In the 1970s, Manchester was the focus of Pittsburgh’s neighborhood revitalization as the federal HOPE VI program enabled the renovation of vacant, massive old single-family homes into multiple apartment units.
Many of those original units are now themselves in need of renovation, and the Urban Redevelopment Authority has moved to do just that. During its February meeting, the URA board approved a $50,000 grant that will allow the Manchester Citizens Corporation to acquire 86 of those properties.
“This was one of the first Hope VI projects in the nations and contains mostly larger townhouse style units, 3- and 4-bedrooms that are in high demand,” said authority Executive Director Robert Rubenstein. “The acquisition of this portfolio by MCC the will help preserve an important affordable housing resource for the neighborhood.”
The MCC has a pending purchase agreement and plans to finance the property renovations with state low-income housing credits. It is budgeted at $40,000 per unit.
The board also approved giving Oxford Development and S&A Homes a nine-month exclusive purchase agreement for 56 properties in Homewood that would yield 45 affordable housing units. The development is the second phase of the authority’s Bridging the Busway initiative and would compliment the 41-unit senior housing facility already constructed.
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