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Over the past decade, the Coalition for Affordable Homes has worked to reform the New York City Tax Lien Sale — a policy that has disproportionately harmed low- and moderate-income (LMI) homeowners, especially in BIPOC neighborhoods. This panel will reflect on the Coalition’s landmark advocacy work, which helped shift the conversation from punitive enforcement to homeowner support. Speakers will explore how community organizing, cross-sector collaboration, and data-driven research fueled key reforms, while also highlighting outreach strategies that helped at-risk homeowners navigate the system and avoid displacement. Timed to the Coalition’s 10-year anniversary, this panel will also look ahead: What comes next, and how can we continue to center racial justice, affordability, and stability in local tax policy?
Kevin joined the Center in June of 2015, coordinating the outreach efforts of the Center's Network before managing government affairs. He has prior experience as the special assistant to the then Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and as housing specialist in the office of New York state Senator Jeff Klein. A self-described policy wonk, Kevin has lived in three of the five boroughs. Kevin holds a B.A. in history from Washington University in St. Louis.
Rachel Geballe is a Supervising Attorney with the Neighborhood Economic Justice Project of Brooklyn Legal Services, where she has worked for 14 years representing homeowners in or at risk for foreclosure, fighting back against discriminatory lending, deed theft, and other racially-targeted predatory practices. A recognized leader in the use of anti-discrimination litigation tools, Rachel specializes in mobilizing creative strategies incorporating foreclosure prevention advocacy, anti-discrimination law, and consumer protection statutes to create home- and equity-saving solutions for New York City homeowners.
In addition to resolving dozens of fair housing and fair lending administrative complaints, Rachel developed, filed, litigated, and tried Saint-Jean et al. v. Emigrant Mortgage Company, a lawsuit in the Eastern District of New York that resulted in the first-ever jury verdict holding a lender accountable for reverse redlining and awarding damages. Rachel also litigated and tried the successful group case Barkley v. Olympia Mortgage Co. in federal district court to a jury verdict holding accountable, for fraud and deceptive practices, co-conspirators that operated a high-volume "One Stop Shop" targeting first-time homebuyers of color in Brooklyn and Queens.
Saul is the Director of Housing Programs at Northfield Community LDC, a HUD-certified housing counseling agency, where he leads the organization’s foreclosure prevention efforts and broader housing stability initiatives. With over four years in this role, Saul oversees a team of three counselors and has helped hundreds of homeowners annually navigate financial hardship, avoid foreclosure, and remain in their homes. Their work focuses on providing one-on-one foreclosure counseling, negotiating with servicers, and connecting clients with legal and financial resources to prevent displacement. In addition to foreclosure prevention, Saul also manages programs supporting first-time homebuyers, community land trust development, and low-cost/ no cost home repairs—all aimed at sustaining long-term homeownership in underserved communities. Saul brings a deep understanding of how tax lien sales impact vulnerable homeowners and is committed to using housing counseling as a frontline defense against involuntary loss of housing.
Hannah Anousheh is a lifelong New Yorker and Bronx Science alumna. She co-founded the ENYCLT and serves as its Campaign Director. She has a Masters in City and Regional Planning from Pratt Institute. While at Pratt, she was an ANHD fellow at Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation and a NYC Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC-EJA) Fellow at Brooklyn Movement Center (BMC). Before that, she was an organizer and campaign researcher at UNITE HERE!, the international union of hotel and restaurant workers.
Kerri White is the Special Assistant for Housing and Community Development at the Office of the New York State Attorney General overseeing innovative housing policy and programs as well as assisting with housing related investigations. Prior to joining the NY Attorney General’s office, Kerri was the Director of Organizing & Policy at the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, where she began as an AmeriCorps Vista volunteer in 2008. At UHAB, Kerri oversaw a staff of organizers who worked with residents city-wide to address housing reform issues. Kerri also oversaw UHAB’s policy agenda, working from UHAB’s grassroots experience to develop legislative and administrative proposals at the City, State, and Federal level to protect low- and moderate-income residents. Kerri has a BA in International Affairs from Northern Arizona University, she is originally from Arizona.
Emre Edev is the Deputy Director of the Revenue & Economics Unit within the New York City Council’s Finance Division. He leads a team of eight economists who advise the Speaker and Council on economic and policy issues related to the City’s budget, tax policy, and legislation. Over his seventeen years at the Council (where does the time go?), Emre has supported the Council’s work on a range of initiatives—including efforts to various efforts to reform the City’s property tax system, oversight of tax incentives including the proposed Amazon HQ2 package, the development of Hudson Yards, and regular forecasts of the City’s revenues and budget. Outside of his work at the Council, Emre occasionally finds time to dabble in ceramics and spend time with his husband and dog. He holds a BA in Anthropology from Macalester College and a Master of Urban Planning from NYU.
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