PA Housing Finance Agency Issues RFP to Fund Mixed-Use Development Projects

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency today is issuing a Request for Proposals for new construction, or the rehabilitation, of mixed-use projects seeking financial support. Funding will be provided through the Community Revitalization Fund Program.

Mixed-use projects combine residential and retail/commercial space in the same building and often serve as a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization. The deadline for proposal submission is 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1.

This funding program was created as part of the commonwealth’s fiscal year 2017/18 budget, and PHFA was designated by the General Assembly to administer it. This year’s approved state budget authorized PHFA to sell $4.5 million of state tax credits and use the proceeds to make awards for the development of mixed-use properties in commercial/retail corridors in Pennsylvania that are undergoing revitalization.

Examples of projects eligible for funding include:

• The rehabilitation of older or under-utilized buildings for immediate re-use to support community development goals;
• Preparing commercial build-out and business lease space;
• The design of, and structural and legal conversion of, existing buildings; and
• The provision of additional units of housing by combining uses in a single, newly constructed or renovated building.

“It has been our experience that mixed-use projects bring a special energy to a community through their combination of commercial and residential space,” said PHFA Executive Director and CEO Robin Wiessmann. “This community revitalization funding allows us to not only bring more affordable housing to a town or city, but also to provide an economic spark from the businesses attracted to each development, too.”

Eligible applicants for this funding include units of local government (counties, cities, boroughs, etc.); redevelopment authorities; for-profit firms; non-profit groups; and economic development organizations. Applications from third-class cities will be given higher priority in this year’s proposal evaluations.

For the first time, CRFP applications will be completed and submitted entirely online, eliminating the need for paper submissions and simplifying the process for applicants.

The RFP is located on PHFA’s website at https://www.phfa.org/mhp/developers/loans.aspx. The online application is accessible on the CRFP website at https://crfp.phfa.org.