Efforts to revitalize Downtown Pittsburgh and convert its unused office spaces into affordable housing have received a $1 million infusion.
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, on Tuesday presented the city and the Urban Redevelopment Authority a $1 million check to fill funding gaps for projects seeking to transform empty offices into housing affordable for low-income Pittsburghers.
“We all know that we are descending into an affordability crisis,” Lee said.
People worry about whether they’ll be able to afford living in the communities they love, she said.
Efforts to bring more affordable housing Downtown are tackling several challenges at once. The projects expand housing options while also giving new purpose to office buildings that have struggled to attract tenants since the covid-19 pandemic fueled the rise of remote work.
“We have vacant space, and we have people who need homes,” Lee said.
Mayor Corey O’Connor said he also hopes such efforts will help increase property values in the Golden Triangle, which have declined in recent years as offices have emptied.
“The more we can invest in residents living in Downtown Pittsburgh, the more vibrant our city becomes,” the mayor said at a news conference in the URA’s Downtown office.
The $1 million announced Tuesday is just a small piece of a broader effort to revitalize Downtown. The money comes from federal Community Project Funding.
A $600 million push championed by Gov. Josh Shapiro is already underway.
That effort has seen the opening this month of Arts Landing, a sprawling outdoor civic space that has brought playgrounds, trees and event areas to the Cultural District. Nearby Market Square and Point State Park both saw recent upgrades, too.
The city and its redevelopment authority have been pushing to convert underutilized Downtown buildings into housing over the last several years, piloting the effort with federal pandemic relief money in 2022.
So far, the URA has funneled about $32 million to support the creation and preservation of 708 housing units, URA spokeswoman Dana Bohince said. Of those units, 477 will be affordable for low-income residents.
“We are focused on bringing diverse affordable housing options so that people across a range of incomes can live, work and enjoy all that Pittsburgh has to offer,” URA Executive Director Susheela Nemani-Stanger.
