Welcome to CLPHA's Press Room
CLPHA experts welcome interview requests from print, radio, television, and online reporters and are happy to provide their insights on issues of public housing and related legislation and policy.
For media inquiries, please contact:
David Greer
Director of Communications
(202) 550-1381 or dgreer@clpha.org.
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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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Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Renowned Physician Dr. Camara Jones to Present Keynote Remarks
WASHINGTON (May 9, 2019) – Collaborators from the housing, health, and education sectors will convene in Washington, D.C., May 16 and 17 for the fifth national Housing Is Summit hosted by the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA). The event, featuring plenary sessions devoted to ending intergenerational poverty and keynote remarks from Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and renowned physician Dr. Camara Jones, will bring together 300 policymakers, practitioners, advocates, and researchers who are committed to developing cross-sector partnerships that improve life outcomes for residents of public and affordable housing.
“Housing is essential, but not sufficient to help low-income families thrive and break the cycle of intergenerational poverty,” said CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman. “CLPHA, through our Housing Is Initiative, fosters connections between housing providers and health care systems, schools, and community organizations to develop targeted interventions that support families served by public housing authorities. The Housing Is Summit celebrates these partnerships, encourages peer-learning, and highlights the complementary roles local innovation and national advocacy play in developing cross-sector solutions to our greatest collective challenges.”
The Summit opens on May 16 with keynote remarks from Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), a long-time activist and champion of ending childhood poverty. Rep. Lee recently worked to secure funding for the congressionally-commissioned landmark study, A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty, which was published in February by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
During a plenary session following Rep. Lee’s remarks, Christine James Brown, chief executive officer of the Child Welfare League of America and a member of the board of the National Academies will present A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty and the authors’ two packages of policy proposals that would reduce child poverty by 50 percent over the next decade.
Joining James Brown for the plenary, the lead author of the groundbreaking article, A Universal Child Allowance: A Plan to Reduce Poverty and Income Instability Among Children in the United States, Dr. Luke Shafer, associate professor for social work and public policy and director of poverty solutions at the University of Michigan, will discuss the significant impact that a universal child allowance of $250 per month could have on the overall health and well-being of children of all incomes, but especially those living in extreme, $2 per day, poverty.
A second plenary session on Thursday will feature David Williams, policy director of Opportunity Insights, the research group led by Dr. Raj Chetty, who will explore how housing mobility research can guide policy and practice.
The first day of the Summit will also include a press conference at 2:30 PM ET announcing the release of CLPHA’s upcoming report, Eliminating Barriers to Postsecondary Success, which profiles the work of five public housing authorities who are collaborating with college access partners and community colleges to increase postsecondary educational achievement for low-income residents and college students experiencing homelessness. Bethany Miller, education program officer with The Kresge Foundation, will moderate a discussion following the press conference with panelists from public housing authorities and postsecondary partners who are participating in this work.
Additional breakout sessions include presentations from national partners and public housing project leads involved in an innovative multi-state, multi-sector collaboration between public housing authorities and UnitedHealthcare (UHC) Medicaid managed care plans. They will discuss their project, Improving Health by Aligning Housing and Health Systems, which is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and uses data and analytics to develop place-based health interventions.
Day two of the conference opens with a keynote presentation from Dr. Camara Jones, a senior fellow at Morehouse School of Medicine and recent past president of the American Public Health Association, who will address the systemic, structural racism and other inequities that underlay health disparities and how the social safety net can be strengthened with this understanding.
Attendees will next participate in their choice of peer-to-peer working roundtable discussions on topics such as data sharing with anchor institutions, educating homeless youth, and using technology to address resident health needs.
Afternoon breakout sessions will feature Dr. Craig Pollack, associate professor of health policy and management at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in a panel discussion with researchers who are evaluating the impact of cross-sector interventions to improve health outcomes; a discussion among representatives from public housing authorities and the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Health and Human Services who are working to support long-term housing stability for people who are particularly vulnerable to homelessness; and a case study of the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s early childhood education collaboration with Duquesne University and ABK Learning and Development Center to improve life outcomes for residents.
