Areas of Expertise
Bob Damewood joined RHLS in 1997, and works on a variety of housing and community development matters. His areas of concentration include HUD Section 3 (resident training, employment and contracting) and displacement-free development.
Publications
Bob has written various articles on Consumer Law and Landlord-Tenant Law.
Awards
Bob has received multiple awards, including:
- Advocacy Award from the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania for his work to pilot a financing model that gives Section 8 tenants a stake in the future of their homes, 2009
- Beacon of Hope Award from the Hill House Association, for his work on a Community Benefits Agreement and Neighborhood Partnership Program in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, 2010
- HUD Best Practices award, for helping a Section 8 tenant organization build the capacity to engage in housing preservation and development activities, 2002
Experience and Education
Prior to joining RHLS in 1997, Bob was a staff attorney with Northwestern Legal Services in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. While there, he played a key role in helping tenants of mobile home parks take over ownership and management of their parks. Since joining RHLS, his work has included providing legal support for the award-winning Clairton Southside neighborhood revitalization effort, a comprehensive equitable revitalization of what had been one of the most severely distressed neighborhoods in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Bob is a 1990 graduate of the University of Akron School of Law.