New PHFA fellows will put fresh research to work on Pennsylvania’s affordable housing challenge

Immediate news and why it matters for Pennsylvania housing policy

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency has named two researchers, Phillips and Dr. Evaine K. Sing, as the 2026 Kathy A. Possinger Housing Policy Fellows. The announcement signals that PHFA is investing in short-term, policy-focused research aimed at fixing gaps in how the state supports affordable housing. For people who run shelters, local governments, housing developers and the families who rely on assistance, the fellowship promises clear, usable findings rather than academic theory.

How the Possinger Fellowship fits inside PHFA’s mission

The Kathy A. Possinger Fellowship is a small but strategic program PHFA uses to fund targeted studies on housing problems that affect low- and moderate-income Pennsylvanians. PHFA is the state agency that channels federal and state dollars into rental assistance, mortgage programs and tax-credit projects. The fellowship is one tool among many it uses to test new ideas and improve program delivery.

PHFA typically funds the fellowship from its operating budget or special program funds rather than from one of its big loan pools. The goal is practical: supply policy makers and agency staff with research they can apply quickly to program rules, funding priorities or vendor contracts. In plain terms, the fellowship is meant to turn a question—about who needs help, how help is delivered or what costs too much—into an answer PHFA can act on.

Two fellows, two projects: what they will study and produce

PHFA’s announcement names two fellows and outlines their research work. Phillips and Dr. Evaine K. Sing will each pursue a focused project that’s designed to feed directly into agency decisions.

Phillips will examine operational barriers inside existing housing programs. That work is expected to look at how rules, paperwork and local practices affect the speed and fairness of housing help. The research will use administrative data from PHFA and its partners and include interviews with caseworkers, local government staff and service providers. Phillips’ deliverables will likely include a short report that highlights the biggest bottlenecks, a set of practical recommendations PHFA can pilot, and a presentation for agency leadership and stakeholders.

Dr. Evaine K. Sing will focus on measuring outcomes for people who receive different kinds of housing support. Her project is framed to answer which program designs produce the most stable housing results for families and individuals. Expect a mixed-methods approach: a quantitative review of program records paired with interviews or focus groups to capture lived experience. PHFA and Sing will probably produce a technical brief with policy suggestions and a public summary that translates the findings into plain language for local housing partners.

Both fellows are briefed to produce clear, short deliverables rather than long academic papers. The emphasis is on findings that agency staff can test in the next funding cycle or during program rule updates.

How these studies could change policy—and where they won’t

The research could matter in three practical ways. First, it could speed up aid by identifying and removing procedural hurdles that slow approvals and payments. Second, it could shift resources toward program designs shown to keep people housed longer. Third, it could improve coordination between PHFA and local service providers by clarifying which data points are most useful for measuring success.

Yet the work has limits. Fellowship studies are short and narrowly focused; they can identify problems and suggest fixes, but they rarely prove the long-term effects of big policy changes. Any recommendation that requires new legislation, major budget increases or multi-year pilots will still need separate political and funding decisions. Expect the most immediate influence on agency-level rules and grant-making practices rather than sweeping statewide reform.

Practical details: timing, funding and how to follow the work

PHFA labeled the appointments as the 2026 fellows, which means the work will be concentrated over the coming year. The agency’s announcement did not specify a dollar figure for each fellowship or the exact length in months. PHFA said the fellows will produce written reports and present their findings to agency staff and partners.

Local housing providers, municipal leaders and advocates who want to follow progress should watch PHFA’s public communications and its calendar of stakeholder meetings. PHFA will likely post summaries of the fellows’ reports when they are complete and organize briefings for practitioners. For now, the key takeaway is that PHFA is choosing short, practical research as a tool to improve program delivery—an approach that could yield quick fixes where tight budgets and urgent needs demand them.

Sources

• prnewswire.com