Draft:Angela Steele

Women in Housing and Finance - Pennsylvania
Founded in 2013, Women in Housing and Finance of Pennsylvania (WHF-PA) is a membership organization. , which strives to be a networking resource for women in the housing, community development and financial services industries throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

History
Christine Paul, Rada Lisitsa, Laura Northup, and Blanca Ramirez founded WHF-PA in 2013.

At that time, Christine was living in Philadelphia, working for Wells Fargo Bank’s Community Lending and Investment division. Christine wanted to form this organization because "the affordable housing development industry was dominated by White men" and she "wanted to see a more diverse industry and help create a safe space for women in the industry."

Rada was living in Philadelphia, working as a Tax Credit Equity Underwriter at Wells Fargo Bank Community Lending and Investment and wanted to form this organization because there is "a lack of representation of women in this industry" and "it is important to have a community to build each other up."

Blanca was living in New York City, working at Hudson Housing Capital, a tax credit syndicator, and wanted to form this organization because "there was a need for a supportive and inclusive community, dedicated to empowering women in Real Estate Development, where they could network, collaborate, and receive the necessary support to excel in the their respective fields."

At the May 2013 Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency Housing Forum, a Wells Fargo colleague of Christine Paul and Rada Lisitsa convened a group of women to gauge interest in forming an organization.

In August 2013, the WHF-PA founders invited a group of women to meet with a leader from Women in Housing and Finance New York (WHF) to discuss a Pennsylvania organization and there was incredible enthusiasm to create WHF-PA. The founders convened a Steering Committee of women across the Commonwealth to guide the new organization and formed committees to recruit members and to develop membership opportunities.

The first formal WHF-PA event was in November 2013 at the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania Homes Within Reach conference in Harrisburg, PA.

Membership grew from the seed planted by four women in 2013 to over one hundred in 2024.

Membership
WHF-PA provides networking opportunities and professional development for its members. WHF-PA’s members are a diverse group of accomplished individuals drawn from all aspects of housing, community development and finance throughout Pennsylvania. Members include professionals in architecture, banking, law, development, construction, insurance, title, investment banking, municipal finance, historic preservation, property management, supportive services, social services and more. Members come from the private sector, state, local, and federal agencies, non-profit organizations and community groups

Committees
WHF-PA volunteer committees support the mission of the organization and carry out various tasks.

Steering Committee - a committee of elected WHF-PA leaders that sets the priorities of the organization. Steering Committee members serve on at least one subcommittee.

Subcommittees also include WHF-PA members who are not on the Steering Committee.


 * Executive Committee - the governing body composed of current officers
 * Membership Committee - a committee of members that recruits and retains members
 * Events and Programming Committee - a committee of members that organize events and programs
 * Communications Committee - a committee of members that create content and maintain the website and social media

Activities
In addition to providing useful content on its website, WHF-PA connects members through online and in-person events throughout the Commonwealth.

WHF-PA members gather for monthly “WHF-PA Wednesdays” - informal virtual networking sessions that enable members to learn more about each other and share industry knowledge.

WHF-PA sponsors a session at the annual Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania Homes Within Reach Conference.

WHF-PA also organizes webinars, happy hours, lunches, and opportunities to tour new affordable housing developments.