I’m a writer, editor and rapporteur specializing in affordable housing and economic opportunity. Previously I was a staff reporter at the Huffington Post, and have written for the New York Times and Slate. Prior to becoming a journalist I worked in the secondary mortgage market program at the North Carolina-based nonprofit Self-Help. Born and raised in Oklahoma, I have a B.A. in Latin American Studies from Wesleyan University, and a M.B.A. and M.R.P. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In my work, I combine my knowledge as a practitioner with my writing expertise to create straightforward, powerful communication products for a variety of audiences. Recent and current clients include the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program, the Capital One Insights Center, the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, JPMorgan Chase & Co., the Kresge Foundation, the National League of Cities, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and the Housing Finance Policy Center at the Urban Institute.
Thank you for your interest in my work. I can be reached at: loren (at) lorenberlin (dot) com.
Work Samples – Research // Policy Papers
- Credit Risk Transfers as a Catalyst for Affordable Housing Initiatives (David M. Brickman / The Urban Institute Housing Finance Policy Center, 2022)
- A Financial Security Threat in the Courtroom: How Federal and State Policymakers Can Make Debt Collection Litigation Safer and Fairer for Everyone (The Aspen Institute Financial Security Program, 2021)
- A Shortcoming in the Method for Allocating Federal Support for Multifamily Housing (David M. Brickman / The Urban Institute Housing Finance Policy Center, 2021)
- Homeownership is Affordable Housing (Mike Loftin / The Urban Institute Housing Finance Policy Center, 2021)
- The State of Financial Security 2020: A Framework for Recovery and Resilience (The Aspen Institute Financial Security Program, 2020)
Work Samples – Rapporteur’s Reports
- Reimagining a U.S. Benefits System That Supports All Workers: Five Key Takeaways from Public and Private Benefit Leaders (The Aspen Institute Financial Security Program, 2022)
Work Samples – Narrative // Storytelling
- (Long-Form) A Bid for Affordability: Notes from an Ambitious Housing Experiment in Cincinnati (The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 2023)
- (Short-Form) Gulf Coast Housing Partnership Finds New Ways to Finance Affordable Healthy Housing (The Kresge Foundation, 2021)