2011 Housing Forum Offers Expanded Seminar Choices for Continuing Education by Housing Professionals

Reduced registration fee is intended to encourage wider participation

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency today announced it will be holding its 2011 Commonwealth Housing Forum May 5 and 6 in Harrisburg and will be offering an expanded variety of housing seminars for attendees.

Held biennially, the Housing Forum provides an outstanding opportunity for housing professionals to attend educational seminars and learn from keynote speakers on a variety of housing topics.

"We always look forward to our Housing Forum because it provides a terrific venue for housing professionals to learn about new trends in the affordable housing field and to exchange ideas with their peers," said Brian A. Hudson Sr., executive director and CEO of PHFA.

"In an effort to open the Housing Forum to more people this year, we've reduced the forum's registration fee from $175 to $125. We encourage everyone with an interest in affordable housing issues to attend so they can share their ideas and learn from our expert presenters."

The forum traditionally is attended by single-family and multifamily housing developers, financial services professionals, state and local government officials, housing advocates and consultants, and housing researchers. The 2011 forum also is being promoted to college students interested in the housing field, as it provides a valuable learning experience. Reporters who cover real estate and housing issues are encouraged to attend, as well.

This year's forum, which is being held at the Hilton Harrisburg, will run all day May 5 and the morning of May 6. Educational seminars and keynote speakers will be featured both days. On the evening of May 5, the forum will include a Cinco de Mayo-themed networking event. Forum costs are covered, in large part, by sponsor contributions.

Some of the housing topics to be covered during the forum include:

• A discussion of how drilling in the Marcellus shale region is impacting affordable housing across Pennsylvania's northern tier
• An economic forecast for the housing market in Pennsylvania
• Expert analysis of the foreclosure crisis in Pennsylvania
• The status of Pennsylvania's new Housing Trust Fund and its potential impact across the Commonwealth, and
• The use of renewable energy sources in multifamily housing to contain operational costs, among other topics.

Detailed information about the 2011 Housing Forum is available on the Web at http://housingforum.phfa.org. People with questions not answered by the information on the Web site should contact conference organizer Susan Shermer at [email protected].  

About PHFA

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency works to provide affordable homeownership and rental apartment options for older adults, lower- and moderate-income families, and people with special housing needs. Through its carefully managed mortgage programs and investments in multifamily housing developments, PHFA also promotes economic development across the state. Since its creation by the legislature in 1972, it has generated $9.9 billion of funding for more than 141,700 single-family home mortgage loans and 83,000 rental units, while saving the homes of nearly 45,500 families from foreclosure. PHFA programs and operations are funded primarily by the sale of securities with the exception of its Homeowners' Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program, which it receives a state appropriation to administer. PHFA is governed by a 14-member board of directors.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency