Allegheny County, June 13, 2025 – Programs that address affordable housing needs in the 42nd Senatorial District will receive state grants totaling $4,175,000 state Sen. Wayne Fontana announced today.
“This money goes directly towards the construction, rehabilitation, downpayments, and rent assistance that will make a huge difference in peoples’ lives and in our communities,” Fontana said. “This is government at its best—the commonwealth, supporting local non-profit organizations to ensure our neighbors have a safe place to live, all while employing local businesses.”
Sen. Fontana has helped to secure grants more than $15.7 million in the last five years for affordable housing in his district.
The grants are made available through the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) Fund, which is managed by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.
Funding for the PHARE awards comes from two main sources. Since 2012, the program has received a portion of the impact fees collected from natural gas companies operating in the state with the goal of addressing the housing shortage caused by the impact of drilling. That is supplemented with funding provided by a portion of the state’s Realty Transfer Tax. The PHARE Fund is often referred to as the state’s Housing Trust Fund.
Overall, PHFFA announced 387 awards in all 67 counties totaling $73 million. At least 67 percent of the total awards will be used to fund projects benefiting households with incomes below 50 percent of the area median income.
The winners of grant awards are:
ACTION-Housing, Inc., Roof Replacements
$350,000 towards the replacement of roofs at the 6 HUD Disability and Senior properties owned by ACTION-Housing. These roofs are significantly past their useful life—regularly leaking, causing water damage to the property and resident belongings, etc. The properties do not have the replacement reserves to fund roof replacements. Regular water intrusion poses a major risk to the building’s integrity and resident health and safety.
Allegheny County Dept. of Human Services, Allegheny County’s Landlord-Tenant Mediation Program
$200,000 for a multi-organization collaboration that conducts the Landlord-Tenant Mediation program in Allegheny County, increasing mediation access and stabilizing housing for a greater number of Allegheny County residents at risk of eviction. The process integrates mediation, resource navigation, and legal aid organizations and equips landlords and tenants to resolve their housing dispute sustainably, while protecting all parties’ rights and responsibilities.
Allegheny County Dept. of Human Services, Housing Solution Specialist Expansion
$200,000 to provide dedicated, specialized housing navigation and support to individuals residing in emergency shelter and has demonstrated effectiveness in increasing successful exits from emergency shelter into housing. Expanding with 2 additional staff members will increase the Unit’s capacity by 40% and is anticipated to result in more than 50 additional individuals a year moving successfully from shelter to housing.
Black River Real Estate Development, LLC, Horace Mann Village
$300,000 towards the project to create affordable and mixed income housing in the former Horace Mann School in Marshall-Shadeland. The focus of the program is on Seniors and members of the workforce with a classification of very low and low income. The Organization works with the premier workforce development entities as well as the community to bring a development to Pittsburgh that currently does not exist.
Catapult Greater Pittsburgh, Inc., Growing and Maintaining Black Generational Housing Equity in Allegheny County
$100,000 to provide low- and moderate-income new homebuyers and existing low-income homeowners with comprehensive trauma-informed financial education. With a specific focus on the Revitalizing Neighborhoods and Increasing Homeownership initiative, the Organization has access to RNIH to Beaver County. Additionally, Catapult will grow its Equity Protection Division which includes a Tangled Title Clinic and Home Repair program for existing low-income homeowners.
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, St. Joseph House of Hospitality
$100,000 to help fund the only year-round men’s residential program of its kind in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The St. Joseph House offers private, furnished rooms to men 50 years or older with limited income who are homeless or near homelessness. One of the primary things that distinguishes SJHH from other residential programs is that there are no limitations on the length of stay for residents. The average length of stay for residents is currently 3.9 years.
Charles Street Area Corporation, N Charles Street Affordable Homeownership Project
$200,000 towards Phase 1 Project that will transform vacant, publicly owned land into 6 units of newly constructed affordable, for-sale single-family dwellings for households between 50% AMI and 80%AMI in the Perry South neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA as part of larger mixed-use development plan for mixed-income housing.
Half The Battle, LLC, Cliffside Overlook Development
$150,000 towards this project that consists of the construction of 2 buildings with a total of 4 units. All four units have three bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms in the Hill District neighborhood and will serve individuals with disabilities, families who have experienced homelessness, trauma, and/or domestic violence.
Jewish Family and Community Services, The Refugee Housing Initiative
$100,000 to place refugee families in affordable housing today and to pilot an innovative model to address the refugee housing shortage over the long-term.
Jubilee Association, LLC., Strengthening the Preventing Homelessness Program and Path to Stability Program
$75,000 to expand the Preventing Homelessness Program and Path to Self-Sufficiency Program to combat homelessness by preventing it in the first place, providing financial support to avoid evictions, prevent utilities from being turned off, and other life-altering crises. As the need continues to grow, the program aims to serve more individuals and families, helping to meet short-term financial needs and stabilize their longer-term economic stability and self-sufficiency.
