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WHEREAS, affordable housing is one of Pittsburgh’s greatest needs, and;
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WHEREAS, in October of 2021, Pittsburgh City Council passed a resolution declaring that housing is a human right, and;
WHEREAS, the 2022 City of Pittsburgh Affordable Housing Needs Assessment reported that there is a shortage of over 11,000 housing units affordable to households at 50% of the city’s median income, and;
WHEREAS, according to the 2020 Census, The City of Pittsburgh’s population has been in decline since 2000 with its population decreasing 0.89% over the last decade and 13.4% of Black residents leaving the city, and;
WHEREAS, advocates attribute this drop in population to a lack of quality, affordable housing within the City of Pittsburgh, and;
WHEREAS, one-third of Pittsburgh residents spend more than 30% of their income on housing, which is considered cost-burdened; increasing the likelihood that these households may have difficulty paying for other necessities, such as food, transportation, or health care, and;
WHEREAS, Pittsburgh City Council declared homelessness a public health emergency due in large part to a lack of affordable, safe housing in the City, and;
WHEREAS, the City of Pittsburgh has taken steps to explore various solutions to this affordable housing crisis, including Limited Equity Housing Cooperatives and Accessory Dwelling Units, and;
WHEREAS, the City of Pittsburgh has established the Inclusionary Zoning Overlay District to ensure new developments in several City neighborhoods experiencing hyper-investment and gentrification will have some direct benefit for those struggling to find affordable housing, and;
WHEREAS, the City of Pittsburgh established the Housing Opportunity Fund, pledging $10,000,000 annually for the creation and preservation of affordable housing opportunities, and;
WHEREAS, the City of Pittsburgh welcomes the recent federal grant of $50,000,000 under HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods program, as well as CDBG funding and other affordable housing funding, and;
WHEREAS, the City of Pittsburgh has found that the efforts listed above are not sufficient to address the scale of Pittsburgh’s affordable housing crisis, and;
WHEREAS, local organizations like the City of Bridges Community Land Trust, The Housing Justice Table, Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group, ACTION Housing, and more continue to be vital partners in furthering the availability of affordable housing.
WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Pittsburgh has urged the United States Congress and the Biden Administration to increase and expand federal funding for affordable housing programs such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, as well as pass federal legislation including the Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act, the Stop Predatory Investing Act, and the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act that will help ease the affordable housing crisis, and;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh hereby recognizes May 2024 as “Affordable Housing Month” in the City of Pittsburgh.