide a better life and future for their children,” said LMHA Executive Director Lisa Osanka. “More importantly, this partnership is helping to break the generational cycle of poverty and ensuring that more Louisvillians are able to participate in the economic opportunities that exists throughout our community."
“The partnership between Family Scholar House and Louisville Metro Housing Authority has helped make real the dreams of families who have been in need of the stability that is rooted in safe, affordable housing. For our single parents, pursuing dreams of college graduation and new careers begins with a place for them and their children to call home,” said Cathe Dykstra, president and chief executive officer of Family Scholar House. Stronger and more stable families mean stronger and more stable communities.”
Tacoma Housing Authority, Tacoma Community College
“THA’s partnerships with Tacoma Community College and the University of Washington-Tacoma to house homeless or near homeless students is an excellent investment,” said Michael Mirra, executive director of the Tacoma Housing Authority. These students are determined, but without housing their prospects are poor. The degree they seek is a key to their adult prosperity. And since most of them are parents, this is also an investment in the lives and prospects of their children. That makes these partnerships a very good use of scarce housing dollars.”
What: Press Conference and Panel Discussion Announcing CLPHA’s New Report
“Eliminating Barriers to Postsecondary Success: Cross-Sector Collaborations to Improve Postsecondary Achievement for Students Served by Public Housing Authorities”
When: TODAY, May 16, 2019, 2:30 PM ET
Who: CLPHA, The Kresge Foundation, Postsecondary Partners
Press Conference Speakers
Sunia Zaterman, Executive Director, Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
Bethany Miller, Education Program Officer, The Kresge Foundation
Michael Mirra, Executive Director, Tacoma Housing Authority
Alison De Lucca, Executive Director, Southern California College Access Network
Additional Panelists
Jennifer Thomas Arthurs, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles
Cassie Brooks, Assistant Director of Education, Chicago Housing Authority
Erica Walker, Director of Student Development Projects, City Colleges of Chicago
Where: CLPHA's Housing Is Summit
1616 Rhode Island Ave, NW
2nd Floor, Room B
Washington, DC 20009
Webcast Link: http://bit.ly/2URfFlK
RSVP: Jenny Werwa, jwerwa@clpha.org
MEDIA CONTACTS:
CLPHA: Jenny Werwa, jwerwa@clpha.org, 202-638-1300x120 / 301-641-5557
Kresge: Kelly Leon, ksleon@kresge.org, 248-643-9630
CHA: Molly Sullivan, MSullivan@thecha.org, 312-786-3344
Family Scholar House: Cathe Dykstra, dykstra@familyscholarhouse.org
LMHA: Christi Lanier-Robinson, clrobinson@lmha1.org, 502-609-9141
SoCal CAN: Alison De Lucca, alison@socalcollegeaccess.org, 818-742-5583
THA: Brandon Wirth, bwirth@tacomahousing.org, 253-448-2790
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 Housing Is Initiative to better insect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.
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(Washington, D.C.) October 1, 2021 -- Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement urging Congress not to cut proposed funding for public housing and rental assistance in the Build Back Better reconciliation bill:
“The transformational Build Back Better Act, proposed by President Biden and currently moving through Congress, will significantly expand the nation’s social safety net by providing safe, quality, and affordable housing to millions of low-income and marginalized families. The $90 billion in expanded rental assistance, $80 billion to preserve public housing, and $37 billion investment in the national Housing Trust Fund that passed the House Financial Services Committee in mid-September represents a significant step forward in federal funding for public and affordable housing. These funding levels are appropriate and justified as they finally make up for generations of chronic neglect and underfunding. For this reason, as negotiations about the size of the reconciliation bill move forward, CLPHA urges Congress to retain the funding levels for expanding rental assistance, preserving public housing, and investing in the nation’s Housing Trust Fund.
“Public and affordable housing has suffered under persistent disinvestment for decades. This has left public housing authorities unable to complete capital improvements, which has helped contribute to the loss of 400,000 affordable homes since 1990. Currently only 1 out of every 4 families who are eligible to receive a Housing Choice Voucher are able to access the program because of a lack of funding. This inadequacy of federal resources not only perpetuates the cycle of poverty, but also costs the American economy about $2 trillion every year in lower wages and productivity because of a shortage of affordable housing in major metropolitan areas.
