2011 PHFA Annual Report - Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency

the lives
we touch
A message from the executive director
There isn’t a
week that goes
by when I don’t
hear from someone
we’ve helped with
a housing issue.
Maybe it’s an elderly woman
on a limited income. Or it’s the
single mother working hard to
make a better life for her children.
Or it could be the man with
special mobility requirements who needed to make his home more accessible so that he could stay
independent. I cherish every one of these letters and e-mails because it reminds me why I work at
PHFA. I know my staff feels the same way.
Yes, it can be stimulating to find just the right financial formula and mortgage products to get a
family into their first home. And, to be honest, I always feel proud when the ribbon is cut on a new
apartment building we helped finance that is so bright and polished, just waiting for residents to
move in and make it home.
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But the real reason we’re all in this business is not because of the impressive buildings we help
construct or the intellectual challenges we enjoy. It’s because we want to help people. It’s all about
the lives we touch.
Housing plays a vital role in every person’s life. We take it for granted sometimes. But remove safe
and dependable housing from someone’s life, and you’ve just turned their world upside down.
Quality housing is a key foundational element that people need to support their efforts to improve
themselves. When housing is no longer a worry, families come together and individuals have a better
opportunity to reach their full potential.
It’s my hope this annual report helps convey the central role that quality, affordable, and sustainable
housing plays in people’s lives. We understand that at PHFA. It’s why we come in the front door
of our office every week, because helping Pennsylvanians with housing is the way we help them
become their best.
As we prepare to begin our 40th year, we remain committed to our vital mission of expanding
affordable housing options for the state’s residents. We’re PHFA. Welcome home!
Brian A. Hudson Sr.
Executive Director and CEO
On the pages that follow, you’ll
meet some people whose lives have
been improved by the agency’s
housing programs, and others who
help us achieve our mission. Their
stories aptly describe the powerful
impact affordable housing can have
on a person’s quality of life.