Policy Initiative Accomplishments

Spearheading a first-of-its-kind statewide homeownership program which was further developed to include a component to re-develop mixed-use properties http://www.phfa.org/hsgresources/hcp.aspx
Securing a set-aside for nonprofit organizations receiving low-income housing tax credits for the financing of affordable housing development projects
Designing a unique bridge loan program to increase development of affordable housing in Pennsylvania
Helping to institute a system for addressing “tangled title” problems common in low-income communities
Assisting in the creation of Philadelphia LawWorks to facilitate pro bono lawyer referrals for nonprofits and small businesses
RHLS led a diverse coalition of policymakers, government officials, legal colleagues, funders and other experts to alleviate an unfair tax burden on Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties — an outcome that, in effect, preserved a vast category of affordable housing investment in Pennsylvania.
RHLS united the appropriate stakeholders to expand affordable housing opportunities for very low-income people with disabilities. In a process that lasted several years, RHLS and disability advocates developed working relationships with key representatives of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare that resulted in criteria for allocating LIHTC credits that, for the first time, linked affordability with accessibility offering incentives to developers to provide accessible housing for low income, disabled residents. To date, these incentives have led to the construction of more than 500 units throughout the Commonwealth, a benefit of more than $34 million. Learn more about this issue in our Shelterforce Article.
Responding to the need of several of our 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). In its first seven years, HCP’s $75 million investments have leveraged over $462 million in additional housing, infrastructure, and economic development investment in 65 Pennsylvania communities.
Building on HCP, and recognizing the importance of commercial corridors in reviving declining neighborhoods, RHLS spearheaded the creation of a second groundbreaking solution — PHFA’s Mixed-Use Facility Financing Initiative (MUFFI). MUFFI is the first coordinated statewide system enabling nonprofit developers to easily access financing for the diverse components of a mixed-use project. RHLS obtained PHFA funding for an extremely successful pilot project that served as proof of concept. Today, MUFFI is a permanent part of HCP and an engine for revitalization in more than a dozen communities across Pennsylvania.
- The Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) provides state tax credit incentives for corporate investment in community renewal. In recent years, competing tax credit opportunities had lured away Pennsylvania investors, leaving up to half of available NAP credits unused. Working with government officials, nonprofits and the banking world, RHLS suggested revisions to program guidelines that make the NAP credit more competitive. Results of these statutory changes, coupled with a statewide campaign by RHLS to educate interested parties, exceeded expectations. In the first application period following legislative change, the Pennsylvania DCED received more than 160 NAP applications totaling $25 million in tax credits with an additional $45 million in investments.