$50 million federal infusion coming to Pittsburgh housing authority’s Hill District revamp

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh [HACP] labor crew member Kevin Williams of the Hill District cuts one of a series of lawns in Bedford Dwellings on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022, in the Hill District. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)

Bedford Dwellings, the city’s oldest public housing community, is slated to be razed, replaced with nearly twice as many units, including mix of affordable and market-rate.

by Eric Jankiewicz, PublicSource

Pittsburgh’s oldest public housing community will be demolished to make room for a new vision of affordable housing, after the Housing Authority of City of Pittsburgh won a coveted federal grant, according to three Congress members representing Pennsylvania.

The federal government awarded $50 million to Pittsburgh’s housing authority, allowing plans to proceed on completely rebuilding the Hill District’s Bedford Dwellings into a mixed-income community.

“Housing is a human right, and this massive investment will help create more affordable housing in Pittsburgh and improve the conditions of this complex and neighborhood,” said U.S. Sen. John Fetterman.

Sen. Bob Casey said the grant will lead to a place “where residents can live, work, and play in a vibrant and safe environment.”

Housing Authority representatives said Friday that it was premature for them to comment pending HUD’s formal announcement of the grant.

The authority applied last year for the grant through Choice Neighborhoods, a program run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, to replace all 411 units of Bedford Dwellings with more than 800 mixed-income units.

The program is considered highly competitive and is open for all housing authorities, and roughly 40 nationwide applied for this round of Choice Neighborhoods funding.

Children run along the Somers Drive section of Bedford Dwellings as Pittsburgh’s skyline rises in the background, on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource)

The authority must build at least 411 units of deeply affordable housing, around 200 of other income-limited units and around 200 at market rates.

Private partner TREK Development expects the project to take eight years to complete, according to earlier reporting.

The Hill Community Development Corporation [Hill CDC] issued a statement to say they were “thrilled” by the news.

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$50 million federal infusion coming to Pittsburgh housing authority’s Hill District revamp

Bedford Dwellings, the city’s oldest public housing community, is slated to be razed, replaced with nearly twice as many units, including mix of affordable and market-rate.

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PublicSource

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