About PHFA

Started in the early 1970’s, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency has some features in the way it’s organized that make it different from most other state agencies.

capitol dome

PHFA was created by the state legislature in 1972.

PA map

PHFA’s main office is in Harrisburg. We have satellite offices with smaller staffs on each side of the state, in Norristown and Pittsburgh.

PHFA has 14 board members, including the chair. They have different areas of expertise and serve out of their desire to improve the availability of affordable housing across the state.

PHFA has a unique organizational structure, as both a state agency and a corporation. It’s most frequently referred to as a public corporation or a state-affiliated agency, reflecting its dual nature.

Much of the agency’s funding comes from its sale of securities to investors. Other funding comes from program fees and federal and state program administration. PHFA only occasionally receives public tax dollars.

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PHFA has a staff of 305.

PHFA building

PHFA has 16 divisions that oversee its housing programs and administrative functions.

money

The agency’s administrative budget for the 2021 fiscal year was $45 million.

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PHFA is charged with increasing housing options for people with low-to-moderate incomes, seniors and people with special needs — segments of the population often not fully served by the private housing market.

PHFA’s main program areas are: affordable rental housing, homeownership, consumer counseling and education, funding for local housing initiatives and foreclosure prevention.

OUR LEADERSHIP

Meet Our BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The agency’s 14 board members provide their time and expertise out of their desire to improve the availability of affordable housing throughout the commonwealth. They are appointed to serve by the governor or General Assembly, or they serve as part of the responsibility of their high-level state government position.

Tap on photos for board members’ names.

Our Programs

For 49 years, PHFA has innovated and evolved to provide critically needed housing options in an ever-changing world. Here are some of the most prominent ways we help people find housing that fits their budget and lifestyle.

Click on each program area below to learn more.

HEAR FROM OUR CUSTOMERS

Since 1982, PHFA has helped hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians become homeowners. PHFA provides home loans that families can afford.

Brittany's family

Brittany

Nanticoke, PA homeowner

HEAR HER STORY

Madeline and Grigori

Madeline & Grigori

Drums, PA homeowner

HEAR THEIR STORY

Eduardo

Eduardo

Philadelphia, PA homeowner

HEAR HIS STORY

Aiman family

Aiman

Clairton, PA homeowner

HEAR HER STORY

Our Progress

With the urgency of delivering pandemic housing assistance, in addition to the work of managing all our existing housing programs, the 2021 fiscal year was extremely busy and demonstrated that PHFA’s staff was up to the challenge.

Q1 JUL–Sept 2020

  • PHFA begins accepting applications for CARES assistance for renters and homeowners.

  • With an interest rate of 2.95%, PHFA HOME LOAN closings remain strong in spite of the pandemic.

  • $42M in Low Income Housing Tax Credits and $18.68M in additional funding awarded for construction of 36 affordable housing developments, creating 1,785 additional rental units.

  • $45.79M in PHARE funding awarded to 214 housing and community development initiatives in 67 counties.

  • $9.5M in New Markets Tax Credits awarded to Erie Center for Arts and Technology to transform vacant Wayne School building into new community resource.

  • PHFA opens bidding on $3M in Mixed-Use Development Tax Credits for construction/rehabilitation of mixed-use developments in PA communities, creating more affordable housing.

Q2 Oct–Dec 2020

  • CARES assistance programs for PA renters and homeowners extended until Nov. 4.

  • $16.5M in New Markets Tax Credits awarded for new shopping complex and 98 mixed-income rental units in North Philadelphia.

  • PHFA applauds passage of PA Senate Bill 30 creating state low-income housing tax credit program.

  • The Homeownership Division reports that, compared with the prior year, the number of home loans closed so far has increased by 162 loans, with a value $80M greater.

  • Agency honors 14 housing counselors and counseling agencies for exceptional service to PA consumers.

  • PHFA reports achievements of CARES relief programs helping 16,515 renter households, 10,020 landlords and 2,616 homeowners; $64.6M in housing assistance distributed.

Q3 Jan–Mar 2021

  • Loan Servicing Division reports that 30- and 60-day loan delinquencies continue to be significantly lower than they were this same time during the prior year.

  • The Counseling Division announces activation of video conferencing for people seeking housing counseling, which can’t be conducted face-to-face during the pandemic.

  • PHFA launches new K-FIT purchase assistance loan that is forgivable in 10 years.

  • Agency announces new fund to help disadvantaged tax credit developers.

  • New $500 grant made available by agency for home loan customers.

  • PHFA offers free personal money management webinars for the public.

Q4 Apr–Jun 2021

  • Five projects across the state awarded $2.2M from Community Revitalization Fund program for construction or rehab of mixed-used developments.

  • PA receives $24.1M in National Housing Trust Fund dollars, a 148% increase over 2020. Additional funding used to help LIHTC projects hampered by rising construction costs during the pandemic.

  • Homeowners can now apply remotely for foreclosure prevention assistance and no longer must apply in person — important during the pandemic.

  • Moody’s Investors Service upgrades PHFA’s Single-Family Mortgage Revenue Bond Program to Aa1 from Aa2, saving the agency money and making our bonds more attractive to investors.

  • 154 housing counselors working in PHFA’s Housing Counseling Network are now HUD certified (that’s 78%).

  • $44.9M in PHARE funding distributed by PHFA will assist 223 housing initiatives in all 67 counties, driven by local housing priorities.

SUCCESSES FROM FY 2021

Some of our division directors talk about the agency’s housing initiatives and their impact in 2021.

Kelly

Kelly Wilson, Director

HEMAP has worked since 1983 to prevent home foreclosures in PA.

WATCH VIDEO

Bryce

Bryce Maretzki, Director

The Office of Strategic Planning and Policy led PHFA’s CARES initiative.

WATCH VIDEO

Terri

Terri Redmond, Director

PHFA’s Counseling Division ensures helpful information is available for housing consumers.

WATCH VIDEO

Coleen Baumert

Coleen Baumert, Director

The agency’s homeownership division introduced new programs to assist homebuyers.

WATCH VIDEO

Our PERFORMANCE

This state map demonstrates how broadly PHFA’s main housing programs touched people’s lives and Pennsylvania communities during the past year.

Statewide impact of PHFA in PA
This map demonstrates the extensive statewide impact of PHFA’s primary housing programs, with each dot representing a person or location that received housing assistance from the agency during the year.

PHFA By The Numbers

This interactive map provides insights into PHFA housing investments statewide for fiscal year 2021. Click on a county in the map to reveal the agency’s housing assistance there in four key areas: funding for the construction of affordable rental housing, single-family home loans, foreclosure prevention loans, and housing and community development assistance provided on the local level. Clicking on the icons below the map will provide more comprehensive data.

This map and the supporting data confirm the many ways in which PHFA programs are addressing affordable housing needs across Pennsylvania.

Our Financials

During a year when economic downturns and uncertainly were the norm, sound fiscal management kept the agency on stable financial footing so that all housing programs remained fully operational. This was absolutely critical at a time when these programs were needed more than ever.

Tap or hover over the charts to see dollar amounts.

NET POSITION

Beginning of year:
$787,393

End of year:
$797,317

(in thousands)

PHFA’s complete financial report for the 2021 fiscal year is conveniently available on our website.