The Board of Directors of the URA has awarded a $620,000 Housing Opportunity Fund For Sale Development Program (FSDP) grant to City of Bridges Community Land Trust (CBCLT), to develop 4 permanently affordable homes to sell in the city’s Hazelwood neighborhood.
Each home will feature 3 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms. The homes will be the first affordable homes in Pennsylvania to seek the Living Building Challenge Certification, a standard described as “the most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment today” and will be available for households earning between 50% and 80% of Area Median Income. The homes are to be built on land currently owned by the URA; the board authorized the contract of sale for the property in February.
“I’m excited about the work that City of Bridges Community Land Trust is doing to create more opportunities for affordable home ownership in Pittsburgh,” said Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey. “This innovative project ensures that these high-quality new homes will be affordable now and in the future and is exactly the type of project we need to make our city more livable for all of us.”
District 5 Pittsburgh City Councilman Corey O’Connor said of the project, “I’m excited to see City of Bridges Community Land Trust continue its innovative housing development on Chatsworth Avenue in Hazelwood. This work is squarely in line with the community’s desire to see new, affordable, high-quality housing that’s accessible to longtime Hazelwood residents.”
These four homes are the first phase of a 12 unit project on currently publicly-owned land along Hazelwood Avenue and Chatsworth Avenue. The grant approved today was the final piece of the required financing; CBCLT previously received a $600,000 award from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh’s Affordable Housing Program in December, 2021.
CBCLT was chosen as the developer of this site in early 2020 through a community-centered RFP and developer selection process that was managed by the URA. After the funding announcement, Sonya Tilghman, Executive Director of Hazelwood Initiative, commented, “We are very excited to welcome City of Bridges into our neighborhood with such a unique affordable housing product. Not only will these homes be permanently affordable, but they will be the most energy efficient affordable homes in the state!”
Evan Zuverink, Vice President, CRA Officer, First Commonwealth Bank, CBCLT’s lending partner for this project said, “First Commonwealth Bank is happy to again partner with City of Bridges Community Land Trust, this time in the Hazelwood neighborhood of Pittsburgh. City of Bridges provides a unique approach to the creation of homeownership opportunities in our region and continues to push the industry to a more sustainable and inclusive place. These efforts are vital in providing affordable homeownership for working families in the City of Pittsburgh and ensuring everyone has a safe, affordable place to call home.”
In addition to the HOF award, this project is supported by the Hillman Foundation, Heinz Endowments, Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, First Commonwealth Bank, and Solar United Neighbors.
For more information on City of Bridges Community Land Trust, visit cityofbridgesclt.org.
Photo Credit: CBCLT website