The conference will conclude with a closing plenary session devoted to the role of philanthropy in forging innovative cross-sector collaboration to create long-term change. Representatives from The Gates Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, and Melville Charitable Trust will discuss current projects and impact-investing strategies aimed at expanding opportunity and improving long-term life outcomes for lower-income individuals and communities.
The complete Housing Is Summit agenda is available on CLPHA.org.
Many of the conference sessions will be webcast live at the following links:
May 16: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM ET, LIVE WEBCAST
May 17: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM ET, LIVE WEBCAST
Registration for the Housing Is Summit is currently closed. Members of the media who would like to attend the Summit should contact Jenny Werwa at jwerwa@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 work 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 28, 2021 -- Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) Executive Director Sunia Zaterman released the following statement applauding President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better announcement this morning: “The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds President Biden’s announcement of a $1.85 trillion reconciliation framework with $150 billion targeted to affordable housing, the single largest investment in public housing ever. “For decades, millions of public housing residents have suffered from chronic disinvestment in their neighborhoods, exacerbating health, safety, climate risks, and racial inequities. The Build Back Better Act is historic and transformational in its comprehensive long-term approach by making public housing safe and sustainable for generations to come and significantly expanding rental and homeownership assistance. Stable, affordable housing is foundational to the health and economic well-being of all Americans and to our nation as a whole. This unprecedented and long overdue investment in the preservation and expansion of affordable housing, coupled with the Build Back Better Act’s other investments such as universal prekindergarten, the child tax credit, and climate change remediation, will have an historic impact on reducing poverty and improving the climate. “The Biden administration is delivering on a promise that has been decades in the making. CLPHA strongly supports the Building Back Better Act as a history-making investment in public housing and expanding housing opportunities.”
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(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
October 28, 2021 |
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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.) 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
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The Department of Housing and Urban Development today issued additional information about HUD’s contingency plan so that PHAs administering the HCV program may access their HUD-held Housing Assistance Payment Reserves (HHR) under certain circumstances due the lapse in appropriations.
According to the letter, HAP renewal funds and Administrative Fees are scheduled to be paid on time for February, but HUD recognizes that the funds may not cover the monthly HAP needs as a result of additional leasing or costs.
HUD will allow access to HHR funds in situations where the failure to act “would result in an imminent threat to the safety of human life or the protection of property.”
PHAs may request HAP reserves from HUD under the following circumstances:
- To protect families that are imminent risk of termination of assistance; and/or
- PHAs that were eligible to receive a payment for January 2019 and did not receive it (e.g. first time RAD payments for a project) and need reserves to ensure that the property owner(s) receive(s) a HAP payment to continue assistance and protect the residents at the property.
Read the letter for instructions to request an additional payment covered by the HHR.
For more information on the shutdown’s impact on public and affordable housing, join today’s national conference call at 4:00 pm ET for insights from CLPHA and other housing industry experts. Click here to register.
As the partial government shutdown continues and creates more uncertainty for public housing authorities, CLPHA is collecting information on the impacts and effects of the government shutdown on housing authorities and residents.
We are particularly interested in examples regarding landlord willingness to accept new vouchers from HCV participants, and PHA decisions around issuing new vouchers.
We will be sharing your feedback with our media contacts and coalition partners (please let us know if you do not want your PHA’s name identified).
Please send any information to Emily Warren at ewarren@clpha.org as soon as possible.
CHCDF National Call to Learn About the Impacts of the Government Shutdown
CLPHA, as a member of the steering committee of the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding, will be participating in a national conference call on January 15 at 4:00 PM ET to provide updates on the latest information and guidance on how advocates can engage lawmakers to help end the shutdown.
In response to a January 5 Washington Post article focused on new research about where voucher holders live, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman submitted a Letter to the Editor to emphasize examples of PHAs’ innovative housing mobility strategies. Although edited significantly for length, the version published in print and online describes landlord recruitment and retention efforts, and calls for additional local flexibilities and sufficient federal funding.
Today, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman was quoted in Affordable Housing Finance discussing how the shutdown threatens the stability of low-income households. Though HUD has prepared payments for housing vouchers and the public housing operating subsidy through February, Zaterman notes that the “existential threat” for voucher holders looms given the uncertainty of when the shutdown will end. If housing authorities cannot utilize HUD funding after February, there is a risk that that they will not be able to pay landlords and that landlords will subsequently begin to evict voucher-holding tenants.
