Regional Housing Legal Services

What Regional Housing Legal Services does

Regional Housing Legal Services (RHLS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm founded in 1973 that provides legal representation and technical assistance to community-based organizations, tenant associations, and public agencies creating or preserving affordable housing in Pennsylvania and Delaware. The organization operates from three offices - Philadelphia (headquarters, 123 South Broad Street, Suite 1330), Pittsburgh (regional office opened in 1997), and Wilmington (Delaware) - and serves over 100 community-based organizations annually, with a cumulative track record of 11,533 homes created or preserved since founding.

RHLS's service portfolio spans direct legal representation (LIHTC development, supportive housing, community land trusts, manufactured-home park preservation, anti-displacement work, New Markets Tax Credit transactions), policy and systems-change advocacy, educational training (LIHTC Basics and Advanced LIHTC Workshops delivered with M&L Compliance Management and Women in Housing and Finance PA; Post-Purchase Stewardship courses delivered with Grounded Solutions Network), and resource publication (Tenant Debt Toolkit, returning citizens housing report, eviction counsel cost study, manufactured home preservation). Specialized delivery vehicles include the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project (PULP), a wholly-owned program addressing residential utility matters for low-income consumers, and Commonwealth Housing Legal Services (CHLS), an independent support corporation providing fee-based representation whose collected fees subsidize RHLS's pro bono and policy work.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit funding structure. Core free legal services are funded through grants from the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN), the PA IOLTA Board, private foundations, corporate donors, and individual donor contributions, supplemented by pro bono support. Fee-based consulting and limited representation flow through CHLS, generating earned revenue that cross-subsidizes advocacy. The go-to-market is sales-led via an online intake/request pipeline (with a 20-30 minute intake form and preliminary staff consultations) targeting nonprofit executives and public-agency program leads. There is no traditional pricing for end clients because services to qualifying organizations are delivered free of charge. RHLS is governed by an independent Board of Directors, holds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, and is led by Executive Director Dina Schlossberg, Esq., who has over 20 years of real estate and community development law experience.

Name

Regional Housing Legal Services

Legal name

Regional Housing Legal Services

Website

https://rhls.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Regional Housing Legal Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm, founded in 1973, that provides free legal representation, technical assistance, training, and policy advocacy to 100+ community-based organizations and public agencies working on affordable housing in Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Other Legal Services (54119)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Rental & Multifamily Housing Finance Programs (LIHTC/Tax Credits/Subsidized Loans) (FSALAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8) (BPAJAFAD)

Keywords

• Legal aid services
• Affordable housing law
• Community development legal
• Housing policy advocacy
• Nonprofit legal assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Glenside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network: Funding support from PLAN (Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network), a member organization that RHLS is part of, providing assistance and backup to local legal aid organizations.
2. PA IOLTA Board: Support from the Pennsylvania Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts Board.
3. Private Foundations and Corporations: Funding support from private foundations and corporate donors.
4. Individual Donor Contributions: Support from individual donors and pro bono support.
5. Commonwealth Housing Legal Services (CHLS): CHLS is an independent support corporation that provides representation and consulting services on a limited basis. Fees collected support RHLS's ability to provide in-depth legal services and policy advocacy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

RHLS is a nonprofit law firm that provides direct legal representation and technical assistance to community-based organizations, nonprofits, tenant associations, and public agencies working to create or preserve affordable housing in Pennsylvania and Delaware. Services cover LIHTC and New Markets Tax Credit transactions, supportive housing, community land trusts, preservation, and anti-displacement work, paired with policy advocacy and educational resources. Specialized fee-based representation is offered through Commonwealth Housing Legal Services (CHLS), and residential utility law assistance is provided through the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project (PULP).

