Month: June 2023

HUD has announced the allocation of $45 million to address homelessness among people in unsheltered settings and in rural communities. This funding will provide 3,379 Stability Vouchers to 135 PHAs and partnering Continuum of Care (CoC) communities across the country.  Five Pennsylvania authorities are among that group.

The Eastern Pennsylvania CoC is partnering with the following housing authorities, with each authority slated to receive 5 vouchers:

• ·        Allentown Housing Authority
• ·        Housing Authority of the County of Union
• ·        Columbia County Housing Authority
• ·        Snyder County Housing Authority

Harrisburg Housing Authority will receive 5 vouchers in partnership with the Harrisburg/Dauphin County CoC.

The vouchers are part of a comprehensive approach to reduce homelessness, including a previous grant of $486 million to 62 CoC communities. The Stability Voucher Program aims to coordinate efforts between health and housing agencies to help individuals transition from the streets to permanent housing. Once the Stability Vouchers are allocated to selected PHAs, eligible households, including households experiencing or at risk of homelessness and households fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault, will be able to access these vouchers and use them to attain affordable housing.

These actions are part of the House America national initiative launched by the Administration in 2022, with the goal of reducing homelessness by 25 percent by 2025. Here is the full list of PHAs receiving funding.

PAHRA is pleased to announce the winners of our 36th Annual Scholarship Awards.  Follow these links to view our brief video or read more about our winners.  PAHRA is proud to provide these scholarships as a positive economical and educational impact in  helping to forge the foundations for brilliant futures ahead for these stellar students.

Paul G. Pecharko Memorial Scholarships (Adult-Ed) 

• ·        $3,000 Award – Kristen Noschese– sponsored by Westmoreland County Housing Authority
• ·        $2,000 Award – Jahnia Treadwell– sponsored by Allentown Housing Authority
• ·        $1,000 Award – Tamia White – sponsored by Delaware County Housing Authority

L. DeWitt Boosel Memorial Scholarships (High School Seniors)

• ·        $3,000 Award – Ebony Gee– sponsored by Bethlehem Housing Authority
• ·        $2,000 Award – Mia Rosa Colon – sponsored by Reading Housing Authority
• ·        $1,000 Award – Zappula Lewis, III – sponsored by Housing Authority of the County of Beaver

To learn more about our 2023 scholarship recipients, click here to view the full article, including brief bio’s and photos.

Please click here to view a short video of our 36th Annual Scholarship Award winners, where they were given the opportunity to speak out about their goals as well as what has inspired them

$61.5 million will fund 309 housing initiatives in all 67 counties

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency today announced the recipients of a new round of funding for housing programs made available through the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) fund. PHFA has identified 309 housing and community development initiatives in all 67 counties that will share a portion of the total $61.5 million in PHARE funding for fiscal year 2022-23. The PHARE fund is managed by PHFA.

“PHARE is one of our most popular programs because local leaders and organizations determine the best application of the funding to address their housing needs,” said PHFA Executive Director and CEO Robin Wiessmann. “During the last decade, the PHARE program has an impressive record of accomplishment, in great part because of the high quality of the proposals submitted by groups who best understand the housing needs in their communities.”

Funding for these PHARE awards comes from two main sources. Since 2012, the program has received a portion of the impact fees collected from natural gas companies operating in the state with the goal of addressing the housing shortage caused by the impact of drilling. That is supplemented with funding provided by a portion of the realty transfer tax. The PHARE fund is often referred to as the state’s Housing Trust Fund.

PHFA anticipates that today’s PHARE funding will impact Pennsylvania households through a variety of affordable housing efforts including:

• 752 new, affordable housing units will be created with PHARE funds
• 2,046 affordable housing units will be preserved/rehabilitated
• 346 units rehabilitated/preserved through the funding of 4% tax credit projects
• 84 new single-family homes to be created
• 489 housing units will be created or rehabilitated specifically for households in danger of homelessness
• 592 potential new homebuyers to receive down payment and closing cost assistance
• More than 11,600 families/households to receive housing counseling and financial education
• More than 10,700 families/households to receive housing assistance (rent, utilities, transportation)

PHFA staff report that at least 66​% of the $61.5 million allocated today will be used to fund housing projects benefiting households with incomes below 50​% of the area median income.

A list of the proposals receiving PHARE funding is available at  www.phfa.org/legislation/act105.aspx.  See the bullet for “Funding Announcements.”