Zaterman added that as HUD funding remains suspended due to the shutdown, local housing authorities are growing increasingly concerned about how they will maintain properties, make repairs, and pay employees.
CLPHA will continue our advocacy in support of PHAs and will provide members with additional news about the shutdown as we learn it.
From the Housing Authority of Snohomish County's press release:
On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, the Housing Authority of Snohomish County (HASCO) held a groundbreaking ceremony for Leonard Crossing Apartments, a new 124-unit development in Marysville. The project aims to address the growing demand for affordable housing and will feature a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom units designed to accommodate a variety of household sizes and needs.
The development will sit on a 4-acre parcel of land close to downtown, grocery stores, and medical services located across the street from Marysville Cedar and Grove Park & Ride. In addition to its convenient location and quick access to I-5, the property will have onsite management, a clubhouse with lounge space and kitchen, an exercise room, game room, & bike storage.
HASCO’s CEO, Laurie Olson, extends her gratitude to the City of Marysville, Snohomish County Treasurer, the Community Foundation of Snohomish County, Washington State Housing Finance Commission and Washington State Department of Commerce, “We are thrilled to celebrate our 55th anniversary by adding new homes to the Marysville community and are thankful to each of our partners that helped make this happen.”
Initially established in 1971 to address the housing needs of senior citizens, HASCO celebrates 55 years of business this year with a portfolio of over 2,600 units of housing and 4,300 housing choice vouchers.
Snohomish County Treasurer, Brian Sullivan, is excited to achieve a first-of-its-kind accomplishment for Snohomish County, “It has always been my goal to create affordable housing programs. The Snohomish County Treasury is the first in the State of Washington to bring taxpayer dollars for affordable housing supporting Leonard Crossing. I look forward to future projects using the Treasurer's Community Investment Program.”
The City of Marysville is anticipated to outpace Snohomish County in growth. Over the next two decades, the population of Marysville is projected to rise by approximately 27,500 residents, bringing the total to nearly 100,000—a growth rate of 41%.
“We’re excited to continue the partnership with HASCO to bring much-needed affordable housing to Marysville in the most efficient and timely manner possible.” says Keith James, a representative from the Inland Group.
The Inland Group is set to begin construction on the property this year, with leases starting by 2028.
From the Brookline Housing Authority's press release:
On Monday, June 8, Brookline Housing Authority held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of its newly constructed 32 Marion Street building. The event included a speaking program, official ribbon cutting, and tours of the building. 32 Marion Street is an affordable rental building with 115 units designated for seniors and people with disabilities. It replaces the Colonel Floyd Apartments; an inaccessible and obsolete 60-unit federal public housing development originally built in 1959.
Construction began in late 2023 and BHA welcomed the first residents in May 2026. About 40 households occupy 32 Marion Street thus far, with new residents moving in every day. The project would not be possible without the support of partners and funders, many of whom will speak as part of the ribbon cutting event. Funders and partners include:
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- MA Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities
- Town of Brookline
- National Equity Fund (NEF)
- MassDevelopment
- Rockland Trust
- Massachusetts Housing Partnership
- Eastern Bank
- CEDAC
- MassHousing
- Dorfman Capital
- BlueHub Capital
The building was designed by Davis Square Architects and constructed by general contractor Delphi Construction. WaypointKLA served as Owner’s Project Manager. Housing Opportunities Unlimited (HOU) supported resident relocation.
Additional speakers scheduled for the event include MA Senator Cynthia Creem; MA Representative Tommy Vitolo; Chair of the Brookline Select Board, David Pearlman; Chair of BHA’s Board of Commissioner, Susan Cohen; HUD Regional Administrator Michael Banks, EOHLC Deputy Secretary Jennifer Maddox, and 32 Marion resident and former BHA Commissioner, Barbara Dugan.
