PHARE RFP Now Available

14 September 2020

Posted by Brendan Auman

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency today is issuing a Request for Proposals soliciting applications from organizations for projects to improve the availability and affordability of housing across the commonwealth. Funding for this RFP is being provided through the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) Fund. The total PHARE funding available this year exceeds $41 million.

PHARE receives its funding from a number of sources. These include the impact fee levied on natural gas drilling companies and a portion of the Realty Transfer Tax. Funding is available for housing initiatives in all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. PHFA is charged with administering the allocation of PHARE dollars.

“The PHARE program has been providing much needed funding for local housing initiatives for the past eight years,” said PHFA Executive Director and CEO Robin Wiessmann. “It is today more clear than ever that affordable housing is critical for people to be successful in life, and PHARE has proven to be a tremendous tool for helping counties improve their housing resources for local residents.”

PHARE applications can be completed entirely online, eliminating the need for paper submissions and simplifying the process for applicants. The RFP is located on PHFA’s website at www.phfa.org, and the application is accessible at https://phare.phfa.org/. Applications are due to PHFA no later than 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020.

PHFA is planning two informational webinars for groups interested in applying for PHARE funds. Both webinars will cover the same information.

Webinar dates and times are September 23 at 10 am and September 29 at 1pm. Interested groups are encouraged to watch the PHARE webpage for links to be posted for webinar registration.

The PHARE webpage is available on the PHFA website at: https://phare.phfa.org/. Questions also may be directed to Bryce Maretzki at PHFA via email at bmaretzki@phfa.org.

The PHARE fund has been allocating money for local housing initiatives since 2012. These funds have resulted in significant benefits that include:

  • More than 7,000 individuals and families have received rental or utility assistance

  • Over 2,000 homes have been rehabilitated and preserved for continued use

  • More than 2,500 new rental units have been created

  • 175 new single-family homes have been constructed

  • 400 future home sites have been prepared through site acquisition and demolition

  • Over 200 new residents have received assistance to purchase their first home

  • PHARE funds have been used to leverage an additional $700 million investment in housing in Pennsylvania​

__________________________________ Clay Lambert Business Policy Officer II Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency www.phfa.org

News type
State