Counseling Agencies

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA or the Agency) offers low fee, 30-year fixed-interest rate home purchase loans. Assistance loans are also available to eligible buyers. PHFA loans are originated, processed, and closed by a network of approved participating lending institutions. The loans and servicing rights are then purchased by the Agency following settlement.

The PHFA network of approved counseling agencies provides homebuyer counseling and education that can include credit counseling.  Buyers with a FICO credit score lower than 660 are required to attend a course prior to closing on their loan. PHFA also has a number of counseling initiatives that cover topics such as homeownership, predatory lending, rural development, and HUD SuperNOFA.

Counseling agencies are also a vital part of PHFA’s Homeowners’ Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP), a Foreclosure Prevention Program. Homeowners seeking HEMAP assistance must meet with designated counseling agencies after receiving an Act 91 Notice. Counseling agencies prepare applications and forward the information to PHFA for processing. During this period while applications are processed, foreclosure actions cease as long as the procedural time limits are met.