GW Law student Grant Gibson, a rising 3L, received the Howard J. Rudge Creative Solutions Award for his paper about affordable housing and historic preservation in May.
The award, which was endowed by Rudge, JD ‘63, offers a $5,000 cash prize to students with papers that propose a creative solution to a societal problem. Gibson’s paper “Building (and Preserving) an Affordable Future: How Historic Buildings Can Provide Affordable Housing Solutions” proposes new guidance on how federal preservation standards can apply to affordable housing projects.
“I am extremely grateful to win the Rudge Prize, and I am thankful to Howard Rudge and GW Law for generously supporting student scholarship on social issues,” Gibson said.
In his paper, Gibson argues that federal agencies like the National Parks Service could incentivize affordable housing developers to convert historic buildings into apartments with clearer guidance on how existing tax credit programs can work together to support affordable housing. Developers may not consider projects to transform old schools, factories, and other historic buildings into affordable housing units because their access to such programs is not transparent, Gibson argues.
“This paper grew out of Professor Sara Bronin’s Historic Preservation Law seminar, where I first learned the material and developed an interest in preservation law,” Gibson said. “Professor Bronin offered thoughtful input as I developed the paper, and her insights on federal preservation policy shaped my approach to the topic. Before coming to GW Law, I worked at a homeless shelter in Athens, Georgia, an experience that gave me a lasting appreciation for the importance of affordable housing, and this paper was an opportunity to bring those two interests together.”
Professor Bronin, the Freda H. Alverson professor of law, said Gibson’s paper demonstrates a thoughtful solution to a pressing need. Prior to joining GW Law, Professor Bronin served as the U.S. Advisory Chair on Historic Preservation under the Biden administration.
“Real estate developers who want to rehabilitate historic buildings—especially when they want to convert them to low-income housing—are too often stymied by conflicting legal requirements that put federal financial support out of reach,” Professor Bronin said. “Grant’s paper surfaces this challenge and offers an innovative solution that fully accounts for statutory authority, regulations, and existing guidance for federal agencies involved, as well as market insights proving the solution’s effectiveness.
"I’m thrilled that Grant's scholarship has been recognized,” she added. “He has set a very high bar for all of my future GW students.”
