HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) has issued a Request for Proposals inviting organizations to apply for funding to expand and preserve affordable housing across the state. More than $85 million is available this year through the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) Fund.
PHARE is financed by two primary sources: impact fees paid by natural gas drilling companies and a portion of the state’s Realty Transfer Tax. Funding is available for projects in all 67 counties, with PHFA overseeing the allocation process.
Since its creation, the program has directed $435 million in grant awards, leveraging more than $2.3 billion from other sources — a nearly six-to-one funding ratio. Those investments have supported the development of new affordable housing, the preservation of existing units, and emergency housing for families at risk of homelessness.
“Over 13 years, the impact of PHARE on housing across Pennsylvania has been tremendous,” said PHFA Executive Director and CEO Robin Wiessmann. “New affordable housing has been created, existing affordable housing has been preserved, and families that could have become homeless have places to live. We’re proud of the many ongoing successes of the program.”
Applications must be completed and submitted online at https://phare.phfa.org/. The portal opens Monday, Sept. 15, with a submission deadline of 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20.
To assist applicants, PHFA will host a 90-minute informational webinar on Sept. 23 at 10 a.m. The session will be recorded and made available online for later viewing. Registration details are posted at https://www.phfa.org/legislation/act105.aspx.
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