Economist Elliot Eisenberg is keynote speaker during May 7-8 Housing Forum

Journalists who cover housing issues are invited to attend

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Apr 21, 2015, 03:24 ET

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 21, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Well-known economist Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D., will be the luncheon keynote speaker on May 7 during the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency's Housing Forum at the Hilton Harrisburg. Eisenberg will speak about economic trends in Pennsylvania, with a special emphasis on the housing market.

The Housing Forum provides an opportunity for people working in the housing field to attend focused educational sessions and interact with their peers. Attendees include developers, bankers, housing advocates, lawyers, housing counselors, government officials, and others who work in housing.

"We're fortunate to have a speaker of Dr. Eisenberg's caliber as one of our plenary speakers," said PHFA's Executive Director and CEO Brian A. Hudson Sr. "Housing is a major driver in the economy, so the opportunity to hear from an expert about current market changes and learn where the market is headed will be advantageous for forum attendees."

Eisenberg is widely known among homebuilders and others from his time as senior economist with the National Association of Home Builders. He also is known as the creator of the multifamily stock index, which tracks the total return of public firms principally involved in the ownership and management of apartments. He is in great demand as a public speaker because of his special ability to make economic issues easy to understand and do so in an entertaining way.

The forum includes three other plenary speakers, in addition to Eisenberg. Barry Zigas, director of housing policy with the Consumer Federation of America, will talk about housing finance issues from the consumer's point of view. Additionally, Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse and York Mayor C. Kim Bracey will speak about their cities' housing and economic development initiatives.

PHFA's Housing Forum will draw more than 600 attendees. The forum program of events includes 36 educational sessions, a walking tour of a nearby affordable housing development, awards recognizing Pennsylvania housing leaders, and a popular networking event.

Educational sessions offered during the forum will cover a wide variety of issues including rental housing, homeownership, foreclosure prevention, tax credits, housing for veterans, land banks, fair housing, housing services, and, of course, case studies profiling housing challenges and successes in various Pennsylvania communities.

Registration is open through May 1 at a cost of $175. Walk-ins are welcome with a registration fee of $200. This pricing for the Forum has remained the same for the past six years. PHFA has been leading the Housing Forum since 1997.

Detailed information about the 2015 Housing Forum, and registration, is available on the Web at http://housingforum.phfa.org. People with questions not answered by the information on the website should contact conference organizer Susan Shermer at [email protected] or (717) 545-9991.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Reporters and editors who cover housing issues are being offered free registration to attend the Housing Forum. Please contact Scott Elliott for a special press code to register.

About PHFA
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency works to provide affordable homeownership and rental housing options for older adults, low- 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 more than $11.9 billion of funding for more than 158,900 single-family home mortgage loans, helped fund the construction of 122,590 rental units, and saved the homes of more than 48,000 families from foreclosure. PHFA programs and operations are funded primarily by the sale of securities and from fees paid by program users, not by public tax dollars. The agency is governed by a 14-member board.

Contact:
Scott Elliott
717-780-3916 (office)
717-649-6522 (cell)
[email protected]

SOURCE Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency