2022 Annual Report – PHFA Annual Report

There’s No Place Like Home

About PHFA

As people age, their housing needs typically change. Most people start out as renters. Later in life, many look forward to the independence that comes with homeownership as they start their families. When they get older, more people today are seeking to adapt their homes to let them comfortably age in place. Thankfully, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency has housing programs to assist people in every stage of their life.

In late 1972 when PHFA was started, it was envisioned as an organization that would help fund the construction of affordable rental housing, hence the inclusion of the word “Finance” in our name. Over the years as the need has arisen, the agency has responded with programs like affordable home loans, homebuyer education, housing assistance for people with disabilities, foreclosure prevention and so much more. Today’s PHFA looks very different than it did originally because housing needs have changed, and PHFA has evolved to stay true to its housing mission of service to Pennsylvanians.

For 49 years, our employees have worked to help people find affordable housing so it will provide the stable home base they need to succeed throughout their lives. We recognize people’s homes are central to who they become because it’s there they not only find shelter but also strengthen family bonds and grow to become productive adults. Homes are built on foundations, and, in turn, they provide the solid foundation that supports our own personal growth. That’s why the quality of our housing is so important for us personally and for our society, too, because when it comes to shaping our individual and our collective lives, truly, “There’s no place like home.”

PHFA has 314 employees.
The main office is in Harrisburg; satellite offices are in Norristown and Pittsburgh.
PHFA is organized into 16 divisions.
PHFA has 14 appointed board members who help guide the agency’s housing initiatives.
During the past fiscal year, PHFA had an operating budget of $45 million.
PHFA is largely self-funded from its sale of securities to investors, program fees, and revenue earned from federal and state program administration.
PHFA has a unique organizational structure, as both a state-affiliated agency and a public corporation.

PHFA
Mission

In order to make the commonwealth a better place to live while fostering community and economic development, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency provides the capital for decent, safe, and affordable homes and apartments for older adults, persons of modest means, and those with special housing needs.

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

Not everyone needs help finding housing they can afford. But many people do, like seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and families on tight budgets. Our goal at PHFA is to match people with quality housing that meets their personal needs and financial constraints, because then their residence will provide a stable, long-term housing solution that reduces their stress and promotes their well-being. A significant element of our success in helping consumers is to give them the information and insights to make smarter housing choices so they can maintain or even improve their housing situation over time.

Tap on the PHFA program areas below to learn more.

Homeownership
Housing Counseling & Consumer Education
Affordable Rental Housing
Housing Research
Foreclosure Prevention
Funding Local Housing Initiatives
Community Development
Addressing Homelessness
Customer Service & Public Outreach

Hear from our home loan Customers

If you’re still not convinced there’s no place like home, then watch these video messages from homeowners with affordable PHFA home loans. Each one has different reasons their home is important to them, and each one values the many benefits they’ve experienced since becoming a homeowner.

Jacinth

Whitehall homeowner

Jordan

Bethlehem homeowner

Linda

Mont Clare homeowner

Lynne Marie

Philadelphia homeowner

Sandra

Enola homeowner

Rebekah

Aston homeowner

Randy

Philadelphia homeowner

Our Progress

Delivering pandemic-related financial relief to homeowners was a new priority during fiscal year 2022, on top of the many housing programs and services the agency provides every year as part of its ongoing housing mission. Here are other important happenings and milestones from the past year.

Q1 2021 JUL–SEPT

The newly signed state budget increases the allocation of tax credits for PHFA’s Mixed-Use Development Tax Credit Program by $1.5 million to now total $4.5 million.
Other housing programs receive substantial state funding in the new state budget, including support for affordable rental housing construction, a pandemic-related homeowner assistance fund, and a new state housing tax credit program.
PHFA’s Multifamily Affordable Housing Conference is held virtually, attracting more than 570 attendees benefiting from professional development seminars.
PHFA home loans are in great demand and, as of July 31, the agency had purchased 2,215 loans with a value of $375 million — 400 more home loans than the previous calendar year.
Since the launch of the agency’s new Keystone Forgivable-In-Ten-Years (K-FIT) down payment and closing cost assistance program earlier in the year, the program has received tremendous homebuyer interest — 2,240 loan locks with a value of $419.1 million, almost 50% of the agency’s loan locks.
As of August 1, 68 of 71 of PHFA’s housing counseling agencies (96%) have at least one housing counselor certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) ensuring competent and professional counseling services — and ranking Pennsylvania third among states for the highest number of agencies with HUD certified counselors.
PHFA rolls out the pilot phase of the Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund (PAHAF) using an initial $35 million of program funding while simultaneously developing the draft plan for the full program to launch early in 2022.
PHFA enters the bond market with a $294.75 million single-family bond deal that allows it to continue to offer below-market-rate mortgages and down payment and closing cost assistance for its home loan programs.
PHFA receives from NeighborWorks America one of the top awards ($2.9 million) given to a housing finance agency to provide housing counseling services to households facing housing instability during the COVID health crisis.

