HACLA - Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles
04/21/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/21/2026 17:28
Bipartisan National Housing Task Force Convenes in Los Angeles to Scale Innovative Solutions
LOS ANGELES, CA - Last week, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) joined Mayor Bass in welcoming members of the National Housing Crisis Task Force (Task Force) for a high-level two-day conference focused on scaling bipartisan, innovative solutions to the nation's critical affordable housing shortage.
"Los Angeles is achieving historic gains in expanding affordable housing, even amid serious and persistent funding challenges at the federal and state levels," said Mayor Karen Bass who addressed conference goers on day one of the conference. "We are cutting red tape to accelerate the construction of affordable units across the city, with 42,000 now in the pipeline. And for the second year in a row, we have reduced the overall homelessness rate- a first for the nation's second-largest city. There is still much work ahead, but we are delivering real, measurable progress for Angelenos."
The Task force includes 31 members representing the private and public sector, financial institutions, investors, philanthropy, academia and former national housing leaders.
"The National Housing Crisis Task Force spent two days gathered together last week to continue our work to design, pilot, scale solutions to America's housing crisis," said Colin Higgins, NHCTF Executive Director. "Our Task Force members assembled behind the same set of beliefs: urgency, candor, and a willingness to try new things to address this challenge. Thank you to Mayor Bass, HACLA CEO and Task Force Member Lourdes Castro Ramírez, HACLA Board Commissioner and Task Force Member Aaron Thomas, and California Community Foundation Senior Advisor and Task Force Member Josh Humphries for being great ambassadors to Los Angeles."
The two-day solutions-focused convening brought together a diverse coalition of urban leaders, including Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins, and Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk. They were joined by renowned urban policy expert Bruce Katz for a mayoral fireside conversation moderated by Sarah Dusseault, Lead Strategist at LA4LA.
"The housing crisis is a shared national concern affecting families in every corner of our country," said HACLA President & CEO Lourdes Castro Ramírez. "As proud members of the National Housing Crisis Task Force, we are committed to advancing practical, innovative strategies that work-like unlocking public land and developing regional funding models."
Leaders discussed the operational and financial hurdles of the housing crisis. A centerpiece of the gathering was a working session on building solutions to sustain permanent supportive housing. Additionally, a session on Public Asset Corporations highlighted how organizations like HACLA unlock public land to accelerate housing production.
The convening concluded at The Oxford Apartments, a HACLA-owned Homekey+ site offering a total of 28 units to house families who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. During the visit, participants saw firsthand how the strategies discussed-rapid delivery and supportive housing-become real homes that anchor stability and opportunity. In a hands-on closing activity, conference attendees personally prepared apartment units to be move-in ready to welcome families home.
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About HACLA
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), established in 1938, provides affordable housing, rental assistance, and supportive services to more than 200,000 Angelenos. Its administrative portfolio includes 164 properties - 12 of which are public housing developments - totaling over 13,000 units, along with more than 60,000 Housing Vouchers and Certificates through the Section 8 program. For more information, visit www.hacla.org.
About National Housing Crisis Task Force
The National Housing Crisis Task Force was founded in 2024 and is co-chaired by Governor Spencer Cox (R-Utah), Mayor Justin Bibb (D-Cleveland), Mayor Andre Dickens (D-Atlanta), and Susan Thomas (President, 5/3 Bank CDC). Its 31 members span public agencies, financial institutions, investors, developers, philanthropies, research centers, and nonprofits. The Task Force is staffed by subject matter experts with deep housing experience in the public, private, and philanthropic sectors.
CONTACT:
HACLA: [email protected]
National Housing Crisis Task Force: [email protected]
PHOTOS:
HACLA - Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles published this content on April 21, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 21, 2026 at 23:28 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]