The board of Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority Thursday moved to protect 170 units of affordable housing. The URA will make $3.6 million in loans from its Housing Preservation Program. Officials say the loans close critical funding gaps that would otherwise have prevented the five projects from moving forward.
Money for the program comes from federal pandemic aid provided by the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, passed in 2021.
President Joe Biden talks about building the economy from the middle out and bottom up, “and that is what we’re doing at this table,” said Sam Williamson, a board member. But he noted that the ability to create such a flexible, powerful local program wouldn’t be possible without federal partners.
Board Chair Kyle Chintalapalli, who is also the City of Pittsburgh’s chief economic development officer, agreed.
“These are generational investments,” he said.
The investments will help to overhaul and renovate the Allegheny YMCA in the Central Northside, currently home to 105 single occupancy rooms; 10 units across four buildings located in Garfield, Highland Park, Swissvale, and Braddock; 38 units of senior housing in East Liberty; nine units in Hazelwood; and another 24 units in Central Northside at the historic Widows Home.
All of the preservation projects will have a deed restriction to ensure they remain affordable for the next 40 years.
The URA board also approved the use of APRA funding to help City of Bridges Community Land Trust build 15 for-sale affordable homes across the neighborhoods of Fineview, Garfield, Hazelwood, Polish Hill, Upper Lawrenceville, and Troy Hill.
Ed Nusser is the trust’s executive director, and said the investment by the URA, aided by federal money, will help create a more resilient city.
“One of the things I was so excited about when ARPA was announced was that it was about not just putting out the fires that were raging, but about building a system that was more fireproof in the future,” he said.
The URA board Thursday also approved the 2024 allocation plan for the city’s Housing Opportunity Fund. The current budget intends to make a greater investment in legal assistance to help people confront the threat of eviction, the rate of which officials say is once again ticking upward.
The allocation still needs approval from Pittsburgh City Council.