32 Marion Street is built to passive house standards and in process for Phius certification. Continuous insulation, triple-pane windows, and heat-recovery ventilation work to reduce energy consumption and provide fresh air to units and common spaces. The building systems are all fossil-fuel free, with heat pump domestic hot water and all-electric heating and cooling systems. An approximately 85 KW solar array on the roof creates renewable energy used on site.
The state-of-the-art 32 Marion Street also features ample shared amenity spaces designed to foster community and enable healthy lifestyles. Common areas include a fitness room, communal food area, game room, media room, rooftop balcony, outdoor patio, indoor porch, and two multipurpose/flex spaces. Residents will benefit from programming in these spaces organized by BHA’s resident services partner, Hebrew SeniorLife.
BHA Executive Director, Ben Stone, served as the emcee for the ribbon cutting event. He remarks, “BHA is so excited to open 32 Marion, the first new housing BHA has built since 2015 and the largest affordable housing development in Brookline in almost 50 years. These projects really take a whole community, and we are grateful for all our partners – residents, neighbors, funders, contractors, and more – for making these homes for 115 households a reality.”
From the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority's website:
Last week, The Minneapolis Foundation announced a grant award of $400,000 to Stable Homes Stable Schools (SHSS) through the foundation’s OneMPLS Fund. The award is part of a larger $500,000 grant to Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), supporting housing stability programming designed to support educational outcomes and end cycles of generational poverty for students and their families over the next two years.
With SHSS experiencing a significant increase in referrals in recent months, the funding comes at a critical time. The $400,000 granted funds will support the expansion of program eligibility to families earning below 50 percent Area Median Income (AMI), up from less than 30 percent AMI, ensuring that more children at risk of housing related educational disruptions are able to fully engage in their lessons and classrooms.
Stable Homes Stable Schools is a pioneering partnership between MPHA, the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, and MPS, along with the YMCA of the North as the service partner, working to reduce homelessness among families with elementary-aged kids in Minneapolis and improve immediate and long term educational outcomes for students impacted by housing instability. The program is a holistic approach to addressing homelessness through prevention (emergency short- and medium-term assistance) and intervention (multi-year rental assistance and support services). Since 2019, more than 7,500* kids and 2,700* families have benefited from the program.
More than 2,360* families, like the Alexander family, have received emergency short- or medium-term assistance through SHSS’ housing stabilization program. Housing stabilization helps families avoid homelessness with emergency assistance which could include back pay of rent, helping pay for fixing a car needed to get to work, or other forms of assistance to keep families in their current housing. This tool is key to preventing homelessness before it happens and has helped 6,500* children avoid homelessness since SHSS’ inception.
Another 340* families, like the Albert and Lige families, have received multi-year rental help through SHSS’ housing placement and support program. This multi-year rental assistance and wraparound services help families escape or avoid homelessness and aids them in securing stable, long-term affordable housing. This includes housing search and tenant education to secure affordable housing in the private rental market. Beyond financial support, SHSS provides one-on-one case management services addressing families’ financial empowerment, tenant readiness, and education and employment development. This combined approach helps families remove barriers to housing stability and prepare them for self-sufficiency.
This $400,000 award from the Minneapolis Foundation builds on numerous grants and funding awarded to SHSS in 2025. Recent awards include a $900,000 from Minnesota Housing, $350,000 from the Pohlad Family Foundation, and the City of Minneapolis providing both a one-time and annual increase of $1.4 million, replenishing the program’s reserves while also bringing the city’s annual funding contribution to $3.6 million.
From Fort Worth Housing Solutions' press release:
Fort Worth Housing Solutions (FWHS) announced today that it is breaking ground on phase five of a six-phase housing redevelopment initiative to transform the Stop Six community.
FWHS and the City of Fort Worth were awarded the initial grant funds to begin the transformation of the neighborhood by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Choice Neighborhood grant program in 2020. Over the past six years, the plan has been progressing to create a more vibrant and sustainable community in the historic Stop Six neighborhood.
