Topic
City Council
A bid last year to make Donny's Place, a Polish Hill gay bar, the city's first gay historic landmark failed. Now, council has advanced city planners' request for a $25,000 state grant to study Pittsburgh's LGBTQ+ history. A planning official said the bar's nomination lacked the kind of study historic nominations typically include. The grant requires a $7,500 city match.
County Council
None of the hearings on a proposal to reassess property every three years are in Pittsburgh. On April 28, a county council member pointed that out and urged holding one within city limits. Another member asked for an online session, saying the evening schedule would be prohibitive for some. Still, council's chief clerk said any added hearings would need council approval.
Forward Township
Supervisor Amy Cline gave an update on four blighted homes slated for demolition using Act 152 funds, a state-authorized program that supports removal of structures meeting blight criteria.
City Council
A proposed ordinance would keep vape shops at least 1,000 feet from Pittsburgh schools. On April 15, council advanced the bill to a public hearing that hasn't been scheduled yet. Following city planners' advice, it also dropped daycares and religious institutions from the distance rules. A council aide said the original list would have effectively banned vape shops citywide.
City Council
Until now, the Pittsburgh Land Bank has sold properties one at a time, directly to owner-occupants. In a second pilot, it's looking to sell bundles to developers and contractors. The director said the land bank will try to favor buyers who commit to reselling to owner-occupants. Council advanced her request to acquire two bundles, in Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar and Homewood.
County Council
Allegheny County renters who organize or report housing problems are now protected from landlord retaliation. On March 24, council approved the ordinance, and it took effect when the county executive signed it March 27. Still, the county's housing standards code covers only lead and asbestos, under certain conditions. Next, a council member said she'll start the process of adding mold.
Westmoreland County
Commissioners also amended agreements tied to housing rehabilitation and lead safety programs.
City Council
The Pittsburgh Land Bank's roughly 5,000 parcels are now mostly buildings instead of land, its director said. The Urban Redevelopment Authority has asked council for $157,175 to help pay land bank staff. She said the shift requires in-house experts to review structures and plan stabilization work. Next week, council is scheduled to vote on the request.
City Council
Council members say outreach for Pittsburgh's comprehensive plan has favored some neighborhoods over others. Now a $750,000 grant from The Heinz Endowments means the city won't have to cancel the plan. The mayor's chief of staff shared that concern and said the city plans one meeting per council district. The plan is projected to be done by summer's end.
Westmoreland County
While public comment centered on immigration enforcement, most formal actions taken by commissioners focused on housing, public health and infrastructure investments.
County Council
For longtime homeowners in redeveloping areas, rising market values can mean rising tax bills. On Feb. 10, Allegheny County Council passed a program capping eligible owners' tax increases at 35%. Owners qualify after 10 years in their homes, with incomes up to $131,625 for a family of four. However, one council member argued the income limit should be higher.
County Council
In her Feb. 10 address to council, Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato reported progress on snow clearing, public safety, and housing. She said homicides fell last year to the lowest level since electronic records began, crediting violence interruption teams. Her Feb. 5 executive order introduced a Housing Investment Fund. Her goal is $50 million to $100 million in public and private money for affordable housing.
County Council
Fewer people are living outdoors in Allegheny County than last year, a county council member said. Counting on Feb. 3, she saw no one on a South Side trail where she said 60 to 70 lived last year. She credited coordinated outreach and the Housing First approach. Still, winter shelters are open, she noted, so warmer months may look different.
City Council
Three affordable senior high-rises pay the city about $150 a year each instead of property taxes. Now the finance department wants council to extend those agreements for 10 more years. Without them, the tax-exempt buildings would pay nothing, the finance director said. Council advanced the request, though one member worried it lets the department negotiate terms without council oversight.
City Council
About 3,000 Pittsburgh properties are available as short-term rentals, a council member said. Last month, she reintroduced bills to regulate them, including permits for out-of-town owners. Another member said a New Year's Day mass shooting at an Airbnb revived the issue. For now, the zoning bill heads to the Planning Commission, and the permit bill waits at least 12 weeks.
City Council
Nobody knows exactly how many housing units the city has, or how many are available. On Jan. 13, a council member introduced a bill to create a housing data dashboard. Each month, it would show new units ready for occupancy and units no longer available. If passed, it would go live on the city's website by year's end.
City Council
Homewood House residents have lived with broken heat, bedbugs, and rats for more than five years. The owner's bankruptcy filing put it at risk of foreclosure, which would displace its low-income, mostly senior tenants. Now, council has voted for the city to take it over through eminent domain. A council member told the Trib that could cost about $5 million.
City Council
Across the city, 11,311 abandoned parcels account for an estimated $54.7 million in delinquent property taxes. Putting them back on the tax rolls could cost $168.5 million, the Pittsburgh Land Bank estimated. However, a Dec. 26 task force report said its five-year plan is unlikely to happen. It recommended recurring city funding and cost sharing with the county and school district instead.
City Council
So far, $4 million of $6 million in consulting contracts for the city's comprehensive plan has been spent. Now, council has given preliminary approval to end them, which the bill says would save more than $2 million. However, the Planning Department disputed council's authority, saying termination rests with the mayor. The final vote is set for Dec. 22.
City Council
Out-of-state companies can buy city property at auction, and council wants a way to stop that. On Dec. 17, council denied four tax sales to buyers from Florida, Virginia, and Texas. A council member called mass buying by such companies the biggest threat to affordable housing. Bidding has no residency limits, but council can reject any sale for any reason.