“CLPHA thanks Speaker Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Schumer, House Financial Services Chairwoman Maxine Waters, and Senate Housing, Banking, and Urban Chair Sherrod Brown for championing housing throughout their careers and during the negotiations over the Build Back Better reconciliation process. Now Congress must commit to fully funding public and affordable housing at the levels in the House Financial Services Committee bill.”
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
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(Washington, D.C.) September 14, 2021 -- Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement supporting President Biden’s nomination of Arthur Jemison to be Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): “The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) congratulates Arthur Jemison on his nomination to be Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Mr. Jemison brings deep experience to the assistant secretary position in community development and public housing, including experience with the Boston Housing Authority, a CLPHA member.
We look forward to working with Mr. Jemison to ensure that the vision of President Biden and Secretary Fudge for improving public housing through recapitalizing the public housing portfolio, expanding the Housing Choice Voucher program, addressing systemic racism, and empowering cross-sector partnerships to improve the outcomes for low-income families becomes a reality. CLPHA will strongly support Mr. Jemison throughout the confirmation process.”
Media Contact: David Greer, CLPHA; dgreer@clpha.org, (202) 550-1381 |
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
CLPHA Working with Biden Administration to Speed ERA Fund Distribution (Washington, D.C.) August 27, 2021 -- Statement from CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman on the Supreme Court's blocking of the CDC's eviction moratorium:
“As mission driven organizations public housing authorities believe that keeping residents housed is the most effective policy for the families, communities, and public health safety. Housing authorities continue to take a multitude of steps to keep their residents housed, including connecting residents with legal and relief resources, streamlining the income recertification process, operating rent relief programs, creating partnerships with community service organizations, and so much more. “The most effective lifeline available to tenants and landlords are the significant funds in the Emergency Rental Assistance Program that Congress passed in two tranches late last year and in the first quarter of 2021. CLPHA is working closely with the Biden administration by providing recommendations that will expedite emergency rental assistance as swiftly as possible.” |
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
Scotsman Guide, a resource for mortgage originators, quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman about how President Donald Trump's proposed FY 2020 budget will affect affordable housing in their article "2020 budget: How does it affect the mortgage industry?":
“The administration wants us to think beyond investing in bricks and mortar, and instead think about investing in people. This budget does neither of those things,” said Sunia Zaterman..."The disinvestment in housing and supportive services is a disinvestment in our nation’s most vulnerable populations, including the 2.2 million low- and very low-income families, children, elderly and persons with disabilities who are served by public housing."
Read Zaterman's full statement on Trump's proposed 2020 budget
In yesterday's article "Trust in Public Housing at Stake Over Looming Government Shutdown," YES! Magazine quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman and CLPHA members Kurt Wiest, Bremerton Housing Authority Executive Director, and Mark Gillett, Oklahoma City Housing Authority Executive Director, on how another government shutdown could continue to sow mistrust in public housing authorities (PHAs) and HUD.
Zaterman, who noted that landlords could shy away from participating in voucher programs if there is concern that PHAs will not pay them, asked, “Just the prospect of payments not being made will have a very disruptive impact—will the federal government contract be honored?”
Wiest stressed the importance of PHAs maintaining a good rapport with landlords. “We work really, really hard to have good relationships with local landlords. And if there’s the slightest hint that they won’t get their subsidy payments as promised, it erodes trust,” said Wiest. “And this program operates on trust.”
Gillett added that if PHAs cannot pay their landlords, there could be dire consequences for tenants. “There is a provision in the law saying if a housing assistance payment isn’t paid, it shouldn’t be grounds for eviction,” Gillett said. “But it’s never been tested.”
On January 31, HUD, the City of New York, and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) announced an agreement to address longstanding issues at the housing authority’s properties. The agreement establishes specific requirements and milestones for property improvements and establishes a federal monitor who will be selected by HUD and the Southern District of New York, with input from the city.
On Tuesday, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio appointed Kathryn Garcia, the city’s sanitation commissioner, to succeed Stanley Brezenoff as interim chair until a permanent head of the authority is selected.
Brezenoff, who also serves on CLPHA’s Board of Directors, called the job as NYCHA’s interim chair and CEO, “one of the toughest and most rewarding jobs in America.” In Tuesday’s press release announcing his successor, Brezenoff said, “I will leave this interim role knowing that we are putting NYCHA in very capable hands. I am confident that Commissioner Garcia is the right person to continue our efforts to improve the quality of lives for residents, and preserve public housing for generations to come.”
