Regional Housing Legal Services

REGIONAL HOUSING LEGAL SERVICES WORKS TO CREATE HOUSING AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN PENNSYLVANIA AND TO EFFECT SYSTEMATIC CHANGE FOR THE BENEFIT OF LOWER-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS STATEWIDE.

SEE SCHEDULE ORHLS PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTSACCOMPLISHMENTS RHLS HAS ASSISTED IN THE PLANNING, FINANCING, AND DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROPERTIES WORTH OVER $1.5 BILLION, WORKING WITH CLIENTS TO CREATE OR PRESERVE NEARLY 9,647 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGH THE LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT AND OTHER DEVELOPMENT MECHANISMS. RHLS DEDICATES A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF ITS PRACTICE TO HELPING ALL PENNSYLVANIANS ACCESS STABLE, HEALTHY, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. OUR EXPERIENCED ATTORNEYS ANALYZE POLICY AND PROGRAMS TO IDENTIFY BARRIERS THAT PREVENT LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS FROM ACCESSING OR KEEPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND RECOMMEND TARGETED SOLUTIONS TO THOSE ISSUES. RHLS ACCOMPLISHES THIS THROUGH OUR PROGRAM PRIORITIES, INCLUDING HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, WORKING AT INTERSECTIONS OF HEALTH & HOUSING, AND RACIAL EQUITY.REGIONAL HOUSING LEGAL SERVICES IS A NONPROFIT LAW FIRM WITH UNIQUE EXPERTISE IN AFFORDABLE, SUSTAINABLE HOUSING AND ITS RELATED COMPONENTS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UTILITY MATTERS AND PRESERVATION OF HOMEOWNERSHIP. RHLS PROVIDES INNOVATIVE PROJECT AND POLICY SOLUTIONS THAT HELP CREATE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES OFFERING DECENT, SAFE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR LOWER-INCOME PENNSYLVANIANS.OUR SERVICES INCLUDE: 1) DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. WE PROVIDE TECHNICAL AND LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ENGAGED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. RHLS REPRESENTS APPROXIMATELY 100 NONPROFIT CLIENTS ANNUALLY IN HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, PRESERVATION, AND OTHER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MATTERS. 2) POLICY. RHLS DEDICATES A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF ITS PRACTICE TO OVERCOMING SYSTEMIC BARRIERS FACING LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS. OUR EXPERIENCED STAFF AND ATTORNEYS ANALYZE PUBLIC POLICY AND SYSTEMIC ELEMENTS WITH THE BENEFIT OF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND RICH EXPERIENCE, QUICKLY IDENTIFYING CRITICAL ISSUES AND PINPOINTING UNMET NEEDS. RHLS'S POLICY WORK HAS HELPED STABILIZE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS THROUGH INCREASED ACCESS TO WEATHERIZATION; GENERATED NEW RESOURCES THAT ALLOWED AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE UNITS; PRESERVED EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING; AND, MOST RECENTLY, IS HELPING PENNSYLVANIA COMMUNITIES DEAL WITH THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF COVID-19.

SEE SCHEDULE OTHE PENNSYLVANIA UTILITY LAW PROJECT ("PULP") IS A SPECIALIZED LEGAL AID PROGRAM HOUSED WITHIN THE RHLS' ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE. AS THE DESIGNATED SPECIALIZED PROJECT OF THE PENNSYLVANIA LEGAL AID NETWORK FOR UTILITY ISSUES, PULP'S MISSION IS TO ASSIST PENNSYLVANIA'S LOW-INCOME RESIDENTIAL UTILITY AND ENERGY CONSUMERS CONNECT TO AND MAINTAIN AFFORDABLE UTILITY AND ENERGY SERVICES WITHIN THEIR HOME.PULP'S ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: REPRESENTING, AS DIRECT COUNSEL OR CO-COUNSEL, QUALIFYING LOW-INCOME RESIDENTIAL UTILITY CUSTOMERS OR ORGANIZATIONS COMPRISED PRIMARILY OF LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS. REPRESENTING THE INTERESTS OF LOW-INCOME, RESIDENTIAL UTILITY CONSUMERS BEFORE THE PENNSYLVANIA PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION, THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AND OTHER STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES DEALING WITH ENERGY OR UTILITY MATTERS THAT AFFECT LOW-INCOME PENNSYLVANIANS. PROVIDING INFORMATION, TRAINING AND SUPPORT TO LEGAL AID, NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY GROUPS AND LOW-INCOME CONSUMERS ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA.PULP ACCOMPLISHMENTS:IN THE 2020-2021 FISCAL YEAR, PULP HANDLED APPROXIMATELY 47 CASES INVOLVING COMPLEX REPRESENTATION AND LITIGATION BEFORE THE PA PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION. THIS LARGE-SCALE LITIGATION IS FOCUSED ON IMPROVING UTILITY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO BETTER SERVE LOW INCOME CONSUMERS AND EXPANDING UNIVERSAL SERVICE PROGRAM AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY. PULP ALSO HANDLED OVER 171 INDIVIDUAL CASES THROUGH ITS EMERGENCY UTILITY HOTLINE, PROVIDING SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS IN 26 COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE. AS AN EXAMPLE OF PULP'S LITIGATION ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, MORE THAN $1.28 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL DOLLARS PER YEAR WILL BE DEDICATED TO WEATHERIZING AND IMPROVING THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF THE HOMES OF LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, AND AN ADDITIONAL $4,550,000 WAS DEDICATED FOR ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY HARDSHIP FUND ASSISTANCE. PULP ALSO ACHIEVED SUBSTANTIAL SUCCESS FOR CLIENTS THROUGH INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTATION, AND ACHIEVED THE FOLLOWING OUTCOMES: PREVENTED TERMINATION OF SERVICE IN 55 CASES. ASSISTED 65 HOUSEHOLDS TO ENROLL IN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. NEGOTIATED RECONNECTION OF SERVICE TO 31 HOUSEHOLDS. DEFERRED APPROXIMATELY $29,659 IN UTILITY DEBT FOR FORGIVENESS OVER TIME. PREVENTED $6,699 IN FEES/SECURITY DEPOSITS. OBTAINED $34,987 IN GRANT ASSISTANCE.ON BEHALF OF ITS LOW-INCOME CLIENTS, PULP HAS ALSO SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR A NUMBER OF POLICY IMPROVEMENTS FOR LOW INCOME UTILITY CONSUMERS. MOST NOTABLY, PULP'S ADVOCACY ON BEHALF OF ITS CLIENT GROUP RESULTED IN THE PUC'S ADOPTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED "ENERGY BURDEN" STANDARDS (THE PERCENTAGE OF INCOME A HOUSEHOLD PAYS FOR ENERGY) FOR THOSE ENROLLED IN A UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. PULP'S DIRECTOR, AS CHAIRMAN OF THE LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ADVISORY COUNCIL (LAC) TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, ALSO WORKED CLOSELY WITH DHS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A $34.9M UTILITY PANDEMIC RELIEF PROGRAM TO SERVE THE EMERGENCY UTILITY NEEDS OF HOUSEHOLDS IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC. AS CHAIR OF THE LAC, PULP'S DIRECTOR ALSO WORKED EXTENSIVELY WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO IMPLEMENT MULTIPLE OTHER UTILITY RELIEF PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ERAP), THE LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLD WATER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHWAP), AND THE HOMEOWNERS ASSISTANCE FUND (HAF).