Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato announced a $6 million investment in two key housing initiatives as part of her “Housing for All” executive order Friday.
The Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County, known as RAAC, authorized $1 million for a home repair program and $5 million to seed a new Housing Acquisition Fund.
The home repair program aims to support low- and moderate-income homeowners, while the Housing Acquisition Fund seeks to expand the availability of deeply affordable and workforce housing.
“Housing is where opportunity begins, and today we are delivering on the coordinated strategy at the heart of our Housing for All executive order,” Innamorato said. “From repairing roofs for our seniors to launching a fund that will preserve affordable housing at scale, Allegheny County is turning that framework into real investments in people and in the communities they call home. I am grateful to our partners in this work and to the RAAC Board for sharing in our vision for Housing for All in Allegheny County.”
RAAC approved an award of up to $1 million in county capital funds to ACTION-Housing, Inc. to administer an owner-occupied home repair program. This program is for low- and moderate-income homeowners in Allegheny County outside the City of Pittsburgh.
Homeowners are eligible for up to $24,500 in repairs, focusing on roof replacement and stabilization, chimney patching, gutters and downspouts, accessibility modifications and other health and safety improvements.
The program will serve homeowners with household incomes at or below 80% of Area Median Income who own and occupy their homes. Priority will be given to seniors, residents with limited mobility and households facing significant health and safety risks.
The program leverages additional funding through the United Way Sustainable Home Improvement Program.
It will also connect homeowners to county Weatherization services, the Allegheny Home Improvement Loan Program and the Allegheny Lead Safe Homes program, building on a system developed for the Whole-Home Repairs Program.
RAAC voted to accept a $5 million grant from Allegheny County as seed capital for the new Housing Acquisition Fund. The fund is designed to expand deeply affordable and workforce housing by blending public catalytic capital with substantial private investment. It targets a raise of approximately $50 million, with the majority expected from private investors.
The fund aims to support the acquisition of 750 to 1,000 existing multifamily units across the county. Of these, 375 to 500 units will be prioritized for people exiting homelessness.
The county’s $5 million contribution enables RAAC to formally establish the fund’s governance, nonprofit sponsor entity and legal infrastructure, moving the fund from concept to reality.
RAAC also recognized the completion of four newly rehabilitated homes on Woodward Avenue in McKees Rocks. These homes were completed by LEVEL Equity Building, Inc. as affordable housing for sale through the county’s Vacant Property Recovery Program. RAAC has invested $1.3 million in LEVEL’s homeownership work.
Applications for the owner-occupied home repair program are anticipated to open in October. The county is also exploring the creation of a Housing Production Fund to support the development of more affordable units across the county.
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