by Amelia Winger, PublicSource
Pittsburgh is checkered with thousands of vacant properties — some are dangerous, some are just eyesores, but they’re awaiting their fate of rehabilitation, demolition or decay.
The city defines blight as any physical space or structure in such poor condition that it’s lost its functionality. It’s created through decades of neglect and harmful practices, and the city can take just as long to remedy it.
“I’ve watched my neighborhood precipitously decline over time, in cultural assets of buildings that mean a lot to me and my fellow Hill District residents,” said Diamonte Walker, the deputy executive director of the Urban Redevelopment Authority. “We’ve seen them atrophy and disintegrate and disappear, and it’s heartbreaking. And that is not just the story of the Hill District, it’s happening across the city of Pittsburgh,”
This is why blight is particularly concentrated in communities that have historically been disinvested in, like Hazelwood and Larimer, Walker added.
What can you, as an individual resident, do to help address blight in your neighborhood?
What does blight look like?
There are nine qualities the city looks for when categorizing a property as blight, only needing to find three for the property to be considered blighted:
- The property is a public nuisance.
- The property is unfit for human use.
- The property is dangerous for children.
- The property is used for illegal activities.
- The property has a dilapidated appearance.
- The property is a fire hazard or other safety hazard.
- The property needs substantial rehabilitation, with no efforts made in the past year.
- The property has accumulated debris, pests, uncut vegetation and deterioration that the owner has made no effort to remove.
- The property is subject to unauthorized entries, and either the owner or municipality has failed to secure the building.
I live near a blighted property. What’s my first step?
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