Q2 2021 OCT–DEC

During the fall, PHFA rolls out a new website for PHFA loan customers that supports self-service for making payments, viewing account information, accessing educational information and more.
Gov. Wolf and PHFA announce funding totaling more than $43.6 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credits, more than $7.4 million in PennHOMES funding, and more than $15.9 million in National Housing Trust Fund dollars for the construction of 1,974 affordable multifamily rental units across Pennsylvania.
Charged by the state legislature with creating a plan for processing applications from homeowners hurt by the pandemic and eligible for $350 million in assistance from the federal government, the agency finishes its proposal for the Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund (PAHAF) and submits it to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for approval.
The agency accepts a prestigious award from the Central Pennsylvania U.S. Green Building Council for the many energy-efficient innovations incorporated in its building expansion completed in 2019.
The agency’s Housing Management Division processes a fourth round of COVID-19 supplemental payments from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development totaling more than $700,000 to reimburse some multifamily properties for COVID-related expenses.
The agency announces its first Kathy A. Possinger Housing Policy Fellowship awardee, Carolyn Ristau, a University of Pittsburgh graduate.
FHLBank Pittsburgh and PHFA announce this year’s Home4Good funding of $3.95 million awarded to 73 programs run by 69 organizations across the state working to reduce homelessness.

Q3 2022 JAN–MAR

The agency’s $350 million Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund, created to assist homeowners hurt financially by the pandemic, is approved by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, allowing rollout of the program to move forward.
The Homeownership Division reports that home loan production for the 2021 calendar year is the highest since the agency began offering mortgages in 1982 — a record at 4,745 home loans with a value of $836.3 million.
The 811 Program, in which PHFA participates, helps extremely low-income people with disabilities to receive subsidized rental housing, and it hits the milestone of 300 apartments now occupied by people receiving 811 assistance.
All the planning and preparations come to fruition as the Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund begins accepting applications Feb. 1, helping homeowners struggling financially because of the pandemic.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awards COVID-related grants to 177 HUD-approved housing counseling agencies and intermediary organizations, with PHFA receiving the highest funding award of any state housing finance agency — an increase from the previous year at $2.2 million.
As COVID shows signs of lower infection rates, some PHFA employees return to working several days a week at the office, and the agency begins the shift to a hybrid workplace with all staff now working at least one day a week in the office to promote more team collaboration.
By the end of March, the 2022 Qualified Allocation Plan for Low Income Housing Tax Credits is posted on PHFA’s website, starting the new application cycle, and this year including, for the first time, state housing tax credits.

Q4 2022 APR–JUN

In early April, the Homeownership Division continues to innovate for customers with its brand-new K-FLEX home loan program that has flexible program criteria so it can be paired with PHFA’s purchase assistance, purchase and improvement, and refinance loan products.
To promote transparency to the public, the Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund unveils a continuously updated dashboard on its website sharing state- and county-level data about the program in real time.
The agency announces six projects to be awarded $3.7 million through the Community Revitalization Fund for the construction or rehabilitation of mixed-used developments to stimulate high-impact neighborhood revitalization around the state.
PHFA recognizes its Top-10 lending partners for their role in marketing and closing PHFA home loans during its annual homeownership awards event in Harrisburg.
The agency’s biennial Housing Forum opts for an in-person format and draws 458 housing professionals to Harrisburg to network, attend educational sessions, and hear from keynote speakers like Dr. Ira Goldstein, who shared new research conducted for PHFA on the barriers to homeownership faced by people of color.
PHFA’s Housing Counseling Division is awarded funds under the Housing Stability Counseling Program so 41 counseling agencies in its statewide network can provide an increased level of service for those facing housing instability during the pandemic.
PHFA is one of six housing finance agencies in the country to receive a grant funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to develop strategic partnerships with hospitals and other health organizations to help finance affordable housing.
The agency achieves a major milestone as the value of the single-family home loans it services (excluding HEMAP loans) passes $5 billion for the first time in its history — a total of 70,746 loans!
The agency’s second major conference of 2022 — its Multifamily Affordable Housing Conference — makes careful COVID precautions to manage an in-person event attracting 516 housing professionals seeking continuing education on housing topics.
During June, which is Homeownership Month, PHFA’s financial education team provides six free webinars about the homebuying process that attract 351 participants, and 85 people earn certificates by attending all the sessions.
Governor Tom Wolf and PHFA announce the 245 housing and community development initiatives in all 67 counties that will share a portion of the total $48.4 million PHARE funding to preserve and expand affordable housing.

