Two fellowships are available, each offering a
$12,000 annual stipend
HARRISBURG, Pa., May 1, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- With the goals of funding critical research and
promoting leadership development, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance
Agency today announces the opening of the application period for
its 2025 Kathy A. Possinger Housing Policy Fellowship.
The fellowship will fund a maximum of 12 months of research on a
pressing housing or community development topic by two policy
fellows. With a monthly stipend of $1,000, the maximum funding available for each
researcher will be $12,000. The
financial support can be used for a variety of activities
supporting the approved research, including interviews with
experts, securing resources and study materials, travel for
attending relevant conferences and more.
Fellowships will be awarded to two researchers with different
backgrounds: one from a university setting and one from outside
academia. This is expected to produce two vastly different research
topics, as well as two different perspectives from the fellows
guiding the research.
This fellowship is intended to benefit the housing field by
underwriting research on subjects that currently present housing or
community development challenges. A secondary benefit of the
fellowship is its investment in an individual to promote their
growth as a housing leader. The fellowship will produce documented
findings that will be made publicly available for everyone's
benefit.
"For someone looking forward to a career in affordable housing,
these two fellowships provide a wonderful opportunity for
professional growth," said PHFA Executive Director and CEO
Robin Wiessmann. "What makes this
program so worthwhile is that the fellows get to pick housing
research of most interest to them, and housing professionals around
the state benefit from the research findings that are produced.
Plus, the fellowships support the career development of two future
housing leaders."
The fellowship is named for Kathy
Possinger, who was a leading affordable housing advocate who
served Pennsylvanians for two decades through her work in both the
public and private sectors. Her service with nonprofit and
government agencies provided significant contributions to the field
of affordable housing and community development. This service
included contributions to PHFA as a board designee and
advocate.
The fellowship application is available on the agency's website.
All legal residents of the state over the age of 18 are eligible to
apply, excluding PHFA staff and board members. All applications
will be reviewed by PHFA staff according to the fellowship
criteria, which are outlined on the website.
Since its start, the Housing Policy Fellowship has been awarded
to recipients with a wide variety of research interests. Their
projects have included such topics as the investigation of property
taxes and their impact on aging-in-place, cooperative housing
models, the potential of land trusts as an affordable housing
option, and the relationship between zoning and race.
The fellowship application deadline is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 31, 2024.
Questions about the fellowship may be directed to Amy Sechrist at (717) 780-3945 or
PolicyFellowship@phfa.org.
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 $18.1
billion of funding for more than 198,000 single-family home
mortgage loans, helped fund the construction of 103,328 rental
units, distributed approximately $289
million to support local housing initiatives, and saved the
homes of more than 50,860 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.
Media Contact
Scott Elliott
717-649-6522 (cell)
selliott@phfa.org
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SOURCE Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency