Rachel Blake
Rachel Blake is the associate director at Regional Housing Legal Services. She devotes most of her time to systemic advocacy efforts, using her six years of experience representing nonprofit affordable housing developers to inform her work.
Protecting Domestic Violence Survivors From Eviction
COVID-19 has led to a surge in intimate partner violence. The Violence Against Women Act prohibits evictions of survivors simply because they have experienced violence in their homes, but such protections can be lacking in LIHTC-funded developments.
What an Effective Eviction Moratorium Must Include
An eviction moratorium must hit all five phases of eviction to protect public health. Here's what's needed for an eviction halt policy to do its job.
A Bad Mix: Utility Shut-Offs and Chronic Illnesses
In most states, a household can avoid or delay termination of its utility service due to overdue balances if the shut-off would significantly impact their health. But the process isn’t as simple as it may seem
When Domestic Violence and Utility Bill Debt Intersect
In Pennsylvania, domestic violence survivors are often not afforded the protections they are entitled to because many people are often unaware of the Responsible Utility Customer Protection Act and its provisions. A three-year pilot program aimed to change that.
Targeted Blight Remediation Yields Big Results
In the first study of its kind, the Data Collaborative has found that targeted blight enforcement activities help stave off increased tax delinquencies and...
How the New Market Tax Credit Program Could Actually Benefit Communities
The New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program was created in 2000, with a goal of creating “jobs and material improvement...
Revitalization: Not Despite Us, But Because of Us
Low-income residents transform their complex into a community of choice through ownership—without importing higher-income neighbors
Foreclosing on Our Health?
In a dangerous cycle, medical bills are a common cause of foreclosure—and the stress and financial crisis of foreclosure causes an increase in serious health problems.