Housing and Development Law Institute

What Housing and Development Law Institute does

Housing and Development Law Institute (HDLI) is a nationwide nonprofit membership organization headquartered at 630 I Street NW, Washington, D.C. It serves as a legal resource to public housing agencies, redevelopment agencies, their developers, and their counsel across the United States. HDLI is the only national organization focused exclusively on the legal — rather than policy or administrative — issues facing public housing and redevelopment agencies, and its membership consists of more than 300 public housing and redevelopment agencies, law firms, corporations, and government entities.

HDLI's core offerings are human-expertise-driven services rather than technology products. These include in-person and virtual CLE conferences (Spring Conference, Fall Conference, the Leo P. Dauwer Memorial Commissioners and Executive Directors Conference, and the General Counsel Forum), customized on-site and virtual training delivered by the CEO, an award-winning email-based List Serve, the HDLI Quarterly Review, the Index to HUD Regulations (published as an electronic PDF), amicus curiae representations before state supreme courts and the U.S. Supreme Court, and legislative comment and drafting. The organization operates with two identified staff members and is governed by a Board composed of public housing agency executive directors and housing attorneys representing those agencies.

HDLI's business model is subscription-based: members pay annual dues tiered by organization size and type (housing agencies $550–$1,550; law firms $995–$2,195; corporate $2,495; government $995; students $45), with a free 60-day trial available and a 10% discount for members of NAHRO, PHADA, and CLPHA. Supplementary revenue comes from conference registration fees and a multi-tiered law firm sponsorship program (Gold, Silver, Bronze). Distribution is direct — via the website, phone, email, and at conferences — and the organization markets through its website, the List Serve, conference presence, and referral relationships with the three principal public housing trade associations.

Name

Housing and Development Law Institute

Legal name

Housing and Development Law Institute

Website

https://hdli.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HDLI is a nationwide nonprofit membership organization that provides legal resources — CLE conferences, customized training, a List Serve, HUD regulation publications, and amicus advocacy — to more than 300 U.S. public housing agencies, law firms, corporations, and government entities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services - Housing Law

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Fair Housing, Compliance & Housing Program Oversight (FSALAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Public housing law
• Legal education conferences
• HUD regulatory compliance
• Housing law training
• Membership legal resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: HDLI's primary revenue is membership dues paid annually by public housing agencies (tiered by size), law firms (tiered by attorney count), corporations, and government entities. Membership includes access to the List Serve, publications, conferences, and legal counseling.
2. Conference and Training Fees: HDLI charges registration fees for its CLE conferences and training sessions. Members receive discounted rates compared to non-members. Revenue from these events supplements membership dues.
3. Student Membership: Student membership is offered at $45 per year, providing access to periodicals and networking at a lower price point.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HDLI is a nationwide non-profit membership organization that serves as a legal resource for public housing and redevelopment agencies, their developers, and legal counsel. The organization delivers tiered annual memberships, CLE conferences (Spring, Fall, Commissioners, General Counsel Forum), customized on-site and virtual training, an active List Serve, case-law publications, and amicus curiae advocacy. It is the only national organization solely addressing the legal (rather than policy or administrative) issues facing public housing and redevelopment agencies.

Product overview

Housing and Development Law Institute (HDLI) is a nationwide non-profit membership organization that serves as a legal resource for public housing agencies and their counsel. HDLI is the only national organization solely addressing the legal (rather than policy or administrative) issues facing public housing and redevelopment agencies. The organization offers a suite of services including educational conferences and training programs (both in-person and virtual), legal counseling, an active List Serve communication forum, publications (HDLI's Quarterly Review and The Index to HUD Regulations), amicus curiae appearances, and legislative advocacy. HDLI's core offerings center on professional development through its Spring and Fall conferences, the annual Leo P. Dauwer Memorial Commissioners and Executive Directors Conference, and the General Counsel Forum, supplemented by on-site legal training and publications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HDLI Membership Tiered annual subscription providing public housing agencies, law firms, corporations, and government entities with access to the List Serve, HDLI publications, conference discounts, one-on-one legal counseling, and amicus advocacy support.
• Spring CLE Conference Annual in-person and virtual Continuing Legal Education conference providing housing officials, agency staff, and legal counsel with education on current legal topics affecting public housing agencies, including binders with case law and regulatory updates.
• Fall CLE Conference Annual CLE conference typically co-hosted with NAHRO at the NAHRO National Conference venue, offering CLE credit and networking opportunities for housing agency attorneys and officials.
• Leo P. Dauwer Memorial Commissioners and Executive Directors Conference Annual conference held in Edgartown, Massachusetts (Martha's Vineyard) focused on legal and governance issues for commissioners and executive directors of public housing agencies.
• General Counsel Forum Annual forum designed specifically for general counsel and housing attorneys to discuss and address legal issues affecting public housing and redevelopment agencies, including past host venues such as the Tampa Housing Authority.
• On-Site and Virtual Training Services Customized in-person and virtual legal training delivered to housing agencies on topics including Fair Housing, VAWA, Administrative Review/Grievance Processes, Board of Commissioners Training, Employment and Personnel, and Resident Council/Advisory Board Development, with all training conducted by CEO Lisa L. Walker.
• HDLI's Quarterly Review Quarterly publication compiling nationwide case law affecting housing and redevelopment agencies, providing links to cases and referenced authorities along with quarterly HUD rules and notices, available as a member benefit.
• The Index to HUD Regulations Annual publication providing the only comprehensive index to HUD's Title 24 regulations, organized by subject matter and acronym, delivered in electronic PDF format as a member benefit.