Hear from renters who live
in affordable apartments
that PHFA has funded

Finding an apartment you can afford on a fixed income or low income can be challenging in some towns and cities. As you’ll hear, these renters are grateful for their rentals, which provide quality living spaces they’re proud of while staying within their housing budget. Many also includes supportive services that help them live fuller, more independent lives.

Athena

Apartments at New Market West renter, Phila.

Harriet

Witherspoon Senior Apartments renter, Phila.

Lori

Bensalem Veterans Residences renter, Bensalem

Patty

Harriet Beecher Stowe Apartments renter, Scranton

Jessica

Homes at Riverside renter, Reading

Deborah

Red Clay Manor renter, Kennett Square

Glenn

Gateway West renter, Reading

Our Performance

This interactive map provides insights into PHFA housing investments statewide for fiscal year 2022. Click on a county to see the agency’s housing assistance there in four key areas: single-family home loans, funding for the construction of affordable rental housing, foreclosure prevention loans, and housing and community development assistance supporting local housing initiatives. 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.

LEGEND

MF funding = PennHOMES, National Housing Trust Fund and PHFA first mortgage

LIHTCs = Low Income Housing Tax Credits

HEMAP = Homeowners’ Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program

PHARE = Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund; total disbursement includes $1,441,000 regional & $2,375,000 statewide funding

$$$* = Receives funding shared with another county

Our Financials

Ongoing supply chain disruptions. Surging inflation. A shortage of workers. The past year saw the continuation of these and other national and global economic challenges. Yet, sound financial management at PHFA delivered continued financial stability to support the agency’s numerous housing initiatives. In spite of the pandemic and its uncertainty, all of the agency’s housing programs continued uninterrupted, which was critical given the heightened public need for reliable housing assistance.

Tap or hover over the charts to see dollar amounts.

NET POSITION

Beginning of year:
$797,317

End of year:
$755,818

(in thousands)

PHFA’s complete financial report for the
2022 fiscal year is conveniently available
on our website.

FULL FINANCIAL REPORT

Our director’s message: There’s No Place Like Home

The saying “There’s no place like home” is well known, and not just because it’s a famous line in a classic movie. That phrase sticks with us because it’s a truism.

At the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, we recognize that “home” is critical because it provides stability, a refuge, and a foundation of support that helps people reach their full potential. That’s why we lead a variety of programs to help people in all stages of their lives as renters, homebuyers and homeowners.

Leading the way home

For many people, renting is the best option that fits their needs and their budget. But not enough apartment buildings are being constructed for people at all income levels. Since the 1980s, the level of development has been lacking for the quantity of rental housing needed to keep pace with the demand from low- and middle-income families. This is why the financial assistance provided by PHFA through the allocation of Low Income Housing Tax Credits is so vital. The current situation would be much worse if not for the availability of these tax credits to incentive developers.

In recent years, tax credits alone have not been sufficient to keep affordable developments moving toward completion on schedule. Cost increases to construction materials, caused by supply chains unraveling, have pushed construction costs ever higher. We’re grateful to the General Assembly which, for the past two years, has provided additional funding to get these developments completed. Working closely with developers, we’ve managed to keep these critically needed apartments moving forward. It’s taken persistence and input from various partners, including the state legislature, to get the job done.

Setting new records

Likewise, we continue to innovate so we stay relevant for our customers in Pennsylvania. We regularly adapt our home loan products to meet changes in the marketplace and the evolving needs of homebuyers. For instance, recognizing that closing costs are often the biggest hurdle for homebuyers, we offer down payment and closing cost assistance that is forgivable over 10 years. We also allow buyers to combine a home repair loan with their home purchase loan, which provides our customers both convenience and affordability.

Even as interest rates kept rising this year, our home loans programs had their best year ever. I’m pleased to report that the agency helped 5,460 Pennsylvania families achieve their dream of homeownership. This is the first year in the PHFA’s history that our home loan production has surpassed a total value of more than $1 billion dollars. That sort of performance is only possible because of our ongoing focus on innovation and customer service.

Staying true to our housing mission

As the trailing impact of COVID continues in 2023, PHFA remains committed to its mission of expanding affordable housing options for all Pennsylvanians. There is reason to be hopeful as challenges, like the recent pandemic, sometimes reveal innovative solutions that previously were overlooked. Our ability to find solutions in our multifamily and single-family programs during difficult times is proof of our organizational commitment to affordable housing in the commonwealth. Just as we have for the last 49 years, we will continue to provide help with housing because we understand so well that there’s no place like home to help people and families thrive and to stimulate community growth.