Press Release

United Educators Association for Affordable Housing (UEAAH) to Become United Educators for Housing and Literacy (UEHL)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

East Palo Alto, CA, January 30, 2020 – Azalea Renfield, Founder and Former Executive Director for United Educators Association for Affordable Housing (UEAAH), announced this week on the Talking with HenriettaShow that the organization will officially be changing its name to United Educators for Housing and Literacy (UEHL) as of February 1, 2020.

Renfield explained that the new name would better reflect the evolving need to address the decline in literacy in public education, while focusing on public K-12 teacher housing needs: “Literacy is yet another issue that is plaguing our nation, and educators are not receiving the training they need to address the problem of literacy. As we bring more scientific expertise to educator training, we will need to supplement teachers' income, so that they can afford to reside in the communities where they teach." Literacy requires a wholistic approach and teachers cannot be expected to increase literacy if they don’t have the tools to do so."

UEAAH’s (founded in 2012) mission is to promote public policy that contributes to scalable and affordable housing for public school teachers (K-12) through awareness and advocacy. Its goal is the creation of a federally funded Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to support the vital role teachers play in society by educating the next generation. UEAAH'S evolving approach has now incorporated literacy; science has made enormous gains over the past decade, so that we can now responsibly promote a national basic standard methodology that will ensure a child's success in reading and comprehension. 

UEHL will continue to evolve and explore all possibilities that will improve the academic and professional lives of students and teachers. Representatives of UEHL are firm in stating that the goal of obtaining a Basic Allowance for Housing for all K-12 public school teachers will remain a priority, while simultaneously acknowledging that literacy is of equal import. Staff are committed to a three-prong approach of literacy, quality teacher training, and affordable housing. 

“It is my absolute honor to pass the baton to two capable and amazing women who lead by example. Both Ilona Merli and Dr. Karla Prince-Cheng will serve as Co-Executive Directors’ of the organization, leading the nation to proven methodology that will increase literacy and solve the teacher housing crisis,” said Renfield.