What Unique Resources Does HDLI Offer?

HDLI offers a number of unique legal resources: educational seminars, training, one-on-one legal counseling and assistance to housing authorities and their counsel, an active electronic List Serve, periodic publications, and amicus curiae appearances. HDLI also acts on a national level to influence the development of statutory, regulatory and case law helpful to housing agencies.

•  EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS

  Each Spring and each Fall, HDLI holds a national legal conference designed to educate housing officials, staff and legal counsel on hot legal topics.  At each conference, HDLI assembles prominent speakers on a host of current topics important to housing agencies.  See our Conferences and Training Page.  In addition to its two regular annual conferences, HDLI provides legal training and other educational endeavors on topics that its members want to hear about.  At each conference, HDLI provides to all attendees a binder chock full of helpful monologues, cases, statutes and regulations.  The binders also contain HDLI’s “Annual Review of Case Law” compiled and presented by HDLI’s Executive Director/General Counsel.  These materials serve as excellent additions to your resource library.

•  ONE-ON-ONE LEGAL COUNSELING AND NETWORKING

  HDLI is only a phone call or e-mail message away to assist its members when legal problems arise.  HDLI is ready to help housing officials and their legal counsel in a consultative capacity, as well as putting members in touch with other members, housing officials, and/or government representatives who can help resolve their issues.

•  THE HDLI LIST SERVE

  HDLI has a wonderfully effective communication forum: the HDLI List Serve. It's easy and free to members!  Via e-mail, members can instantly post questions or concerns relating to housing operations, development, finance, management, Section 8, or any other issue of interest to all of the List Serve members, and can get instant responses.  Or, simply monitor the exchange of information and perspectives at your leisure.  

•  HDLI PUBLICATIONS

  At regular intervals, HDLI publishes four (4) exclusive periodicals:

•  AMICUS CURIAE APPEARANCES

  HDLI assists its members by filing briefs as amicus curiae (friend of the court) in appropriate appellate cases, subject to approval by HDLI's Board of Directors.
  
  HDLI has filed briefs to the Minnesota Supreme Court in Hinneberg v. Big Stone County Housing and Redevlopment Authority and in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Johnson v. Housing Authority of Jefferson Parish et al.
  
  HDLI was amicus to the United States Supreme Court in three cases:
  1) Virginia v. Hicks, No. 02-371, 2) The Housing Authority of the City of Dallas v. Highlands of McKamy IV and V Community Improvement Association, No. 02-1282, and 3) HUD v. Rucker, No. 00-1770.  Links to these briefs are available to members here.

•  LEGISLATIVE COMMENT AND DRAFTING

  HDLI drafts and files comments concerning proposed HUD regulations that will impact HDLI members. HDLI also assists in the drafting of federal and state legislation, such as the Model Housing Agency Act that has been utilized by several states as enabling legislation. On April 1, 2005, HDLI sent a letter to the Nevada Assembly opposing pending Bill 355.
  

•  HDLI SPONSORS
  
  MEMBER SPONSORS are a very important component of HDLI.   HDLI's SPONSORS provide additional financial resources that further HDLI's mission of providing outside legal resources to the public and affordable housing industry. In addition to receiving all member benefits, SPONSORS receive significant and recurring exposure to public housing agency officials and decision makers through prominent recognition in HDLI's programs and services.

If you are interested in joining HDLI, see Joining HDLI.

Housing and Development Law Institute; 630 Eye Street, NW; Washington, D.C., 20001-3736; Phone: 202-289-3400; Fax 202-289-3401 E-mail: hdli@hdli.org