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette quoted CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman in an article about the government shutdown's impacts on Section 8 Voucher holders if the shutdown continues beyond March 1.
Zaterman said, “Without a guarantee from HUD that funding will be available in March, many [public housing authorities] will need to notify landlords and residents next month that delayed payments are a possibility. Anxious residents and landlords fearful of missed payments, combined with other cascading impacts due to lack of staffing at HUD, including program grants not being renewed and affordable housing development deals not being approved, amount to an unmitigated disaster for millions of low-income families.”
Today, Gray News Bureau published a comprehensive article "SNAP, WIC, Section 8: Separating fact from fiction in the government shutdown" featuring a quote about the shutdown’s effects on HUD programs from CLPHA Executive Sunia Zaterman. Gray News pulled the quote from CLPHA’s January 16 joint press release with the Campaign for Housing & Community Development Funding (CHCDF), of which CLPHA is a member of the Steering Committee.
On the shutdown's effect on housing authorities' future rental assistance payments, Zaterman said, "Without a guarantee from HUD that funding will be available in March, many Public Housing Authorities will need to notify landlords and residents next month that delayed payments are a possibility. Anxious residents and landlords fearful of missed payments, combined with other cascading impacts due to lack of staffing at HUD, including program grants not being renewed and affordable housing development deals not being approved, amount to an unmitigated disaster for millions of low-income families.”
You can read the article via Gray News Bureau TV affiliates:
From the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority's website:
Late last year, the Highrise Health Alliance (HHA) received a $100,000 grant to further its work supporting MPHA resident health outcomes. After spending the last several months listening to residents’ priorities, the HHA is readying its plan to deploy this grant on a series of new and existing programs and initiatives that address residents’ top needs and concerns.
The Highrise Health Alliance is a cross-sector partnership between MPHA and the City of Minneapolis Health Department working to improve the health outcomes of MPHA’s high-rise residents. The $100,000 was granted to HHA members back in late 2023. In addition to the funds, the group was selected to participate in a nine-month leadership development program focused on public health called the Public Health Regenerative Leadership Synergy (PHEARLESS) initiative.
Over the last few months, MPHA resident leader Shirley Brown, MPHA Assistant Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives Rachel Almburg, and HHA members Jennie Meinz and Abdulkadir G. Mohamed have hosted MPHA resident listening sessions and workshops to identify resident health priorities. At the top of that list is improving communication around mental health between residents, building management, and on-site Volunteers of America staff. Additionally, residents expressed wanting additional support for new resident move-ins, especially for those coming out of homelessness and/or housing programs that offered supplemental mental health services.
Hearing this feedback from residents, HHA, through the PHEARLESS grant, is funding three initiatives to meet these needs. It will fund behavioral health peer support groups across at least seven buildings, social connection events initiated by residents, and improvements to new resident move-in materials, staff trainings, and regularly distributed relevant heath information to all residents.
Specifically, more than half of the grant will be directed to continuing behavioral health peer support groups across seven buildings led by Neighborhood HealthSource, MN Recovery Connection, and Volunteers of America. These support groups are already in place and are cultivating ongoing relationships. Funding these groups will ensure the continuation of care as existing grant funding expires. The existing behavioral health peer support groups will not see any lapse of care with the funding source change. Instead, programming will continue as usual for its beneficiaries.
About a fourth of the grant will support social connection events to aid community building and improve mental health. This portion of the funding will work as a mini-grant process, allowing residents to generate event ideas and be allocated funds to carry out the idea. Events may include sponsoring a variety of things from an educational speaker visit or yoga class to bingo or crafts. The HHA plans to start the mini grant application and dispersing process in 2025.
Additionally, small portions of the funding will also support revamping new resident move-in materials and provide supportive behavioral health resources, trainings for staff, service providers, residents on select topics (trauma informed, crisis response, etc.), and the regular distribution of general behavioral health informational resources.
The $100,000 grant covers the cost of programming through the end of 2025. After 2025, the HHA is hoping to fund the programs leveraging existing partnerships and new grant opportunities. With the continuum of programming being a high priority for HHA, future funding options are already being pursued.
From the Saint Paul Public Housing Agency's press release:
On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, officials and staff of the Saint Paul Public Housing Agency (PHA) and Ramsey County will gather at the PHA’s Edgerton Hi-Rise at 1000 Edgerton Street, St. Paul, to celebrate the completed modernization of both elevators there. The entire cost–almost $800,000—was paid by a grant from Ramsey County under its Inclusive Housing Development program. The elevator modernization has been cheered by Edgerton Hi-Rise residents and their families and friends, PHA staff and other service providers who work in the building.
