CHA RECEIVES NEW ALLOCATION OF STABILITY VOUCHERS TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the release of 3,300 newly created Stability Vouchers. Stability Vouchers are a special allocation of Housing Choice Vouchers that allow people experiencing homelessness to obtain and afford housing. CHA was awarded 165 new stability vouchers. These new vouchers are in addition to the $60 million award granted to the City of Chicago by HUD secretary Marcia Fudge during a visit in February. As with the Emergency Housing Vouchers announced in 2021, CHA will work with the Chicago Continuum of Care to distribute the new stability vouchers. In 2022, CHA led all large PHAs nationally in leasing EHVs.  “Housing with supportive services is what solves homelessness, but people in unsheltered settings and in rural areas have not had access to those solutions,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “The combination of these grants and vouchers will help and give the communities tools they need to help people who are living on the streets, in encampments, under bridges, or in rural areas obtain permanent housing.”

RESIDENT SPOTLIGHT: CHA HIRING EVENT LEADS TO JOB WITH WALSH CONSTRUCTION Jamara Fleming had been going through a rough time. She had a crisis with her infant son and didn’t have a stable job. That’s when she decided to attend a Metropolitan Family Services job-ready program that led to a carpentry certification. A pivotal conversation with her cousin convinced her to attend a CHA hiring event that ultimately led to a job as a Project Safety Manager’s Assistant at Walsh Construction. On the job now for seven months, her situation with her son has stabilized, and she is about to move into a new West Side apartment with a Housing Choice Voucher. “I see myself becoming a Regional Manager one day, working at multiple sites and bringing more people together,” she said.

UIC GRAD STUDENTS WIN FIRST PLACE IN HUD COMPETITION BASED ON CHA SITE

A team from the University of Illinois at Chicago are the winners of HUD's tenth annual Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Design and Planning Competition. For the 2023 competition, HUD partnered with CHA to challenge four graduate teams from around the country to innovatively address the needs of a vacant building and underdeveloped CHA site, located at 420-430 W. North Avenue. This year’s other finalist groups were from Harvard University, the University of Texas and the University of Maryland.    The student teams were tasked with balancing the needs of the community with the amenities needed on the site, all while maximizing the number of affordable units and ensuring congruity with the surrounding neighborhood. Teams were also asked to align their final proposal elements with the City of Chicago's Climate Action Plan.   On April 12, the four finalist student teams presented their final projects to a jury of practitioners in-person at HUD Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The UIC team will receive a $20,000 award.

FCC GRANT HELPING CHA ENROLL 7,000 FAMILIES IN NEW AFFORDABLE INTERNET PROGRAM

CHA is one of two housing authorities in Illinois to receive funding from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) for an Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program (ACP) called “Your Home Your Internet.” Through the ACP, eligible CHA households can receive a monthly discount on their internet service, and a one-time discount to buy a computer or tablet.   “This program is a great opportunity for our residents to not only save a substantial amount of money on what is an essential service, but also to obtain new equipment that will enhance digital literacy skills and confidence in their pursuit of stability and economic power,” said Patricia Steward, CHA’s Digital Inclusion Manager. “Our job now is to make as many residents and participants as possible aware of this program, so that they can reach their goals and achieve their dreams.” CHA was awarded $240,000 for the one-year pilot program to educate and conduct outreach, with the goal of enrolling 7,000 households. Visit thecha.org/acp to learn more the program.

LOOKING AHEAD: CHA’S 14TH ANNUAL OWNER SYMPOSIUM SET FOR MAY 4 CHA’s 14th Annual Owner Symposium will be Thursday, May 4, 2023 both in-person and online. The Symposium was first held in 2008 to educate property owners who were participating in, or were interested in, the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program. Since then, the Symposium has grown into the premier event for Chicago property owners, managers and real estate investors.    The Symposium will feature panel discussions throughout the day as well as a networking lunch and dedicated networking time with vendors in the exhibit areas.   In-person registration is closed, but there is still an opportunity to participate online. Visit www.chaownersymposium.org/register and click on the green “Register” button.

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