In honor of Valentine’s Day, we asked the staff at Regional Housing Legal Services (RHLS) to share which recent initiatives in housing and community development they really love. Here are their picks:
Judy Berkman, Managing Attorney
Judy chose states that ban consideration of a person’s credit history when setting premiums for homeowners insurance. She added that the the practice can have a disparate impact on low-income and minority homeowners. The Federal Trade Commission is expected to report to Congress on the impact of this practice. She hopes it will jumpstart the creation of protections in more states. She wanted to reiterate to readers that it’s important to shop around for both homeowners and car insurance!
Rachel Blake, Associate Director
Rachel’s favorite initiative is driven by the spirit of the holiday. She chose Newark, New Jersey’s Valentine’s Day initiative, where couples who are willing to make Newark their home are able to buy vacant lots for $1,000. The city is selling 100 vacant lots to couples who are willing to build and live in a home on the property. Find out more about this very romantic approach to community development here.
Bob Damewood, Staff Attorney
“My favorite community development initiative that is happening now is San Francisco’s Local Hiring Policy for Construction, which requires contractors on publicly funded construction projects to hire city residents and “disadvantaged workers” with one or more specified barriers to employment. As of last year, 42% of all work hours and 78% of all apprentice hours on the city’s public works projects were worked by city residents. San Francisco also provides pre-apprentice training for disadvantaged workers, and over the last 8 years more than 570 such workers have entered union apprenticeship programs.”
Click here to find out more about Bob’s favorite program.
Kim Dolan, Staff Attorney
Kim’s favorite initiative is “across the pond” in Rotterdam, The Netherlands:
“Just outside of Rotterdam, The Netherlands, in the once-impoverished suburb of Hoogvliet, a local initiative created 38 cohousing units especially for musicians in 2010. The homes ring a central green space comprised of underground soundproof music rooms with large skylights that pop up through the earth to bathe the interior in natural light.
Designed to be energy efficient and low-impact, the development’s façade is lined with thermal treated wood from local forests, and its heating system recycles energy from Rotterdam harbor. The project is part of the larger urban redevelopment of Hoogvliet known as WIMBY (“Welcome in My Backyard”), whose goal is to create sustainable physical and social living spaces that build upon existing architecture/infrastructure and consider the needs and desires of local residents.”
Click here to find out more about this cool project!
Anabel Genevitz, Communications Associate
Right now, Anabel’s really all about the movement to see “housing as healthcare.”
“The two issues are really so interrelated and chronic health problems are always exacerbated by both the physical limitations and stresses of homelessness. I’m hoping that this perspective really begins to catch on in the next few years. How cool would it be if a doctor could write you a prescription for housing?”
Check out this article in NPR to learn more about the issue.
Mark Levin, Chief Counsel
Mark Levin opted for a program run by one of our partner organizations,
“I love Project HOME’s initiative to try and end chronic street homelessness in Philadelphia.”
Dina Schlossberg, Deputy Director/Senior Attorney for Multi-Family Housing
“My favorite project is the Philadelphia Furniture Bank. I am a member of the board of the Homeless Assistance Fund (HAFI), a local foundation. HAFI makes grants to Philadelphia nonprofit organizations so that these organizations can more quickly move homeless individuals and families into permanent and stable housing. For almost each household being served, furniture is a critical unmet need. The Philadelphia Furniture Bank, conceived and operated by Pathways to Housing PA provides an invaluable link to the creation of not just housing, but the true creation of homes for families and individuals most in need of this support.”
Laura Schwartz, Director of Economic Development/Staff Attorney
Laura chose one of RHLS’ recent projects, North Penn Commons.
“North Penn Commons will have 60 independent living units for low-income seniors as well a food pantry and senior center, and will connect to a renovated North Penn YMCA. All on the same 11-acre campus! I love this pioneering partnership among four nonprofits: Advanced Living Communities, The PEAK Center, Manna on Main Street and the North Penn YMCA. North Penn Commons will have an extraordinary impact on the quality of life in upper Montgomery County by offering low-income seniors the opportunity to thrive and be happy.”
Check out this recent article on Philly.com to learn more about the project.
Mark Schwartz, Executive Director
Mark Schwartz is excited about the Middleton Partnership’s work with area organizations, like Project HOME, to end chronic street homelessness in Philadelphia. Mark says, “You could just imagine how many people that could be helped if sports team owners in every city across America came together to solve social issues like this!”
Jack Stucker, Independence Foundation Fellow
“I love what government and advocates in Salt Lake City Utah are doing to house individuals experiencing homelessness. The effective use of the housing first model has allowed the city to reduce chronic homelessness by 72% in less than 10 years. Salt Lake and the State of Utah have combined aggressive housing production with a strong and precise application of housing first principles to massively reduce chronic homelessness, join cities around the country to effectively eliminate chronic homelessness among veterans, save taxpayer money, and increase the earned income of individuals who had experienced homelessness! Way to go!”