Member Highlight: Housing Alliance Of Pennsylvania
- Organization: Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania
- Founding Date: Founded in 1982 as The Pennsylvania Low Income Housing Coalition (PALIHC), renamed itself the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania in 2003
- Executive Director: Liz Hersh
- Current Staff Size: Three staff members at home office in Pittsburgh, one staff member in the Harrisburg office, seven staff members in the Jenkintown office
- What geographic area do you serve?Pennsylvania
- What is your mission statement? The Housing Alliance is a statewide coalition working to provide leadership and a common voice for policies, practices and resources to ensure that all Pennsylvanians, especially those with low incomes, have access to safe, decent and affordable homes.
- What is one project or program that you are really excited about?The biggest thing the Housing Alliance is working on right now is the Real Estate Housing Trust Fund Bill. The Housing Alliance of PA and their partners are calling on the state legislature to establish a $25 million annual investment in the State Housing Trust Fund by enacting SB 1380 through a dedicated revenue source.At a recent Urban Affairs Committee hearing a bipartisan group of state senators detailed a plan to boost housing stock by tapping into growth in the state's existing one percent tax on real estate transfers. A portion of the earnings would go to the state's housing trust fund, which has already proven success in creating jobs and reducing blight and homelessness. Read more about SB1380 here.
- What is one of your new legislative efforts?The Housing Alliance is working on legislation to expand the Neighborhood Assistance Program that would provide for higher credit levels, create an affordable housing tax credit category, and provide for housing assistance for vulnerable populations (i.e. veterans).
- Interesting facts:The Housing Alliance has played a leading role in many significant housing policy advances in the last two decades, including:Establishment of the Homeowner Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP) which has helped over 43,000 homeowners since 1984.Establishment of the County Affordable Housing Trust Fund which has raised about $50M throughout the Commonwealth for housing.
- Upcoming event(s):Save the Date! The Annual Homes Within Reach Conference is November 17-19, 2014. New for 2014 are full day affinity summits in five areas, due to overwhelming success of last year’s affinity dinner. This provides people from all over the state working with homelessness a chance to spend a full day together.
- Contact information:
- Name of contact person for further inquiries:Valerie Kolb, Manager of Special Program
- Addresses and Phone Numbers:Western PA710 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1000Pittsburgh, PA 15219Phone: (412) 281-1137Eastern PA309 Florence Avenue 914 NJenkintown, PA 19046Phone: (215) 576 7044Harrisburg610 N. Third StreetHarrisburg, PA 17101Phone: (717) 909 2006
- Link to Website:www.housingalliancepa.org
- Links to Social Media:Facebook Twitter (@PAHousing)