Product overview

Regional Housing Legal Services (RHLS) is a nonprofit law firm providing legal services and technical assistance for affordable housing creation and preservation in Pennsylvania and Delaware. The organization operates as a unified legal services nonprofit with multiple programs including direct legal representation through its core legal services, specialized utility law assistance via the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project (PULP), advocacy and policy work, educational workshops (LIHTC Basics and Advanced LIHTC Workshops), and resource guides including the Tenant Debt Toolkit. Commonwealth Housing Legal Services (CHLS) operates as an independent support corporation that supplements RHLS's funding. Services are targeted at community-based organizations, nonprofits, tenant associations, and public agencies working on affordable housing and community development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Services for Affordable Housing Direct legal representation and technical assistance for community groups working to create or preserve affordable housing in Pennsylvania and Delaware, covering LIHTC developments, supportive housing, preservation, community land trusts, and anti-displacement work.
• Policy Advocacy Policy and advocacy work that transforms lessons from the field into broader systems change, with focus on housing justice issues including tenant protections, healthy housing, supportive housing, and affordable housing preservation.
• Pennsylvania Utility Law Project (PULP) A specialized component of RHLS providing information, assistance, and advice about residential utility and energy matters affecting low-income consumers in Pennsylvania.
• Commonwealth Housing Legal Services (CHLS) An independent support corporation that provides representation and consulting services on a limited basis, with fees collected supporting RHLS's ability to provide in-depth legal services and engage in policy advocacy.
• LIHTC Basics Workshop A one-day Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit workshop covering income/asset calculations, qualifying households, recertifications, and compliance, designed for property managers, office staff, or persons new to working in LIHTC.
• Advanced LIHTC Workshop A two-day advanced workshop covering Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program complexities including eligible basis, qualified basis, applicable fraction, utility allowances, and preparation for the optional HCCP certification exam.
• Tenant Debt Toolkit An educational and advocacy guide for addressing tenant debt, including a tenant debt toolkit, fair housing and tenant screening best practices memo, and results of a statewide survey on tenant screening practices.

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1973RHLS is a member of the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network. As part of PLAN, RHLS offers assistance and backup to local legal aid organizations through training, consulting, and partnerships on advocacy initiatives. This membership positions RHLS at the nexus of the housing, community development landscape, and the legal aid network.
• Grounded Solutions NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRHLS partners with Grounded Solutions Network to offer Post-Purchase Stewardship for Shared Equity Homeownership courses, focusing on policies and procedures for supporting homeowners in shared equity homeownership programs with emphasis on racially equitable outcomes.
• M&L Compliance ManagementminorGTM or Marketing PartnerM&L Compliance Management partners with RHLS to offer LIHTC (Low-Income Housing Tax Credit) training workshops, including Basic and Advanced workshops for housing professionals.
• Women in Housing and Finance PAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization for LIHTC training workshops, with logo featured on event materials.
• Pennsylvania Utility Law Project (PULP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPULP is a specialized component of RHLS that provides information, assistance, and advice about residential utility and energy matters affecting low-income consumers. RHLS and PULP work together to implement racial equity and racial justice work.
• Commonwealth Housing Legal Services (CHLS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHLS is an independent support corporation that provides representation and consulting services on a limited basis. Fees collected from CHLS work support RHLS's ability to provide in-depth legal services and engage in policy advocacy.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Low Income Housing Coalition: National advocacy organization dedicated to ending America's affordable housing crisis through policy and research. Comparable to RHLS in affordable housing policy advocacy work, though broader in scope and policy rather than transactional.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National community development financial institution supporting affordable housing and economic development. Comparable to RHLS in serving community-based development organizations with capital and technical assistance, though broader and better capitalized.
• Enterprise Community Partners: Major national affordable housing nonprofit that combines development, lending, and policy advocacy. Comparable to RHLS in mission focus on affordable housing creation and preservation, though Enterprise operates at vastly larger scale with development capital.
• National Consumer Law Center: National nonprofit working on consumer and housing issues affecting low-income households. Comparable to RHLS in legal advocacy for low-income consumers, especially relevant overlap with RHLS's PULP utility-law work.

Direct peers

• National Housing Law Project: National nonprofit that provides legal assistance, advocacy, and policy support on affordable housing and low-income housing issues. Most directly comparable to RHLS in mission and legal services model, though operating at a national rather than regional scale.
• Neighborhood Legal Services Association: Western Pennsylvania legal aid organization serving low-income communities, including Pittsburgh. Comparable to RHLS through PLAN membership and overlapping geographic coverage in western PA.
• MidPenn Legal Services: PLAN-member legal aid organization serving central Pennsylvania. Comparable in legal aid service delivery model and shared funding relationships with PLAN and PA IOLTA Board.
• Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania: Fellow Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network member providing free civil legal services in southeastern Pennsylvania. Overlaps with RHLS in legal aid funding sources, PLAN membership, and service area, though its practice is broader than housing alone.
• Community Legal Services of Philadelphia: Philadelphia-based legal aid organization offering housing legal services among other practice areas. Comparable through PLAN membership and overlapping service geography in Philadelphia.

Emerging players

• Grounded Solutions Network: National network focused on community land trusts and shared-equity homeownership. Directly comparable through RHLS's existing partnership on Post-Purchase Stewardship courses and overlapping community land trust client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rhlspa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@RegionalHousingLegalServices
• Facebookfacebook.com/rhlspa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rhlspa
• Instagraminstagram.com/rhlspa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Regional Housing Legal Services