Philadelphia Housing Authority offers a Chance for Housing Success

PHA offers assistance to its residents who are interested in making the leap from renting to owning a home of their own. We are one of the leading housing authorities in the nation for affordable homeownership sales.

PHA’s Homeownership Division sponsors first-time homebuyer workshops where residents can learn more about financial planning, credit review and repair, affordability, getting pre-qualified for a mortgage, and identifying real estate agents and home inspection companies. Our team also establishes working partnerships with financial institutions, housing counseling agencies, and realtors.

Talk to 35 year old Tamika Williamson and you’ll quickly learn that she won’t settle for any old thing. She has no room for underachieving souls.

So, after fixing her credit over a six month period and viewing 45 homes, Williamson had the satisfaction of becoming a homeowner in late September 2015. It’s a two story, three-bedroom, two bathroom home located on a corner in a Keystone Opportunity Zone that allowed her to get and FHA loan and other grants for down payment assistance and closing costs.

In August 2014, Tamika received a flyer on the Housing Choice (Section 8) home ownership program, went to a meeting, and decided to take advantage of the opportunity. She worked with Intercultural Family Services, Inc., which has a housing counseling program, to repair her credit by paying outstanding bills. By the following May, Williamson’s credit score had improved to 651, thirty points higher than the minimum for a Federal Home Administration (FHA) loan that requires lower down payments and is insured by the government.