Emily Dowdall

As Managing Director for Policy Solutions, Emily Dowdall guides a team of analysts conducting quantitative, spatial, and qualitative research in support of more equitable communities in Philadelphia and across the country. Ms. Dowdall also oversees business operations for the department and leads cross-departmental collaboration efforts for Policy Solutions. Her research expertise includes affordable housing needs, neighborhood stabilization, fair housing, early child education access, and program evaluation. She has led evaluations of Philadelphia’s eviction diversion and tenant Right to Counsel programs, studied housing markets in dozens of cities, and developed an implementation plan for reducing the BIPOC homeownership gap in Philadelphia. Ms. Dowdall frequently communicates research findings and their relevance to policymakers through briefings and testimony, professional conferences, and the news media.

Ms. Dowdall joined Reinvestment Fund in 2016 as Chief of Policy Implementation and Development and then served as Policy Director before being named Managing Director. Prior to Reinvestment Fund, she led research efforts on critical issues facing Philadelphia and other cities for the Pew Charitable Trusts, producing major reports on gentrification, the role of public libraries in big cities, property taxes, and school building closures. Ms. Dowdall has a Master of City Planning degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where she also teaches, and a B.A. in Metropolitan Studies from New York University.