On November 13, Esperanza’s Housing Counseling Executive Director, Maria Iannarelli was honored with the 2018 Humanitarian Award, granted by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA). 
This distinction is given to an agency or individual that shows a strong commitment to participating in activities that emphasize social responsibility in response to domestic and/or global disasters.
Iannarelli leads the program at Esperanza that has helped many Puerto Rican families relocate to Philadelphia after Hurricane Maria.
“When families have stable housing, it gives them the chance to be successful in other areas of their life,” said PHFA Executive Director and CEO Brian A. Hudson Sr. “By educating consumers to make smarter housing decisions, the counselors in our statewide network create successful homeowners and renters. Today’s event gave us a chance to say thank you to these counselors for the work they do that too often goes unheralded.”
Back in 2010, Iannarelli was the first person from the Greater Philadelphia Area to receive a Housing Counseling Specialist Award from PHFA.