Affordable Housing Programs for Pennsylvania Home Buyers Today, one-third of Pennsylvania households, rent their homes-from seniors to new young families saving to buy their first home. For many people, since all of us are renters at some point, renting is the best or only option. There are growing challenges for Pennsylvania renters finding decent, stable and affordable homes with ready access to work, transit and schools. Recent preservation projects also prove that it can be faster, easier and cheaper to preserve and improve an existing property than to build a new one from the ground up. Restoration of homes transforms troubled properties into safe, sustainable communities and helps low-income seniors remain in their homes near family and friends. There are studies which propose a wide range of feasible and practical solutions to address the existing barriers to Pennsylvania's low-income wage-earner. Some suggest there are not enough financial incentive programs for developers of Pennsylvania's affordable housing. The Planning and Building Authorities should make every attempt to keep development fees affordable and assist projects that support other local community/economic development activities within Pennsylvania. Legislation should also consider rezoning select areas for affordable multifamily housing and allocate funds to those housing developments which provide the greatest overall public benefits to the community.

Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) is the Commonwealth's leading provider of capital for affordable homes and apartments. Created to help enhance the quality and supply of affordable homes and apartments for older adults, persons of modest means, and persons with disabilities, the Agency operates homeownership programs, rental housing development initiatives, and a foreclosure prevention effort.

In addition to its major programs, the Agency conducts housing studies, promotes counseling and education for renters and homebuyers, encourages supportive services at apartments it has financed, administers rent subsidy contracts for the federal government, and acts as an advocate to promote the benefits of affordable shelter for those who need it most.

FHL Bank Pittsburgh
FHLBank Pittsburgh is one of twelve FHLBanks nationwide. Congress created this national network of privately owned wholesale banks in 1932 to ensure available funding for mortgages. Today, as the only wholesale source of community-building funds for neighborhood banks, the FHLBanks fill a critical vacuum by providing liquidity for small business, community development, rural and agricultural loans — as well as home mortgage financing.

FHLBank Pittsburgh provides readily available low-cost funding and opportunities for affordable housing and community development to 314 member financial institutions in Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It ensures the availability of funds for housing and enhances the quality of the communities it serves.

Pennsylvania Recovery & Reinvestment
In February of 2009, President Obama and the U.S. Congress signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to jumpstart the economy, save and create jobs, provide a helping hand to people affected by the recession, stabilize state and local budgets, and make investments that will provide long-term economic benefits.

Pennsylvania expects to receive an estimated $29 billion from the federal government. This web site is a window for you to see first-hand how and where that money is being used to promote economic recovery in the commonwealth. Pennsylvania authorities intend to do everything possible to ensure that the public agencies overseeing these projects do so with the integrity the public deserves. The resources are made available pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Pennsylvania Manufactured Housing Association
The Pennsylvania Manufactured Housing Association (PMHA) headquarters in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. PMHA is a nonprofit trade association representing all segments of the manufactured housing industry; including manufactured home builders; suppliers; installers; retailers; community developers, owners, and managers; insurers and financial providers.

PMHA works to promote fair laws and regulations, increase and improve financing options, provide legal research, promote industry professionalism, remove zoning barriers and educate external audiences about the benefits of manufactured housing. Through these various programs and activities, PMHA seeks to promote the use of manufactured housing to Pennsylvania consumers, developers, lenders, community operators, insurers, the media and public officials.

Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania
The Housing Alliance is a statewide membership organization whose mission is to ensure that all Pennsylvanians, especially those with low incomes, have access to safe, decent, and affordable homes. Formed in 1985, the Housing Alliance is a growing and influential membership organization, with over 500 organizational and individual affiliates.

Members are the foundation of the organization and help set the agenda, elect leadership, and shape action, all the while representing the needs of their communities. Through the Housing Alliance, the individual views of the members are forged into a single, effective, persistent voice for the affordable housing needs and interests of rural, urban and suburban communities across the state of Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania USDA Rural Development
The USDA Rural Development mission goal is to provide or partner with others in providing the financial and technical resources to assist Pennsylvania private citizens, small businesses, nonprofit organizations, communities, cities and counties in assuring that each rural community has what it takes to improve the quality of life and be successful.

USDA Rural Development assisted rural Pennsylvania with almost $1 billion in financial assistance during Fiscal Year (FY) 2010. The assistance was through a variety of loan and grant programs to thousands of individuals, families, businesses and communities. These funds were used to provide quality housing, good jobs, critical infrastructure, improved health care, energy efficiency improvements, public safety plus reliable modern essential community facilities and services.

Pennsylvania Habitat for Humanity
Founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller, Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating substandard housing and homelessness worldwide and to making adequate, affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat has built and renovated over 200,000 houses worldwide since 1976.

Habitat for Humanity’s work is accomplished at the community level by Pennsylvania affiliates — independent, locally run, nonprofit organizations. Each Habitat affiliate coordinates all aspects of home building in its local area — fund raising, building site selection, partner family selection and support, house construction, and mortgage servicing.

Pennsylvania County Housing Programs
Housing Programs designed to create solutions to abandoned, substandard and unaffordable housing by assisting in the development of housing for low and moderate income individuals and families. These home programs are formed to assist in creating and maintaining affordable housing grants and funds for down payment assistance to first time homebuyers in Delaware, Fayette, Erie, Montgomery, Bradford, Bucks County.

Community downpayment assistance funds are provided to low and moderate income residents to provide annual grants on a formula basis to entitlement cities and counties to assist in developing urban communities.

Housing and Urban Development
HUD’s desire is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for the needy. Working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes; utilize affordable housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination. HUD offers many government assisted programs and resources for Pennsylvania homebuyers.

HUD awards grants to local organizations and groups for a variety of purposes. Working with local organizations to invest in their communities through property rehabilitation and resell to first time home buyers and low to moderate income families. HUD programs have helped millions of people from being homeless by supporting local communities.