Request nonprofit legal counsel from RHLS for affordable housing or community development projects across Pennsylvania. Start our secure online intake today.
Partner with RHLS on Your Affordable Housing or Community Development Project
Regional Housing Legal Services (RHLS) is a nonprofit law firm dedicated to expanding and preserving affordable housing across Pennsylvania. We provide free or legal services exclusively to nonprofit developers and community-based organizations and not to for-profit entities or individual tenants.
Why Engage RHLS?
Our attorneys are recognized statewide and nationally for structuring complex, community-driven projects, whether you’re building new LIHTC apartments, rehabilitating existing projects, or launching a supportive housing initiative.
We guide you through site control, entity formation, financing layers, regulatory compliance, and closing, so you can focus on mission and impact.
The Intake Process at a Glance
1
Confirm Eligibility
Your organization must be a nonprofit (or public entity) engaged in affordable housing or community revitalization; we do not handle litigation or represent individuals
2
Reach Out
Schedule a brief conversation with our Outreach Coordinator to determine if our services are a fit for your group.
3
Gather Key Documents and InformationYou will need to enter information about your organization’s structure and finances. Please
print this page to assist you in gathering the necessary documents and information prior to beginning the online intake process.
4
Complete the Secure Online Intake
The form takes about 20–30 minutes and cannot be saved mid-stream, so plan to finish in one sitting.
5
RHLS ReviewApplications are reviewed every two weeks; urgent matters may email
intake@rhls.org after submission.
6
Engagement Decision
Submission does not create an attorney-client relationship; you become a client only if we formally accept your case. If your case has been accepted, you will receive a representation agreement and welcome packet from the attorney that will be the primary advocate for your case.
Our Commitment to Racial Equity and What We’ll Ask of You
To measure progress and satisfy funder requirements, we must collect a few data points about your organization and intended project beneficiaries. RHLS only shares aggregate and anonymous data about our client’s staff, board, or community demographics: unity-based organizations and not to for-profit entities or individual tenants.
Full-Time-Equivalent (FTE) headcounts for staff, board, and volunteers, broken down by race/ethnicity and gender. Count each full-time person once and use your agency’s FTE formula for all part-time staff; add the two figures together for each category. Responses to two short prompts you’ll enter during the online intake:
Describe the demographics of the community you plan to serve (race, ethnicity, underserved populations, etc.). This refers to the community in which your project is/will be located. If your application is for an existing project, provide the demographics of the current residents as well as efforts you are making to reach minority or underserved populations, if applicable. If this is a new project, provide the demographics of the community where the project will be located. Describe how your organization is working to advance racial equity and the needs of underserved populations. This includes your organization’s work in the community you serve as well as your mission or vision as they relate to racial equity.
We recommend that you gather all information before you start the intake application; the secure intake form cannot be saved mid-stream.
