Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato announced an update to the housing code that allows the health department to directly intervene and clean up properties posing health hazards.
The policy, which went into effect on Dec. 22, 2025, enables the county to hire contractors to address issues like rodent infestations, mosquito breeding grounds, trash piles and overgrown grass on neglected properties.
These hazards are identified by the county as factors that can contribute to the spread of disease or negatively impact the quality of life across a community.
The update to Article VI of the housing code is part of Innamorato’s “HOUSING For All” initiative. Before this revision, the Allegheny County Health Department was limited to issuing citations and fines to homeowners, whereas the new rules allow the department to proactively clean areas when safety issues threaten entire communities.
To cover the expenses of the cleanup work, the county will recover costs by placing liens on the properties. This financial mechanism is intended to allow the health department to stop ongoing hazards while ensuring property owners remain accountable for the maintenance of their sites.
County Executive Innamorato signed the “HOUSING For All” Executive Order on Feb. 5 to establish a framework for safe housing in the county. She described the health department’s new efforts as an embodiment of the initiative’s core values.
“HOUSING for All is about building an Allegheny County where every resident has access to a safe place to call home,” Innamorato said. “These efforts from the Health Department embody that value and help protect our communities from widespread health risks.”
Tim Murphy, manager of the Housing and Community Environment Program, noted that the policy change allows for a more effective response to properties that affect the broader community.
“This update strengthens our ability to respond when one neglected property is harming an entire neighborhood,” Murphy said. “It’s about fairness, accountability and public health.”
Murphy emphasized that the department intends to use this new power for specific, high-risk cases rather than routine maintenance issues. He said the process is designed for “exceptional situations” where serious health hazards have persisted despite repeated enforcement efforts.
“It gives us a way to protect entire neighborhoods when public health is clearly at risk,” Murphy said.
This update represents the third revision to Article VI in recent years. The department developed the changes with input from the Housing Advisory Committee and Murphy said their expertise was “instrumental” in shaping the addition to the housing code.
Residents who observe a property creating a public health hazard can report the issue to the county. Reports can be made by calling the Housing and Community Environment Program at 412-350-4046 or by submitting a request through the Allegheny County online call center.
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