PHARE Updates | PA State Housing Trust Fund

HUD Announces 2017 HTF Allocations, $219.1 million Available Nationwide

Posted on June 23, 2017June 23, 2017 by vbourret

From: NLIHC Published: June 18, 2017 The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) applauds the release of Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 allocations of state-by-state funding levels for the national Housing Trust Fund (HTF) from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funding, approved on Wednesday, June 14, is an important step towards alleviating the seve...

The Time has Finally Come!

Posted on October 17, 2016June 23, 2017 by vbourret

PHFA announced the release of the Request for Proposals for applicants interested in applying for 2016 PHARE/Realty Transfer Tax funds. The Agency is seeking unique and creative approaches that foster partnerships and leverage resources to address critical housing needs as PHARE expands to all 67 counties of the Commonwealth. They will be hosting three RFP training webinars...

PHARE Received RTT Money

Posted on August 15, 2016June 23, 2017 by vbourret

PHARE has received $12.668 million in Realty Transfer Tax funds for 2016-17!!! This is the statewide funding that you all worked so hard to make happen. PHFA will issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) in October, so get your thinking caps on. The possibilities are broad. To read the amendment to the 2016 PHARE Plan detailing the types of projects and programs eligible, click h...

Gov. Wolf Signs Housing Trust Fund Expansion, Act 58

Posted on November 5, 2015November 5, 2015 by vbourret

Thursday, November 05, 2015 For Immediate Release: Gov. Wolf Signs Housing Trust Fund Expansion; Will Put Homes Within Reach in All 67 Counties HARRISBURG, PA – Governor Tom Wolf yesterday signed into law an expansion of the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Act (PHARE), the State’s Housing Trust Fund. Act 58 of 2015 makes wa...

Housing Trust Fund Bill passes the Senate, moves onto the Governor

Posted on October 26, 2015October 26, 2015 by vbourret

On Wednesday October 23, the state Senate passed HB 792 by a vote of 47-1. It is on its way to the Governor! THANK YOU to Representative Killion, Senator Vogel, and Senator Kitchen for all your work to increase the availability of homes within reach of all Pennsylvanians. THANK YOU to our members who made phones calls, wrote letters, or visited your representatives and se...

Senate Urban Affairs Committee passed HB 792!

Posted on September 28, 2015September 28, 2015 by vbourret

The Senate Urban Affairs Committee passed House Bill 792, the bill to expand funding for the State Housing Trust on Monday, September 28th. Now the whole Senate can vote the bill on the floor. Once HB792 passes the Senate, it moves to the Governor for signature. We are close! Please ask your legislators to get this done this session! We thank Senators Wagner (R-York) and...

SB 566 Passed the Senate!

Posted on June 30, 2015June 30, 2015 by vbourret

AMAZING!!! First HB 792 passed the PA House UNANIMOUSLY, now the Senate passes SB 566, its companion bill UNANIMOUSLY today, June 30. BUT, this vote does not get it to the Governor’s desk - because there are actually two bills. There is a next step. We are advocating that the Senate simply pass the House bill, HB792. If they do that – and now we know they already support...

Urge Your Senator to Move the Housing Trust Fund Bill

Posted on June 22, 2015July 6, 2015 by vbourret

We’re in the home stretch. Now is the time when leadership in the General Assembly decides which bills move to the Governor’s desk and which stay behind. Your voice can help ensure that the Housing Trust Fund (PHARE) bill is signed by Governor Wolf before they all leave for summer vacations. Please ACT NOW. While the legislature debates and negotiates, Pennsylvanians are str...

Why We Need a Dedicated Revenue Source

Posted on June 5, 2015 by vbourret

Since 2008-09, housing programs in the General Fund have lost $87.65 million or 61%. Even if everything Wolf proposed for housing was adopted, we would still be down $55.45 million. There are two new special funds since 2008: PHARE and HEMAP, so the total for housing is a little higher. But the HEMAP money is from the settlement of a lawsuit and runs out in another two years...

HB 792 Passed the House Unanimously

Posted on June 2, 2015June 2, 2015 by vbourret

Today, June 2, HB 792, the bill to expand the Housing Trust Fund, was passed out of the House unanimously, with a vote of 195 to 0. We are excited about the great momentum around this bill, and we are that much closer to having more resources for affordable housing throughout the Commonwealth. Thank you to all our members who have reached out to their legislators asking ...