Highlighted Policy Solutions

Each year, RHLS provides direct legal and technical assistance to over 60 community-based groups that produce hundreds of affordable housing units and that implement economic development projects to revitalize communities throughout Pennsylvania.

Below are several of the policy solutions with which we are currently involved:

Development Incentives

Years of work by RHLS attorneys with PHFA and disability advocates culminated in PHFA’s agreement to offer incentives to developers to provide accessible housing for low income, disabled residents. Today, Pennsylvania is the only state using internal rent subsidies to provide LIHTC units to that population.

To date, these incentives have led to the construction of more than 500 units throughout the Commonwealth, a benefit of more than $34 million. Disability advocate Steve Gold, who worked on this initiative with RHLS, currently is providing training in Ohio so that disability advocates there learn from the Pennsylvania experience. Shelterforce Article

Tax Credits

Based on RHLS’ work with Brandywine Health Foundation, and with the support of the Secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Public Welfare, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) revised how it determines the community impact of tax credit developments.

Criteria now include whether a development “expands quality of life and fulfills a need for health care choices for residents of the community.”

Investments

Responding to the need of several of its clients who were having difficulty developing mixed-income housing in disinvested areas of the state, RHLS helped to develop a concept that is now one of the most popular and successful programs of its kind in the Commonwealth: the Homeownership Choice Program (HCP).

To date, HCP’s $75 million investments have leveraged over $462 million in additional housing, infrastructure, and economic development investment in 62 Pennsylvania communities.

Creative Design

RHLS led efforts resulting in the $1.5 million Excellence in Design Initiative that funded three projects throughout Pennsylvania, including one initiated by an RHLS client in Philadelphia. RHLS worked with the Community Design Collaborative, Neighborhoods Now, and PHFA to explore ways to incorporate creative design in the construction and rehabilitation of attractive, affordable, energy-efficient urban homes that are well-integrated into surrounding neighborhoods, thereby increasing asset value and pride of ownership.

PHFA launched the initiative with the collaboration and financial support of DCED and the William Penn Foundation. PHFA is now incorporating lessons learned from this initiative into its funding criteria to make homes affordable to lower income families.