PHFA's 2011 Housing Services Conference to Focus on Supporting Healthy Housing and Healthy Communities

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May 02, 2011, 04:05 ET

HARRISBURG, Pa., May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency today announced that registration is open for its 2011 Housing Services Conference June 21-23 in State College at The Penn Stater Conference Center.

The theme for this year's conference is "Healthy Housing/Healthy Communities," referencing all the great things that can take place in a housing setting that adds to a healthy life and contributes to a healthy community.

"We're excited to celebrate more than 38 years of providing housing that is safe, decent, affordable – and healthy – at this year's Housing Services Conference," said Brian A. Hudson Sr., PHFA executive director and CEO. "We believe that health is more than a matter of physical well-being, which is why we've developed this year's conference to promote healthy housing that enhances the complete mental and social well-being of the state's residents, as well."

PHFA's Housing Services Conference is an annual three-day event that provides a focal point for training and networking activities for housing service coordinators and property managers in the Commonwealth. By bringing professionals from around the Commonwealth together for an open exchange of the latest information and trends in the industry, the conference promotes higher standards of professionalism among housing service providers. The registration fee is $280.

A new feature of this year's conference is the opportunity for residents and housing management and service partners to work together on a Housing Services Common Thread Quilt Project through the creation of quilt squares. The goal is to complete three quilts to be unveiled during the conference.

The Housing Services Conference traditionally is attended by property developers; property owners and housing managers; social workers; service and activities coordinators; human services workers; housing specialists and supportive services staff; and state, county and local government officials, including community action agency personnel, area agency on aging staff, and housing and redevelopment authority officials.

Some of the key topics to be covered during the conference include:

Promoting acceptance
Non-smoking policies and bedbugs
Supporting good financial decisions
Dealing with hoarding
Understanding dementia
Promoting independence in the elderly
And many other management-related sessions, such as: boot camp for property managers, ethics, HUD updates, calculating income and assets, and fair housing.

A Common Thread Quilt networking event is planned for June 21 at the conference marketplace from 3 to 7 p.m. This event will feature a variety of vendors and an opportunity for information sharing, along with the unveiling of three 2011 Common Thread quilts.

Detailed information about the 2011 Housing Services Conference is available on the Web at http://www.phfa.org/forms/conferences/housing_services/2011_hs_conference_brochure.pdf. 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, 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 $10.1 billion of funding for nearly 144,000 single-family home mortgage loans and 83,000 rental units, while saving the homes of more than 45,600 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