Welcome to CLPHA's Press Room
CLPHA experts welcome interview requests from print, radio, television, and online reporters and are happy to provide their insights on issues of public housing and related legislation and policy.
For media inquiries, please contact:
David Greer
Director of Communications
(202) 550-1381 or dgreer@clpha.org.
*Please let us know if you are working on deadline.
To view all of CLPHA's press releases, click here.
To view all of CLPHA's press statements, click here.
You can subscribe here to our biweekly newsletter, events invite list, and topic specific newsletters. You can also follow us on Twitter at @CLPHA. Or, send us an email with your interests and we would be happy to add you to our press lists.
Thanks again for your interest in CLPHA!
Web tool targets idea-sharing and improves cross-sector
collaboration to help low-income families
April 9, 2021
|
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
|
(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
March 31, 2021 |
|
|
(Washington, D.C.) March 31, 2021 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement upon President Biden’s announcement of the American Jobs Plan:
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds President Biden’s transformative American Jobs Plan to reimagine and rebuild the American economy by centering housing as key to accomplishing the administration’s top priorities of economic impact, racial equity, and climate change. The $213 billion to produce, preserve, and retrofit more than one million housing units, with $40 billion targeted at the long-neglected public housing capital needs, is the size and scale that can move the needle on improving public housing infrastructure. CLPHA has called for a 10-year road map to recapitalize the public housing portfolio.
“The centrality of public and affordable housing means its impact reaches beyond shelter. It is also critical to other key elements of the American jobs plan including expanding broadband, improving childcare, and increasing health care opportunities. Public housing authorities are the most efficient delivery mechanism for these critical services because of their understanding of local needs, especially the needs of underserved communities of color. Public housing authorities stand ready to implement the bill when it becomes law.
CLPHA will work closely with Congress to ensure that the housing provisions are fully funded and remain central to the bill.”
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
||
March 11, 2021
|
(Washington, D.C.) March 11, 2021 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement upon President Biden’s signing of the American Rescue Plan Act into law:
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds President Biden for signing into law the groundbreaking American Rescue Plan Act. When combined with the $25 billion in emergency rental assistance in the previous relief bill, the total $45 billion in emergency rental assistance and $5 billion to prevent homelessness is scaled to the enormous scope of the rental crisis with more than 11 million renters behind on rent. The law is also historic in nature as it represents the largest federal investment since the creation of the Great Society programs more than 55 years ago, which launched what is now known as the Housing Choice Voucher program. Estimates show that the American Rescue Plan Act’s war on poverty will reduce the projected poverty rate this year by half. This historic investment in alleviating poverty and expanding housing opportunities constitutes one of the most significant steps towards ending racial inequity since the legislation passed during the Civil Rights Era.
"The American Rescue Plan acknowledges that housing stability for all Americans is essential to the economic well-being, racial equity, and public health of the nation. While this legislation directs critical federal investment to pandemic relief, new transformational federal investments will be needed to address the affordable housing crisis that was only exacerbated by the pandemic, including a 10-year roadmap to recapitalize the public housing portfolio and a permanent and significant expansion of the Housing Choice Voucher program.
"CLPHA looks forward to working with the Biden-Harris administration to make stable housing a reality for all Americans."
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
||
Anthony Scott, CEO of Durham Housing Authority (left) and A. Fulton Meachem, President & CEO of Charlotte Housing Authority (right) in Durham, NC.
CLPHA is pleased to see that our members are visiting each other’s communities to share knowledge, ideas, and best practices for preserving and strengthening their public housing portfolios and resident services.
In August, the Charlotte Housing Authority (CHA) hosted the Durham Housing Authority (DHA) and Durham city officials on a bus tour of Charlotte public housing properties. The Durham delegation also met with CHA staff, board members, and residents to discuss how Charlotte is transforming its housing portfolio and resident services through entrepreneurial efforts in real estate development, bond programs, property management, and family self-sufficiency programs. You can watch a video slideshow of the Charlotte & Durham meeting here.
In October, residents, staff, and board members from the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) traveled to Cambridge, MA to meet with Cambridge Housing Authority staff and tour public housing communities. MPHA learned from Cambridge about their ongoing, comprehensive public housing transformation financed through the RAD program, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and other funding tools. In a post-trip recap, MPHA said their residents expressed the importance of seeing and hearing for themselves that these programs did not result in displacement. In fact, said MPHA, “CHA residents were often able to simply move units and continue living in their building even as the work proceeded around them.” You can watch a video about MPHA’s trip to Cambridge here.
Representatives from the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority on a bus tour of Cambridge Housing Authority properties.
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP)will redevelop the vacant Larimer School, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, into 35 affordable housing units. This project is part of HACP’s larger Larimer/East Liberty Choice Neighborhoods redevelopment plan.
The Otto Bremer Trust awarded a $100,000 grant and a $500,000 low-interest loan to the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA). MPHA will use the loan to support housing authority operations for its 6,000 public housing units and will use the grant to fund construction of the 16-unit Minnehaha Townhomes, slated to open in 2019.
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles alongside partner Meta Housing Corporation, opened El Segundo Apartments and 127th Street Apartments in Harbor Gateway, two new communities offering a combined 160 units of permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless families and individuals.
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), partner Red Eye, Inc., and celebrity guests celebrated the opening of the Watts Empowerment Center Sports Complex at HACLA’s Imperial Courts community with basketball games, soccer matches, a slam dunk contest, and other activities.
From the Housing Authority of the City of Austin's (HACA) press release:
An 8-year, resident-focused redevelopment of the Pathways at Chalmers Courts neighborhood in East Austin culminated Friday with a celebration to mark the completion of one of the largest projects to date for the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA).
The third – and final – phase, the 156-unit Pathways at Chalmers Courts West, was recently completed. Earlier phases – the 86-unit Pathways at Chalmers Courts South and the 156-unit Pathways at Chalmers Courts East – debuted in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
Completing the project in phases minimized resident displacement during the construction process. Combined, the three phases offer 398 mixed-income units. Unit sizes range from 1-bedroom to 4-bedrooms, allowing HACA to serve more families with children who enjoy convenient access to neighborhood schools.
The new Pathways at Chalmers Courts replaces a former HACA office building dating back to the 1980s, as well as the original, 158-unit Chalmers Courts public housing community, which was initially built between 1938 and 1942 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.
“This is a tremendous day for HACA – and for the entire community,” HACA President and CEO Michael Gerber said. “We have more than doubled the total number of units, making it possible to house more of Austin’s families most in need."
“We’ve never rebuilt an entire neighborhood before. HACA worked incredibly hard to get to this point and we’re proud to be able to provide Chalmers Courts residents with beautiful new homes with energy efficient appliances, central air, washer/dryer hookups, free Google Fiber internet and a number of other amenities."
Community features include a first-of-its-kind on-site CommUnity Care medical and dental clinic, expanded Boys & Girls Club, rooftop solar panels, a splash pad and basketball court.
Local and federal officials were on hand for the celebration, including U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and District 3 Austin City Councilmember José Velásquez.
Pathways at Chalmers Courts is located in Velásquez’s Council district.
“Affordability is the most pressing issue facing the City of Austin – the urgency cannot be minimized,” Velásquez said. “I’m grateful to see Pathways at Chalmers Courts going up in District 3, helping the Austinites I serve each day by offering 300-plus units of affordable housing. We need more of it! And that’s what I’m fighting for.”
Other officials on hand include new Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Regional Administrator Candace Valenzuela and HACA Board of Commissioners Chairman Carl S. Richie Jr. and Board Member Mary Apostolou.
“It has been an honor and a pleasure to watch the transformation of Chalmers Courts,” Richie said. “We’re not stopping here though. We’re committed to East Austin. We’ve got the Rosewoood Courts redevelopment already under way, with Santa Rita Courts set to follow soon after."
Innovative federal housing programs made it possible to expand and modernize Chalmers Courts. Texas-based Carleton Companies was HACA’s development partner for all three Pathways at Chalmers Courts phases. Austin-based Nelsen Partners served as architect for the Chalmers Courts redevelopment.
“The new construction at Chalmers Courts substantially improves overall living conditions, making it possible for children to continue attending their neighborhood schools, and further helps strengthen the community ties among all the residents,” said Printice Gary, Managing Partner for Carleton Companies. “Carleton Companies couldn’t be happier to be a part of the neighborhood renaissance at Chalmers Courts.”
From WTKR 3 News Norfolk:
If you live in neighborhoods like Huntersville, Franklin Arms or Calvert’s Square, running basic every day errands can be a real challenge, with the closest grocery store in some of these communities sitting multiple miles away. This is even more of an issue for seniors and for residents who can’t drive. Luckily, the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority is stepping in to help.
On Wednesday, a bus of more than 100 people pulled up to the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office Senior Fest at the Chartway Arena, with some coming from these neighborhoods.
“It was good and I got to see sections of the town that I’ve never scene before,” said one Norfolk resident, Geraldine Jennings, when talking about the bus ride.
Jennings says she finds it hard to run some errands in her community because she can’t drive and has trouble walking.
“We can’t walk to the store and then our scooters don’t hold that much,” she told News 3.
To combat the problem, the NRHA teamed up with Agape tours to bus residents for free to the supermarket and to certain special events like the senior expo.
“There’s not a lot of food, healthy foods, for them to be able to access in that immediate area. So having the transportation, it provides them the opportunity to get the things they need,” said NRHA’s Community Relations Manager, Corey Brooks.
Brooks says these trips aren’t just vital for the physical health for the people in these communities, but also their mental health, as seniors tend to live more isolated lives.
From WTKR News Norfolk's article "NRHA offering free rides to residents in Norfolk food deserts."
From WAVY 10 News Norfolk:
Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA) partnered with the United Way of South Hampton Roads and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern Virginia for a Born Learning Trail in Grandy Village.
Serving as an educational resource and an opportunity for community engagement, the Born Learning Trail is set to promote early childhood literacy, education and parental involvement.
Residents of all ages will notice colorful shapes, images and numbers painted on the sidewalk while walking the Born Learning Trail. There’s also a series of 10 signs that encourage specific learning activities like counting, identifying colors or learning about nature.
“The Born Learning Trail will give the Grandy Village’s families and children opportunities to connect and learn about nature,” said Raytron White, president of the Grandy Village Tenant Management Council. “It’s a perfect opportunity to have fun learning while improving health.”
Read WAVY 10 News' article "Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority to Unveil Born Learning Trail in Grandy Village."
From KEYT News:
The Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura has started construction on the Valentine Road Apartments in Ventura.
“Homelessness is one of the most vexing issues in California, particularly in Ventura we are no different than other cities and we we play a role and trying to solve homelessness in Ventura … one way of doing that is providing safe housing for those that are currently experiencing homelessness," said chief executive officer Jeffrey Lambert of the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura.
The housing authority secured about $32 million through the state’s HOMEKEY program to acquire the former La Quinta Hotel.
Crews are repurposing the hotel to provide more housing for the community.
“We decided to get into the homeless solution business a couple years ago … and we’ve done it in small pieces across our properties. this is the first time we’ve taken an entire property just to solve the homeless crisis Ventura," said Lambert.
Read KEYT News' article "Local housing authority beginning construction of the largest HOMEKEY project in Ventura County."
From WANE 15 News:
Fort Wayne Housing Authority broke ground on a housing development Tuesday that aims to provide supportive housing for at-risk individuals and adults facing chronic homelessness.
The project, named Hillcrest Commons, will demolish the vacant Hillcrest School and provide 24 one-bedroom units that will be subsidized through vouchers from Fort Wayne Housing Authority. Parkview Behavioral Health Institute will also provide “supportive services.”
“There is a real need for supportive housing in our nation, and Hillcrest Commons will provide a solution for families in our community who need critical wraparound services, which will help reduce cases within our city,” said George Guy, CEO and executive director of Fort Wayne Housing Authority.
The housing development will also provide a community space with a kitchen, fitness room, meeting rooms and shared laundry facilities.
Read WANE 15 News' article "Fort Wayne housing development aims to support ‘chronically homeless.’"