Easton Housing Authority is seeking qualified applicants for the full-time position of Housing Occupancy Manager.

Click here to view the detailed position description, including job duties, qualifications,  and application instructions.

Easton Housing Authority is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency has announced seven projects to be awarded $4.8 million for the construction or rehabilitation of mixed-used developments. The funding was raised through the sale of tax credits under the Mixed-Use Development Tax Credit Program, the proceeds of which are being used to fund the work of the Community Revitalization Fund Program.

The goal of the Community Revitalization Fund Program is to stimulate high-impact neighborhood revitalization projects around the state. This round of funding prioritized applications from smaller cities and communities, including third-class cities.

The Mixed-Use Development Tax Credit Program is administered by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, and the selected projects were approved earlier today by its board of directors. The list of funding recipients is provided in the table below.

“Pennsylvanians work hard, and they deserve safe communities and quality, affordable housing in their neighborhoods,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “This investment from PHFA will help build over 200 new affordable units, and my Administration will make it more affordable to stay in your homes by ensuring Whole Homes Repair funding gets disbursed quickly and expanding the Property Tax Rent Rebate program to 175,000 more Pennsylvanians. Together, we’re building safe, healthy, and vibrant communities all across the Commonwealth that Pennsylvanians will be proud to call home.”

The Mixed-Use Development Tax Credit Program was created as part of the commonwealth’s fiscal year 2016 budget. PHFA is allocated $4.5 million in credits annually to sell to generate community revitalization capital. The agency was directed by the General Assembly to administer both the tax credit and program components of this initiative.

The Community Revitalization Fund Program seeks to expand or rehabilitate affordable housing coupled with retail/commercial space to promote community revitalization, especially in those parts of the state that are struggling economically. The term “mixed-use” for these projects refers to buildings that combine both commercial/retail and residential space.

“We anticipate the projects funded today will produce 201 new or rehabilitated residential units and 45,680 square feet of commercial-retail space,” said PHFA Executive Director and CEO Robin Wiessmann. “Most communities have an urgent need for more affordable rental units, and the commercial portion of these properties can be powerful economic drivers in the towns and cities where they are located.”

The application of funding through the Community Revitalization Fund Program is flexible, and it can be used in a number of ways to address the program’s objectives. For instance, the dollars generated can fund the rehabilitation of older or underutilized buildings that can then help promote community development. Those buildings can be restored for commercial use and to provide affordable housing.

Project – Recipient Organization – County – Award

1) Rhythm Square: Phase I – Studio Volcy – Allegheny County – $700,000

2) Penn Lincoln Apartments – ACTION-Housing, Inc. – Allegheny County – $600,000

3) Savoy 48 – Vice Capital LLC – Dauphin County- $800,000

4) Matzo Development – United Neighborhood Community Development Corporation – Lackawanna County – $600,000

5) Rebman’s Redevelopment – OZFund, Inc. – Lancaster – $800,000

6) 131 West Market Street Rehabilitation – Community Partnerships RC&D – Mifflin County – $600,000

7) 4324-44 Lancaster Avenue – Full Court Development – Philadelphia – $700,00

Questions about the Mixed-Use Development Tax Credit Program or the Community Revitalization Fund Program can be directed to Bryce Maretzki at PHFA at (717) 780-1867 or by email at bmaretzki@phfa.org.

 

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA), which recently received two NAHRO Awards of Excellence. The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) presented 20 prestigious Awards of Excellence to 16 housing and community development organizations.  PHA was the recipient of an award in the Project Design category for North Central Five, a mixed-income community offering 133 units of housing on a full-block site, with access to a fitness room, community room, computer room, library and more. The agency also received an award in the Resident and Client Services category for the CCP/PHA Shared Housing Program, a partnership that transformed six scattered-site units into dorm-like apartments for Community College of Philadelphia students. NAHRO reports that the Awards of Excellence were selected by regional juries from an initial pool of 178 Awards of Merit recipients.  Each of the winning programs improves resident outcomes, resolves problems, is replicable by similarly-sized organizations and produces tangible results such as cost savings and improved client services. “NAHRO members provide vital housing and support in their communities, and do so through economic downturns, pandemics and natural disasters, declining federal investment and other challenges,” said NAHRO CEO Mark Thiele. “These 20 programs exemplify their creativity and determination in providing local solutions that others can learn from and replicate, and we’re thrilled to honor their work.” Click here to read the full press release that includes a list of all of the winning programs.