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered gold sponsor (highest tier), gold sponsor, silver sponsor, bronze sponsor, co-hosting partner, partner organization and strategic advocacy partner.

• Ballard Spahr LLPgold sponsor (highest tier)GTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor of HDLI. Ballard Spahr LLP receives prominent recognition in HDLI's programs and services. As a sponsor, the firm gains recurring exposure to public housing agency officials and decision makers. HDLI CEO Lisa L. Walker has collaborated with Ballard Spahr (Courtney Hunter is a partner and HDLI Board member).
• California Affordable Housing Agency (CalAHA)gold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor of HDLI. The California Affordable Housing Agency is a statewide coalition that supports affordable housing efforts in California.
• Reno & Cavanaugh PLLCgold sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor of HDLI. Reno & Cavanaugh is a national law firm specializing in public housing and affordable housing law. HDLI Board member Stephen I. Holmquist is affiliated with the firm.
• CVR Associates, Inc.silver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of HDLI. CVR Associates provides consulting services to public housing agencies.
• Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLPsilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of HDLI. HDLI Board member Rod Solomon is affiliated with Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLP, a law firm specializing in public finance and housing.
• Nixon Peabody LLPsilver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of HDLI. HDLI Board member Kathie Soroka is affiliated with Nixon Peabody LLP.
• Public Housing Authority Directors Association (PHADA)silver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerPHADA is a Silver Sponsor of HDLI and HDLI's partner trade organization. Members of PHADA receive a 10% discount on HDLI membership. HDLI CEO Lisa L. Walker has been a featured speaker at PHADA conferences.
• Saxon, Gilmore & Carraway, P.A.silver sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of HDLI. HDLI Board member Ricardo L. Gilmore is affiliated with Saxon Gilmore, P.A.
• Coats Rose, P.C.bronze sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze Sponsor of HDLI. HDLI Board member Mattye G. Jones is affiliated with Coats Rose, P.C., a law firm providing legal services to housing authorities.
• Goldfarb & Lipman LLPbronze sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze Sponsor of HDLI. Goldfarb & Lipman LLP is a law firm serving public and affordable housing clients.
• National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO)co-hosting partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerHDLI co-hosts its Fall Legal Conference as part of NAHRO's National Conference annually. HDLI and NAHRO maintain a cooperative working relationship. Members of NAHRO receive a 10% discount on HDLI membership. HDLI CEO Lisa L. Walker has spoken at NAHRO conferences and webinars.
• Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA)partner organizationGTM or Marketing PartnerHDLI maintains a cooperative working relationship with CLPHA. Members of CLPHA receive a 10% discount on HDLI membership dues. HDLI filed a joint amicus brief with CLPHA in HACLA v. Nozzi before the U.S. Supreme Court.
• U.S. Supreme Court (amicus matters)strategic advocacy partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerHDLI has served as amicus curiae in three cases before the U.S. Supreme Court: Virginia v. Hicks (No. 02-371), HUD v. Rucker (No. 00-1770), and Housing Authority of the City of Dallas v. Highlands of McKamy IV and V (No. 02-1282).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Public Housing Authority Directors Association (PHADA): PHADA is the national association representing executive directors of public housing authorities and is both a sponsor of and affinity partner with HDLI (10% membership discount). PHADA addresses operational concerns of PHA leadership while HDLI addresses legal issues — directly overlapping membership.
• National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO): NAHRO is the largest national membership association for housing and redevelopment officials, overlapping directly with HDLI's PHA member base and serving as HDLI's co-hosting partner for the Fall Legal Conference. While NAHRO is more policy/administrative and HDLI is legal-focused, the two share the same customer segment and co-market to it.
• Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA): CLPHA is a membership organization of the largest U.S. public housing authorities and a cooperative partner of HDLI, including joint amicus filings (e.g., HACLA v. Nozzi). CLPHA is a direct peer in serving the largest PHAs that are HDLI's highest-dues-paying members.

Emerging players

• National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC): NLIHC is a national advocacy organization dedicated to achieving affordable housing for the lowest-income renters. It is comparable in nonprofit housing focus but operates as a policy/advocacy organization rather than a legal-resource membership association for PHAs.
• ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law: This ABA forum is a membership community within the American Bar Association for attorneys practicing in affordable housing and community development — directly overlapping with HDLI's law firm member segment and CLE/legal-resource offering.
• National Housing Law Project (NHLP): NHLP is a national housing advocacy and legal services organization focused on preserving and expanding housing rights for low-income households. It overlaps with HDLI in housing-law focus and amicus-style advocacy but is advocacy-driven rather than a PHA membership organization.

Broad incumbents

• Enterprise Community Partners: Enterprise is one of the largest U.S. nonprofits in the affordable housing space, providing capital, policy, and advisory services to developers and PHAs. It operates more broadly than HDLI but intersects in serving public-housing and affordable-housing agency clients.
• National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA): NCSHA is the national nonprofit association representing state Housing Finance Agencies, providing a parallel membership/advocacy model in a closely adjacent affordable-housing segment. It is comparable in organizational form but serves HFAs rather than PHAs, making it an adjacent incumbent.

Regional players

• National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders (NAAHL): NAAHL is a national membership organization of lenders, investors, and developers active in affordable housing finance. It is comparable in nonprofit membership structure and affordable-housing focus but serves the financing side rather than the public-housing-agency legal side.

Others

• Center for Community Progress: Center for Community Progress is a national nonprofit focused on vacant property revitalization and community development, serving as an adjacent peer in the broader nonprofit housing/community-development ecosystem where HDLI's members operate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/housing-and-development-law-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Housing and Development Law Institute