LEVEL: Equity Building, McKees Rocks Rehabilitation for Resale, Phase I
$350,000 towards the rehabilitation of 9 vacant and tax-delinquent, single-family homes that were acquired by McKees Rocks Borough, McKees Rocks CDC, Focus on Renewal, NeighborWorks Western PA, the Zellous Hope Project, Allegheny County, the Allegheny County Housing Authority, and the Sto-Rox School District. Once rehabilitated, these homes will be sold affordably to qualified McKees Rocks residents (between 50%-100% AMI).
NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania, Expanded and Enhanced Homeownership Counseling and Education
$150,000 to expand and enhance comprehensive counseling and education services across the homeownership spectrum. NWWPA will offer pre-purchase counseling and education to buyers at all stages of purchase readiness and will expand post-purchase counseling and education services, providing support for those experiencing mortgage delinquency, default and foreclosure as well as serving stable homeowners seeking to maintain, improve, or renovate their properties.
New Sun Rising, Home Affordability through Enhanced Energy Efficiency
$100,000 towards the Buildings Upgrade Initiative that improves energy efficiency in single-family homes through electrification, high-performance measures, and outcome verification. The initiative achieves ~45% reduction in household energy use, resulting in lower utility bills, increased equity, and more comfortable, resilient homes all for an average cost of $20,000 per home.
Open Hand Ministries, Extend: Advancing Homeownership Retention and Financial Wellness for the Generations
$200,000 to a program that helps restore homes to good repair and teach best practices for home maintenance. Estate planning workshops will inform families how having a will to protect their largest investment is critical to their financial legacy. Regularly scheduled workshops, one-on-one sessions, and educational resources will be provided so participants can direct their assets to future generations.
Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh, Safe and Health Homes in the Hill District IV
$100,000 to repair 12 owner-occupied homes in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, with an average investment of nearly $27,000 per home. By prioritizing safe and healthy repairs, RTP will support long-standing residents, empowering them to stay in their homes and maintain stability within their neighborhoods. This project emphasizes equitable community revitalization, focusing on preserving and improving the existing community fabric, rather than contributing to displacement.
Rising Tide Partners, Northside Scattered Sit Rehab/Demo
$500,000 to identify strategic renovations (for rent and for sale) and demolition of nuisance properties in their neighborhood. This proposal will substantially renovate two vacant properties for rent; perform exterior renovations to an existing occupied six-unit rental property; and demolish a vacant nuisance structure.
Urban Redevelopment Authority, Down Payment and Closing Cost Assistance Program
$200,000 to provide grants to low-to-moderate-income first-time homebuyers within the City of Pittsburgh, impacting 63 households. These homeownership efforts will facilitate building sustainable communities and addressing racial and income inequities.
Urban Redevelopment Authority, Home Accessibility Program for Independence (HAPI)
$150,000 to provide HAPI grants to homeowners and renters for accessibility modifications to their homes so that they can age in place and avoid displacement. The program works with specialized contractors to provide critical items such as stairlifts, bathroom remodels, and wheelchair accessibility modifications. The URA anticipates providing funding to 64 households.
Veterans Place of Washington Boulevard, Recovery Support for Homeless Veterans
$100,000 to introduce a Recovery Support Program to assist homeless and at-risk veterans struggling with substance use disorder, offering evidence-based peer-based recovery services, case management, and community-based support, fostering long-term sobriety, housing stability, assistance obtaining gainful employment and overall wellness.
Women’s Resource Center, Southwestern PA Domestic Violence Homelessness Prevention
$200,000 to support a regional Homelessness Prevention project for domestic violence programs serving Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, focusing on homelessness prevention and shelter diversion, landlord engagement and risk mitigation, survivor-informed strategies, and technical assistance. The Women’s Resource Center is partnering with the PA Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Alle-Kiski HOPE Center, and other community partners.
Womanspace East, Emergency Shelter Family Apartment Renovations
$100,000 toward renovation of the remaining 7 apartments of the county’s largest emergency shelter serving the needs of families experiencing homelessness. Its 13 two-bedroom apartment-style units can accommodate families with three or more people and are the only shelter units of this type in Allegheny County– a critical resource for families in crisis. The apartments are nearly 25 years old with deferred maintenance and continuous use and 6 are currently under renovation.
YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, Allegheny Y Renovation
$250,000 towards the renovation and adaptive reuse of an historic property on the Northside. Eighty-nine SRO units will be renovated on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors with a new configuration that will replace shared bathrooms and create a community living area. Additional work will include laundry and trash rooms on each floor, replacement of mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems, installation of a sprinkler system, and the addition of air conditioning and 2 elevators.
More information on the PA Housing Finance Agency and the statewide PHARE funding awards can be found here.
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