PAHousingSearch.com is relaunched with new look and enhancements Popular apartment search tool is no
HARRISBURG – On behalf of its partners, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency announces today’s relaunch of PAHousingSearch.com after some extensive retooling of the site’s appearance and capabilities.
First launched in 2011, the site has grown to include apartment vacancies from 3,148 landlords and listings of 115,943 available rental units. Monthly visits to the site by apartment hunters now exceed 34,000. Today’s launch of the improved site takes advantage of insights gained from thousands of users over the previous eight years.
“Years ago, apartment hunting used to be a labor-intensive chore, but PAHousingSearch harnesses the power of the Web to make the process faster and easier,” said Brian A. Hudson Sr., PHFA executive director and CEO. “The revamped PAHousingSearch site demonstrates our commitment to keep this Web resource fresh and responsive to the needs of rental housing consumers.”
Some of the customer-focused enhancements on the new site include these features:
Users can access search results in fewer clicks with a new text search bar
Search results now include larger photos and maps
New search logic increases the results of housing searches for people with mobility issues, and accessibility options have been updated for entryways, bathrooms and more
Available units now appear sorted in search results before wait-listed units, with the option to hide wait-listed units from the results, if desired
A new, streamlined listing interface that makes it easier for apartment managers to add and update properties and photos
In addition to this major relaunch, the PAHousingSearch website is constantly being upgraded so that it offers the most thorough and accurate rental listings.
PAHousingSearch continues to be backed by a call center of operators who can help users with their apartment search in Pennsylvania. Those operators are available toll-free Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. at 1-877-428-8844.
Beyond its daily use by apartment hunters, PAHousingSearch has proven its worth during natural disasters when displaced families are in desperate need of temporary housing. This was evident during its heavy use by Pennsylvania emergency response teams following Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011.
In addition to PHFA, PAHousingSearch is supported by the following partners: the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the Professional Affordable Housing Management Association, and PennDel AHMA. The site is managed by Emphasys software.
About PHFA
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency works to provide affordable homeownership and rental housing options for older adults, low- and moderate-income families, and people with special housing needs. Through its carefully managed mortgage programs and investments in multifamily housing developments, PHFA also promotes economic development across the state. Since its creation by the legislature in 1972, it has generated more than $14 billion of funding for more than 174,150 single-family home mortgage loans, helped fund the construction of 134,507 rental units, and saved the homes of more than 49,400 families from foreclosure. PHFA programs and operations are funded primarily by the sale of securities and from fees paid by program users, not by public tax dollars. The agency is governed by a 14-member board.
Media contact:
Scott Elliott
selliott@phfa.org
717-649-6522 (cell)
