What PHADA does

PHADA (Public Housing Authority Directors Association) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit membership association founded in 1979 that serves as the principal national trade body for executive directors of public housing authorities. Its membership comprises roughly 1,900 public housing agencies that collectively administer approximately 1.9 million units of low-income housing across the United States, making PHADA the central coordinating network for this constituency.

The association's core deliverables are non-software in nature and consist of: federal regulatory advocacy before Congress, HUD, and OMB (including formal comment letters on programs such as Restore-Rebuild, OMB proposed rules, and policies on mixed-status households); recurring convening events such as the annual Legislative Forum and awards programs; member-facing publications; and professional credentialing through the long-standing Executive Director Education Program (EDEP) delivered in partnership with Rutgers University since 1994. PHADA also coordinates broader coalition activity, including an 80+ partner "Restore-Rebuild" effort.

The business model is a standard nonprofit trade-association construct: recurring membership dues from member PHAs, registration and sponsorship revenue from conferences and the Legislative Forum, publications and training program income, and dues from coalition partners. Operations are run with a small staff (1–10 employees). The organization has no disclosed technology platform or AI/ML capability, and revenue figures are not publicly available.

Name

PHADA

Legal name

Public Housing Authority Directors Association

Website

https://phada.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PHADA is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1979 that serves roughly 1,900 U.S. public housing authorities managing about 1.9 million low-income housing units, providing federal advocacy, training, and convening.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: PHADA generates revenue through annual membership dues from its 1,900 member housing agencies representing public housing authorities across the United States. Membership provides access to advocacy services, professional development, publications, and networking opportunities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PHADA (Public Housing Authority Directors Association) is a nonprofit professional association that serves approximately 1,900 public housing agencies nationwide. It provides advocacy, training, publications, conferences, and member services focused on public housing operations, policy, and administration.

Product overview

PHADA (Public Housing Authority Directors Association) is a professional association serving housing authority directors and staff, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of publications, educational programs, conferences, and member resources. The core educational product is the Executive Director Education Program (EDEP), a ten-course professional development program delivered in partnership with Rutgers University, supplemented by the EDEP Alumni Association for continued networking. The primary publication is the Advocate newsletter, providing legislative and policy updates. PHADA also organizes three major annual events: the Legislative Forum (September), Annual Convention & Exhibition (June), and Commissioners Conference (January). Member resources include a Job Board, RFP Listings, and a Scholarship Program offering three awards totaling $20,000 annually to graduating seniors in public housing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Advocate: PHADA's official publication/newsletter covering housing industry news and policy updates
• EDEP (Executive Director Education Program)
• EDEP Alumni Association
• PHADA Scholarship Program

Products and services

• PHADA Publications and Magazine
• Annual Convention & Exhibition
• EDEP (Executive Director Education Program)
• PHADA Scholarship Program
• PHADA Job Board
• RFP Listings Service

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Rutgers, The State University of New JerseycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHADA partners with Rutgers University to deliver the Executive Director Education Program (EDEP), a professional development partnership that has been operating since 1994 in New Jersey and expanded nationally. The program consists of ten courses delivered during PHADA conferences, providing technical, managerial, and strategic competencies required of executive directors. Rutgers provides academic oversight and issues certificates of completion.
• Restore-Rebuild Coalition (80+ Industry Groups)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHADA leads a coalition of over 80 industry groups and housing authorities advocating for the preservation of the Restore-Rebuild initiative (formerly Faircloth to RAD). The coalition submitted a sign-on letter to HUD urging reversal of the suspension decision, highlighting benefits including adding affordable housing units and including Restore-Rebuild in redevelopment financing of existing distressed public housing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Apartment Association (NAA): NAA is the largest national trade association for the rental housing industry, including owners and managers. While its focus is on private-market multifamily rather than public housing, it is comparable as a large membership/advocacy organization serving housing providers.
• National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC): NMHC represents the nation's larger multifamily housing firms and engages in federal advocacy on rental and affordable housing issues. It is comparable to PHADA as a national association driving federal housing policy, but its members are private-sector owners rather than PHAs.
• National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA): NCSHA represents state housing finance agencies that administer LIHTC and bond programs. It is comparable as a national membership/advocacy body in affordable housing policy, though its members are state agencies rather than local PHAs.
• Housing Assistance Council (HAC): HAC is a national nonprofit that supports affordable housing in rural areas, including capacity-building for local housing organizations. It overlaps with PHADA in serving affordable housing providers and engaging in federal policy advocacy.

Others

• National Association of REALTORS (NAR): NAR is one of the largest U.S. trade associations, with significant federal advocacy capacity and a member-services infrastructure. While focused on real estate sales rather than public housing, it is thematically comparable as a large membership/advocacy body operating in the housing sector.
• American Planning Association (APA): APA is a national membership association for planners and engages in federal advocacy on housing and community development policy. It is adjacent to PHADA as a professional association influencing federal housing and land-use policy, though its members are planners rather than PHA executives.

Emerging players

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): LISC is a national nonprofit that supports affordable housing and community development through financing and capacity-building. It overlaps with PHADA's mission around affordable housing preservation and engages federal housing policymakers, though it operates primarily as a CDFI.
• Enterprise Community Partners: Enterprise is a national nonprofit that invests in and advocates for affordable housing. It intersects with PHADA's policy agenda on affordable housing preservation and development, though its model is more direct programmatic investment than membership advocacy.

Direct peers

• National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO): NAHRO is the leading national membership association for housing and redevelopment officials, including public housing authorities. It directly overlaps with PHADA in serving PHA professionals and competes for advocacy, training, and conference mindshare in the same customer base.
• Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA): CLPHA represents the largest public housing authorities in the U.S. and engages in federal housing policy advocacy. It is a direct peer to PHADA, serving an overlapping subset of the same PHA customer segment with parallel legislative and training offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PHADA_USA
• Facebookfacebook.com/PHADAUSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phadausa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PHADA