PHARE Program
Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund (PHARE)
PHARE was established by Act 105 of 2010 (the "PHARE Act") to provide the mechanism by which certain allocated state or federal funds, as well as funds from other outside sources, would be used to assist with the creation, rehabilitation and support of affordable housing throughout the Commonwealth. The PHARE Act did not allocate any funding but did outline specific requirements that include preferences, considerations, match funding options and obligations to utilize a percentage of the funds to assist households below 50% of the median area income.
Marcellus Shale Fund
The Marcellus Shale Impact Fee legislation, Act 13 of 2012, specifically allocates certain amounts from the impact fee into the PHARE Fund to address the need for affordable housing in the counties, where producing nonconventional gas wells are located, who have adopted the local impact fee as required in the Act. Act 13 provides an annual allocation of $5 Million into the PHARE Program with the potential for additional revenues when funds remain following eligible disbursements to qualifying municipalities.
Realty Transfer Tax Fund
In November 2015, HB792 was signed by Governor Wolf as Act 58 of 2015 to provide revenues from the Realty Transfer Tax (RTT) to the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund (PHARE, Act 105 of 2010). These additional funds will expand the PHARE program to all 67 counties of the Commonwealth.
Under Act 58 (PHARE/RTT), PHFA will receive an allocation of funds equal to the lesser of forty percent (40%) of the difference between the total dollar amount of the Realty Transfer Tax imposed under section 1102-C of the Tax Reform Code of 1971 collected for the prior fiscal year and the total amount of RTT estimated for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014. The PHARE/RTT fund will be capped at $40 million annually.
National Housing Trust Fund
The National Housing Trust Fund (HTF) was enacted as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) to provide resources to develop, preserve and rehabilitate housing for very low income and extremely low income households. Funding for the HTF is derived from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac earnings. Additional program information can be found at HUD Exchange – Housing Trust Fund.