Pittsburgh City Council approves $1.2 million in funding for Urban Redevelopment Authority

Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday approved a measure to allocate $1.2 million to the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority to fund several programs throughout the city.

Council President Theresa Kail-Smith said she would advocate for ensuring the money was used throughout the city, including neighborhoods in the southern end of the city, among them Mt. Washington and the West End, which she feels are sometimes overlooked.

The investment includes $150,000 for the Pittsburgh Task Force on Employee Ownership, which will help provide broader technical assistance, marketing and outreach for the initiative.

Additionally, $250,000 will support the URA’s Equitable Empowerment fund, which provides resources to small development teams — particularly women- or minority-owned businesses.

The URA’s Neighborhood Initiatives Fund would receive $500,000 to bolster its efforts to offer grants for nonprofits and community-based organizations to complete projects in neighborhood commercial corridors that improve quality of life and maintain neighborhoods.

The funding includes $337,000 for a fund that supports property maintenance at URA-owned facilities and vacant properties throughout the city. The organization hires small- or medium-sized local businesses to perform property maintenance work.

City Council unanimously approved the measure Tuesday.