Pittsburgh mayor issues executive orders on affordable housing

PITTSBURGH — Following recommendations from a task force, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto issued executive orders Tuesday to build affordable housing.

Peduto issued two executive orders to start implementing recommendations by the City's Affordable Housing Task Force. The moves are intended to protect people from losing their housing.

Peduto’s executive orders expand upon the three goals of the task force and seek ways to reach those goals. His orders are:

• Order #01: To provide and expand resources, policies, and programs to increase housing security for existing City residents. This order asks the Finance Department to work with Allegheny County and the Pittsburgh Public Schools to protect longtime homeowners by reviewing proposals to implement an anti-gentrification measures, increase pro bono legal resources for homeowners, provide financial literacy programs, and adopt tenant protection programs.
• Order #02: To increase and improve the opportunities for public housing residents. This order asks the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh to adopt similar goals to those of the City and Task Force.

WEB EXTRA: Read the orders in their entirety

The Mayor’s Office received more than 40 recommendations from the task force in May, after months of work by task force members and hundreds of suggestions from community members at five public meetings. Overall the task force hewed to three overarching goals:

• Respect and stabilize existing communities
• Create quality affordable housing opportunities
• Maximize the impact of resources by ensuring lasting affordability

Since the task force made its recommendations last year, there has been a community driven process around defining equitable development in Pittsburgh, led by Neighborhood Allies, Urban Innovation21, and the UrbanKind Institute, along with the national expertise of the team at PolicyLink.

Additionally, work by the Heinz Foundation and community stakeholders has been integrated into the p4 program, which seeks to put people and place at the center of the new wave of development in Pittsburgh.

RELATED: City Council signs bill aimed at creating more affordable housing (12/20/16) 

The Mayor’s Office said the efforts underscore the recommendations put forth by the Affordable Housing Task Force.

"My administration is committed to creating a livable city for all," Peduto said

. "These executive orders are the first step in a long process to solve not only the challenges of today but to lay the foundation for an equitable Pittsburgh in the future. To do that, we will need the support of the whole City - residents, advocates, developers, financiers, nonprofits, and others must join together to implement local changes and speak with a unified voice in Harrisburg and Washington."

A spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office said Peduto is expected to issue more executive orders on Wednesday. Stay with Channel 11 News and WPXI.com for continuing coverage.

RELATED: City Council signs bill aimed at creating more affordable housing (12/20/16) 

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