Pittsburgh's URA giving $2.8M to group developing affordable housing where prices have soared

Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority is providing $2.8 million in grant money to a nonprofit that wants to develop affordable housing in neighborhoods where housing prices have soared in recent years.

The grant, approved by the URA’s board on Thursday, will go to City of Bridges Community Land Trust. The nonprofit is looking to rehabilitate and build 11 houses and a quadplex in the city’s Polish Hill, Hazelwood, Garfield, Fineview, Troy Hill and Upper Lawrenceville neighborhoods.

The URA said housing prices have soared in the neighborhoods over the past decade.

City of Bridges’ project is expected to cost $8 million, according to the URA.

Plans call for renovating two three-bedroom houses in Fineview, one two-bedroom house in Troy Hill, one three-bedroom house in Troy Hill and one one-bedroom house in Upper Lawrenceville.

They also call for building three new three-bedroom houses on vacant properties in Garfield, three new two-bedroom houses on vacant properties in Polish Hill and a quadplex in Hazelwood that would include two one-bedroom units that accessible to people with disabilities and two three-bedroom units.

The properties are expected to cost between $120,000 and $205,000, according to information presented to the URA board.

They will be sold at prices that are affordable to buyers making up to 80% of the area median income, said Evan Miller, the URA’s director of housing.

“These investments speak to us managing growth or setting up for success,” URA Board Chair Kyle Chintalapalli said.