About me

I work at the intersection of housing policy, community change, and public narrative. Over the past three decades, I’ve organized at the grassroots level, helped advance equity-focused, evidence-based reforms inside local government, advised public agencies and nonprofits on housing policy and development, and written and spoken nationally about housing equity and segregation.

I am the co-author of Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law (2023), written with Richard Rothstein as a follow-up to The Color of Law. While The Color of Law documented how government policy created residential segregation, Just Action explores how communities can begin to address those harms through local action, particularly in housing, land use, and related systems.

READ LEAH'S FULL BIO

WHAT I DO

Strategic Writing &
Narrative Development

I write reports, roadmaps, essays, and frameworks that bring clarity to complex housing and equity issues, translating research, experience, and values into work that’s meant to be read and used.

Thought Partnership
& Advising

I work as a thought partner to leaders and teams, helping them sharpen ideas, test assumptions, and think through tradeoffs in moments of strategy-setting or transition.

Speaking &
Facilitation

I speak and facilitate conversations on housing, equity, and systems change for a range of audiences, with a focus on clarity, urgency, and grounding current issues in a historical context.

Policy &
Systems Thinking

I help organizations make sense of housing and community development systems — what’s working, what isn’t, and why — with an eye toward strategies that are realistic, equitable, and context-specific.

Cross-Sector
Perspective

Drawing on experience across government, advocacy, and research, I help bridge different ways of seeing the problem and support more aligned approaches.

Contact Me to Learn More or Schedule a Consultation

What I Don’t Do…

I don’t do legal or transactional work. I’m not a lawyer or real estate developer. My contribution is in analysis, writing, helping people think clearly about complex issues, and motivating them to act.

I don’t produce generic content. I don’t write boilerplate reports or messaging designed to say very little. I focus on work that is grounded, specific, and meant to be read and used.

I don’t offer quick fixes or tidy narratives. Housing problems are complicated. I try to write and speak honestly about tradeoffs, constraints, and uncertainty rather than overselling solutions.

I don’t replace your voice or your team. Whether writing or advising, my goal is to clarify and strengthen your thinking — not to speak for you or stand in for internal capacity.

ABOUT JUST ACTION:
How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law

“Now what? It’s asked by many when facing brutal truths of racial discrimination and segregation. Just Action answers, offering hope. It defies the darkness of segregation’s legacy by provoking our imaginations and providing examples of efforts that confront its impacts. This book will change minds, inspire public will and revive communities.”

— Rev. Natosha Reid Rice, Vice President, Habitat for Humanity International; Chair, The Redress Movement; and Minister for Public Life, All Saints Episcopal Church (Atlanta)

LEARN MORE ABOUT JUST ACTION
Just Action Book Cover
PURCHASE A COPY OF JUST ACTION
  • Housing California

    Housing California

    Julie Lo

    Leah’s work blends deep policy knowledge with experience in community change, offering grounded, hopeful guidance for anyone ready to take meaningful steps toward racial and housing justice. In shaping the Roadmap Home, she paired sharp policy expertise and a clear-eyed grasp of the history behind our housing crisis with a deep commitment to organizing the collective power required to undo it.

  • ULI Tampa Bay

    Lee Lowry

    Having a speaker of the caliber of Leah Rothstein at our 2025 Tampa Bay Trends Conference greatly enhanced the experience for the more than 500 attendees from the seven counties of Tampa Bay. Member and non-member industry leaders enjoyed the Fireside Chat Leah did with our past Chair and COO of the Tampa Housing Authority, Leroy Moore, and we were glad to bring the issue to the attention of real estate professionals. It was especially vital for those who were new to the history of inequity and how it has hampered the potential of generations of people of color to hear her message. Leah is a knowledgeable and engaging speaker who speaks with conviction while never veering into being negative and is always looking for solutions, appropriate for the co-author of Just Action.

  • Montclair Public Library

    Ariel Zeitlin

    Leah Rothstein is an eloquent and persuasive speaker on some of the most important issues of our times, including housing inequity and residential desegregation. The program she participated in drew over 200 guests, who were all riveted by the discussion.

  • Legal Services of Eastern Michigan

    Patricia Baird

    Leah Rothstein and her team were an absolute pleasure to partner with, providing clarity at every stage of planning and contributing significantly to the overall success of our event. Leah has a remarkable ability to translate complex historical and policy issues into content that is both accessible and deeply engaging, using vivid examples to illuminate the past and present realities of segregation and housing inequity. She instills a sense of possibility in local organizations and community members alike, consistently highlighting concrete, actionable steps they can take to advance equity in their own communities.

  • Grounded Solutions Network

    Organizer

    Leah delivered a thought-provoking and rousing plenary address during our 2025 Policy. Practice. Power. National Housing Conference. Drawing from historical lessons and findings in her own research, she shared profound insights and practical advice that imbued the audience with renewed optimism and a strengthened commitment to advancing innovative housing solutions.  We are so grateful for the important role she played in making our convening a huge success. 

  • Montclair Public Library Event

    Attendee

    The impact of government policies and programs that perpetuated segregation in our society is so pervasive and entrenched, it often feels impossible to change the system. The Rothsteins' book and their presentation provide hope and concrete examples of how we might actually be able to effect change.

  • Rockridge Community Planning Council

    Casey Farmer

    Leah is a brilliant researcher and excellent speaker who provides many case studies and datapoints for the audience to visualize her proposed solutions. She tailored her presentation to the local context of our group. I would highly recommend her as a speaker.

  • Delaware State Bar Association

    Organizer

    Richard and Leah did an excellent job, and everything ran very smoothly on our end. 

  • Montgomery County Planning Department

    Robbin Brittingham

    Leah was transparent, open and engaging with our staff.