William Fairhurst L’22

After graduating from college in Massachusetts, Will returned to his hometown in Florida for two years where he taught middle school environmental science and ran school garden programs at a public school in Tallahassee.  

In 2013, he began working for a non-profit legal services organization in Brooklyn, New York where he provided one-on-one foreclosure prevention housing counseling to New Yorkers who have fallen victim to both the predatory lending practices of the previous decade and the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy.  

Will helped develop and lead coalitions and non-profit disaster recovery organizations dedicated to helping New York homeowners recover from natural disasters. He trained disaster caseworkers to accurately spot financial issues and mortgage distress among their clients, helping to form a pipeline of these homeowners to legal services providers.  

In 2016, he helped design and manage a first of its kind temporary housing program for New York City’s Sandy rebuild effort. For the next three years, the program helped provide temporary rental housing for nearly 1,000 homeowners forced to relocate from their homes for up to a year because of construction. Will also managed a free financial and legal services program for the same population of homeowners, helping them navigate the complex rules and decisions that accompany federal disaster assistance.