This modernization work was one of six improvement projects in PHA hi-rises that have been funded by Ramsey County in the last two years, through grants totaling $2.25 million. The other five County-funded hi-rise improvements include:
- Seal Hi-Rise Emergency Generator Replacement ($300,000)
- Ravoux Hi-Rise Exterior Sealant Replacement ($250,000)
- Dunedin Hi-Rise Community Room & Community Center Roof Replacement ($350,000)
- Iowa Hi-Rise LED Lighting Improvements - Interior and Exterior ($250,000)
- Hamline Hi-Rise LED Lighting Improvements - Interior and Exterior ($300,000)
“All of the Ramsey County-funded hi-rise improvements are essential work that will preserve and improve these buildings as affordable housing for future generations,” per Louise Seeba, PHA Executive Director. “We could not do this work alone, and we sincerely thank Ramsey County for their partnership!”
Ramsey County also awarded the Saint Paul PHA $3.95 million, most of which came from federal funds, to construct new affordable housing units on PHA property at McDonough Homes and Dunedin Terrace. The County received the funds through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The celebration for these new affordable units will take place at another time.
Scheduled speakers at the celebration event on December 4 include:
- Ramsey County Commissioner and HRA Board Chair Mai Chong Xiong
- St. Paul City Councilmember Rebecca Noecker
- PHA Board Chair Missy Staples Thompson
- PHA Commissioner Leonard Thomas
- Executive Director Louise Seeba
- PHA Maintenance Director Tim Angaran
Schumacher Elevator Co. performed the elevator modernization work at Edgerton, which included replacing most of the elevators’ mechanical and electrical components and installing new cab finishes. The contract included modifications to the building’s architectural, mechanical and electrical components necessary to meet the requirements of the new elevator code.
The PHA intends to complete the Ramsey County-funded improvements in the other hi-rises by early spring of next year.
From the Saint Paul Public Housing Agency's press release:
On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, officials and staff of the Saint Paul Public Housing Agency (PHA) and Ramsey County will gather at the PHA’s Edgerton Hi-Rise at 1000 Edgerton Street, St. Paul, to celebrate the completed modernization of both elevators there. The entire cost–almost $800,000—was paid by a grant from Ramsey County under its Inclusive Housing Development program. The elevator modernization has been cheered by Edgerton Hi-Rise residents and their families and friends, PHA staff and other service providers who work in the building.
This modernization work was one of six improvement projects in PHA hi-rises that have been funded by Ramsey County in the last two years, through grants totaling $2.25 million. The other five County-funded hi-rise improvements include:
- Seal Hi-Rise Emergency Generator Replacement ($300,000)
- Ravoux Hi-Rise Exterior Sealant Replacement ($250,000)
- Dunedin Hi-Rise Community Room & Community Center Roof Replacement ($350,000)
- Iowa Hi-Rise LED Lighting Improvements - Interior and Exterior ($250,000)
- Hamline Hi-Rise LED Lighting Improvements - Interior and Exterior ($300,000)
“All of the Ramsey County-funded hi-rise improvements are essential work that will preserve and improve these buildings as affordable housing for future generations,” per Louise Seeba, PHA Executive Director. “We could not do this work alone, and we sincerely thank Ramsey County for their partnership!”
Ramsey County also awarded the Saint Paul PHA $3.95 million, most of which came from federal funds, to construct new affordable housing units on PHA property at McDonough Homes and Dunedin Terrace. The County received the funds through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The celebration for these new affordable units will take place at another time.
Scheduled speakers at the celebration event on December 4 include:
- Ramsey County Commissioner and HRA Board Chair Mai Chong Xiong
- St. Paul City Councilmember Rebecca Noecker
- PHA Board Chair Missy Staples Thompson
- PHA Commissioner Leonard Thomas
- Executive Director Louise Seeba
- PHA Maintenance Director Tim Angaran
Schumacher Elevator Co. performed the elevator modernization work at Edgerton, which included replacing most of the elevators’ mechanical and electrical components and installing new cab finishes. The contract included modifications to the building’s architectural, mechanical and electrical components necessary to meet the requirements of the new elevator code.
