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For Immediate Release Contact: Deidre Swesnik, Director of Communications dswesnik@nhlp.org; 202-919-9106 Virginia Housing Organizer Honored with Special Commendation from the National Housing Law Project Omari al-Qadaffi is being recognized for his courageous and sustained work on behalf of tenants and communities of color and for his unflagging advocacy for housing and racial justice. September 22, 2021 – Today, the National Housing Law Project announced a special commendation for Richmond, Va. area housing organizer Omari al-Qadaffi noting his long history of work to support tenants in Virginia including his advocacy to ensure special protections for renters during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are proud to honor Omari al-Qadaffi with this Housing and Racial Justice... Read More »

NHLP publishes a newsletter on a variety of current housing issues that affect survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Issue 1 2021 Newsletter The newsletter features two articles regarding the housing needs of survivors during COVID-19. The first article provides a Q&A for advocates about how survivors can access COVID-19 rental assistance, and includes a description of the types of expenses covered by rental assistance. The second article outlines the basics of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development emergency housing voucher (EHV) program, which provides a housing subsidy for certain populations, including survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking. Issue Two 2020 Newsletter The newsletter details a court decision where a... Read More »

CDC halt order: Fifth Circuit  – Terkel v. CDC Amicus Brief filed by National Housing Law Project in support of reversing trial court decision in Terkel v. CDC, No. 6:20-CV-00564, 2021 WL 742877 (E.D. Tex. Feb. 25, 2021). The trial court issued a declaratory judgment finding the CDC halt order impermissible under the Commerce Clause. (Filed May 3, 2021) CDC halt order: Fifth Circuit  – Chambless Enterprises v. Walensky Amicus Brief filed by Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, Acadiana Legal Services, Southern Poverty Law Center, and National Housing Law Project in support of affirming trial court decision in Chambless Enterprises, LLC v. Redfield, – F.Supp.3d -; No. 3:20-CV-01455, 2020 WL 7588849 (W.D. La. Dec. 22, 2020).  The trial court... Read More »

The CDC has imposed a new moratorium until October 3, 2021. CDC Order and CDC Declaration for Tenants For Tenants:  fact sheet and declaration in numerous languages Advocate Primer – NHLP’s Analysis of August 2021 CDC order FAQ for Renters in English and Overview of Moratorium Fact Sheet and Declaration for Renters created by the Alliance for Housing Justice and National CAPACD Is My County Currently Covered by the CDC Eviction Moratorium? This step-by-step guide includes instructions to find out whether your county is covered by the CDC eviction order. Importantly, the instructions describe what to do if a county falls below the “substantial” or “high” rate... Read More »

An Advocate’s Guide to Tenants’ Rights in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program We have compiled answers to some of your most frequently asked questions into this helpful guide for both new and seasoned attorneys and advocates. The guide includes: Program Overview – financing structure, evictions, and program implementation; Rent Calculations – rent maximums and the impact of rental assistance; Tenant Eligibility – citizenship status and student rules; Over-Income Tenants – the next available unit rule; … and much more! Visit NHLP’s Low-Income Tax Credits: Low-Income Housing Tax Credits... Read More »

The Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program was created in 1986 and is the largest source of new affordable housing in the United States. There are about 2,000,000 tax credit units today and this number continues to grow by an estimated 100,000 annually. The program is administered by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The LIHTC program does not provide housing subsidies. Instead, the program provides tax incentives, written into the Internal Revenue Code, to encourage developers to create affordable housing. These tax credits are provided to each State based on population and are distributed to the State’s designated tax credit allocating agency. In turn, these agencies distribute the tax credits based on the State’s affordable housing needs with... Read More »

Template for pro se motion to appoint counsel in a pandemic eviction case Sample brief that advocates may adopt for use by pro se tenants in their jurisdictions, seeking appointment of counsel in a summary eviction case (August 16, 2021) New Mexico Order on Applicability of CARES Act Order from a New Mexico state court arbitration finding that a property which accepts Housing Choice Vouchers is a covered property for purposes of applying the CARES Act, even if the tenant occupying the dwelling unit in question is not a voucher holder. Rejected the landlord’s argument to the contrary, based on HUD’s answer to Frequently Asked Question EM 13 (“EM13. If a market rate property has an HCV holder... Read More »

Template for pro se motion to appoint counsel in a pandemic eviction case Sample brief that advocates may adopt for use by pro se tenants in their jurisdictions, seeking appointment of counsel in a summary eviction case (August 16, 2021) Emergency Housing Vouchers NHLP FAQ and Advocacy Tip Sheet for Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs). You can find out whether your local public housing authority was awarded EHVs on HUD’s website here, under “List of Awardees.” More than 600 PHAs were awarded a total of 70,000 vouchers. Immigration Restrictions in Rental Assistance Programs The immigration restrictions under title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) only... Read More »

Our fellowships and clerkships are the primary ways we bring young attorneys into our organization. NHLP has hosted nearly 100 law school students and two legal fellows. The Sylvia M. Brennan Fellowship helps pay stipends to our clerks and interns, making our program available to students who otherwise could not afford a summer of volunteering. This summer we are also working on bringing on a full-time fellow through the David B. Bryson Fellowship. Make a Gift Today We established the David B. Bryson and the Sylvia M. Brennan Memorial Funds in 2006 to honor two former colleagues who were highly respected and well-loved by NHLP staff and fellow advocates in the... Read More »

The National Housing Law Project has put together the following resources for attorneys, advocates, policymakers, and others for assistance during the COVID-19 national public health crisis.  We will continue to update this with NHLP resources and other resources as they become available. Please email us with any additional resources to post. Read More »