The plan is aligned with the three core goals of HUD’s Choice Neighborhood grant program:
- People: Improve outcomes of households living in the target housing related to employment and income, health, and education
- Housing: Replace distressed public and assisted housing with high-quality mixed-income housing that is well-managed and responsive to the needs of the surrounding neighborhood
- Neighborhood: Create the conditions necessary for public and private reinvestment in distressed neighborhoods to offer the amenities and assets, including safety, good schools, and commercial activity, that are important to families’ choices about their community
Named after Robert Hughes, the legendary Fort Worth ISD basketball coach and winningest high school boys basketball coach in U.S. history, Hughes House II is the largest of three construction phases. When complete, the development will provide 542 mixed-income units where the former Cavile Place public housing community once stood.
FWHS broke ground on the first phase of Hughes House units in 2023 and welcomed the first group of residents in 2025.
The groundbreaking of Hughes House II will take place on June 2, 2026 for the 302 units, which includes 1-4 bedroom unit options with a mix of permanent supportive housing, tax credit units, and market rate units.
“The Stop Six transformation has provided a meaningful impact to our residents,” said Deborah Peoples, Fort Worth City Councilmember for District 5. “All of the hard work that Fort Worth Housing Solutions, city staff, and community members have contributed to this collaborative effort is providing better housing, education, supportive services, and quality of life for our neighbors. I’m excited about this next phase of development at Hughes House and am proud to support this transformation plan.”
The broader Stop Six Choice Neighborhood Initiative also includes a community hub for recreation, education, health services, job training, and commercial space. In 2025, CVS Health opened the CVS Workforce Innovation and Talent Center in the community in partnership with FWHS. The center features a CVS pharmacy classroom that replicates a real CVS pharmacy where students train to work in pharmacy settings. Aetna also provides access to health education, assistance with navigating benefits, and health screenings at the on-site Community Resource Center. This investment builds on CVS Health and Aetna’s long history of community support in Texas. To date, CVS Health has invested $234 million in affordable housing across the state, helping to create or preserve nearly 14,000 affordable units.
“CVS Health is proud to be part of the Stop Six Transformation plan,” said Keli Savage, Vice President, Real Estate and Impact Investments at CVS Health. “Housing and stable employment are intrinsically connected to health and wellness and our collaboration with Forth Worth Housing Solutions is a powerful example of what can be achieved through community-driven investments and programs.”
The U.S. Housing and Urban Development seeded this transformation initiative with a $35 million Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant awarded to Fort Worth Housing Solutions and the City of Fort Worth in 2020. In all, the initial HUD grant is expected to trigger more than $345 million in investment and improvements for the Stop Six community.
“Breaking ground on phase five of this six-phase housing transformation initiative is a huge milestone for our community and our team,” said Mary-Margaret Lemons, President of Fort Worth Housing Solutions. “Our team is honored to bring the transformation plan to life, realizing the vision of the residents and community leaders of the historic Stop Six neighborhood. These efforts will provide a positive impact for decades to come.”
The Reno Housing Authority is expanding their permanent supportive housing with a groundbreaking ceremony for their newest development called "Hope Landing."
It will be a 15-unit development and a chance to provide even more stability, resources, and opportunities to thrive for their residents who have experienced homelessness.
Dr. Hilary Lopez, executive director for the Reno Housing Authority, says, "We know that there's a dire need for all types of affordable housing throughout our community, and Hope Landing will provide specifically 15 units of permanent supportive housing targeted towards those who are chronically homeless and have incomes at or below 30% of area median incomes... some of our most vulnerable community members."
She speaks on the resources they provide as well.
Some of the things that make Hope Landing so special are that we're not only able to provide permanent, long-term, quality, affordable housing, but it will also include onsite supportive services. And so, residents who live here will be able to access case management workforce development assistance and other types of supportive services."
Dr. Lopez tells us for these projects, collaboration is key. They were able to access funding for the development of the project but also for the resources they provide.
"We're very fortunate that we were able to access a variety of different funds to really make this project come together for the development piece. We were able to work with our board to utilize some of Reno Housing Authority's own funds made possible through our federal funding streams for this project as well as money through the state of Nevada."
They anticipate it's going to take about 12 months to bring this project to finality and start leasing.
"We're going to be demolishing the current structures within about the next two weeks and then moving right into construction, about a 12-month construction schedule, so again, just looking forward to welcoming the first 15 residents here in spring 2027."