The PHA intends to complete the Ramsey County-funded improvements in the other hi-rises by early spring of next year.
From the Chicago Housing Authority's press release:
The Chicago Housing Authority, The Michaels Organization and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today commemorated the official grand re-opening of Albany Terrace Apartments, a 17-story high-rise community serving seniors with low and moderate incomes that recently underwent an extensive $93 million rehabilitation.
“CHA has an obligation to all residents to ensure that they are living in safe and modern homes. This obligation is especially profound when we talk about our senior residents, who deserve to live in dignity and comfort,” said CHA Interim CEO Angela Hurlock. “The work we did at Albany Terrace represents the kind of improvements that matter to our residents and will make their lives more comfortable. And these are exactly the types of projects that CHA will be doing more of in the future.”
Greg Olson, Regional Vice President of Development for The Michaels Organization, said:
“This revitalization marks a new chapter for Albany Terrace. To the CHA, the city of Chicago, the state of Illinois, HUD, and each private sector partner involved in this revitalization – thank you for ensuring our senior residents can enjoy the modern and sustainable affordable housing they deserve.”
Upgrades to the 350-unit building include both interior and exterior renovations to all apartments and community spaces. Individual apartments have received new flooring, painting, LED lighting, upgraded kitchens and baths as well as HVAC upgrades, including central air conditioning, and new electrical and plumbing replacements.
An on-site management office as well as tenant amenities, including a fitness center, package room, health and wellness center, first-floor laundry facility and community room have been added to the development. Additionally, a third elevator was added to accommodate the building’s 350 apartments.
Exterior renovations include masonry repairs, walking paths, parking lot improvements, and more.
The rehabilitation of Albany Terrace was financed through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) RAD program and support from the City of Chicago and the Chicago Housing Authority. US Bank was the project’s construction lender and tax-credit investor. A joint venture between Skender Construction and Blackwood Group led the rehabilitation efforts. Canopy Architecture + Design served as the project’s architect.
This project follows the recently completed $45 million renovation of Irene McCoy Gaines Senior Apartments, a 150-unit CHA senior property in East Garfield Park. That 17-story building, also more than five decades old, received a comprehensive internal and external renovation and reopened in October 2024.
The Michaels Organization will continue to provide property management services for both Albany Terrace and Irene McCoy Gaines Apartments, ensuring high-quality and long-term affordable housing for Chicago seniors.
From Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's press release:
Mayor Michelle Wu today announced she will be filing a $110 million appropriation to create the City’s Housing Accelerator Fund at the next City Council meeting on December 4, 2024. The new fund is intended to kickstart the production of housing by closing financing gaps for projects that have already been approved but have been unable to start construction. The Housing Accelerator Fund is supported by unrestricted prior-year budgetary fund balance, and the City’s investment will be matched by the Commonwealth’s Housing Momentum Fund. Mayor Wu made the announcement at the Bunker Hill Redevelopment in Charlestown. The mixed-income units already permitted through the Boston Housing Authority’s public-private partnership with Leggat McCall Properties at Bunker Hill will be the first project to benefit from the fund.
“Boston’s housing crisis is the biggest stress on families across our neighborhoods, so we need to do everything possible for more housing and more affordability,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Our Housing Accelerator Fund will wisely use City dollars to jumpstart new projects and then return those funds back to the City once the projects are financed, supporting public-private partnerships for housing, private development, and home ownership. Thank you to City Councilors, colleagues at the state level, and housing partners for collaborating to innovate and find new approaches to meet the needs of our community.”
The Bunker Hill redevelopment project, which broke ground on its first building in June 2023, is a multi-phase public-private partnership among the Joseph J. Corcoran Company, Leggat McCall, the Boston Housing Authority and the Charlestown Resident Alliance (CRA), which will replace 1,100 public housing units with 2,699 units with a mix of public, income-restricted, and market rate rental units. This model of mixed-income housing is ideal for supporting healthy, diverse communities. The project also includes 73,000 square feet of retail and civic uses, off-street parking, and new public open space to support residents and the Charlestown community.
The next building in Bunker Hill’s Redevelopment, which will be funded through the Housing Accelerator Fund, will be a nine-story, 265-unit mixed-income building, including 58 new affordable units. These affordable units will be a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments throughout the building. Like the first building now nearing completion, it will be built to passive house standards, the highest standard for energy efficiency in new construction. Construction is expected to begin in mid to late 2025.