Updates from the chapter
Statement on Judge Valasek's order for Property Tax Reassessments
Our statement on Judge Valasek's order for property tax reassessments in Allegheny County.
New Report: Modernizing Property Tax Assessments in Allegheny County
This report examines how modern, open-source assessment methods could be used to produce fair, transparent, and affordable countywide reassessments.
You Can Build That, Just Not Here
For this very special installment of You Can’t Build That Here , we take a quick trip just outside city limits to Homestead , where new apartments show what zoning can make possible.
Pittsburgh Land Bank w/ Sally Stadelman
You Can’t Build That — Clark Building
For our sixteenth entry in our “You Can’t Build That Here!” series, we take a stroll down Liberty Avenue to the Cultural District.
Five Principles for a More Complete Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is currently in the midst of the final stages of Pittsburgh 2050 - the comprehensive plan for Pittsburgh’s next 25-years. With this plan, we have a chance to move toward a different kind of vision: one that treats every neighborhood as a place where more people can live, where daily n
Land Value Taxes w/ Jack Billings
Policy — LOOP
Check out our proposal for a fair and equitable version of the Longtime Owner-Occupant Property Tax Relief Act (LOOP) which will benefit both homeowners and municipalities.
Bridge to the Future
Pro-Housing Pittsburgh’s 2026 Policy Recommendations Shortlist for Mayor O’Connor
The IZ Compromise
(Update: the amendments to the bill were passed on a 5-4 vote and was then sent to Planning Commission. Pro-Housing Pittsburgh strongly supports the now amended bill.) On Wednesday, October 15th, Councilperson Erika Strassburger introduced amendments to Council Bill 2025-1545, the “Housing Needs
August General Meeting with City Controller Rachael Heisler
A Conversation with Former Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto
Events
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Who we're endorsing
We haven't made our endorsements for this cycle yetMembers vote on every endorsement. Join the chapter to help decide who we back.
Resources
Guides and reference from Pro-Housing Pittsburgh.
Solutions
Remove Parking Minimums
We should join Austin, Buffalo, Charlottesville, Richmond, Ann Arbor, and the many other cities in eliminating minimums parking requirements for new construction. Building parking encourages car dependence and significantly increases the cost of building housing which raises rents.
Get Rid Of Minimum Lot Sizes
A reasonably sized house can easily be built on a 1000 square foot lot yet our zoning code requires a minimum lot size of 8000 sq ft in some areas. Many of Pittsburgh’s heritage homes would be illegal to build today because of minimum lot size requirements. We should remove minimum lot sizes from our zoning code and let builders worry about whether a lot is big enough to build on.
Image from Sean Jursnick
Change the Way We Tax
Pittsburgh needs to reform its tax system to incorporate a Universal Building Exemption. Currently, an empty lot pays way less in taxes than the same lot with a triplex on it. This lets speculators hold vacant lots hoping to sell them for a profit in the future instead of building housing. With a Universal Building Exemption, we tax is levied on the land rather than what is built on it, which makes it more expensive to hold on to unused land. Homeowners would no longer have to pay taxes on their homes and improvements to their homes, just on the land that it sits on.
Image from @simple-pleasure
Assess Regularly
Allegheny County needs to conduct frequent, regular, fair tax assessments instead of waiting to get sued and being compelled to reassess by the courts. Our current system, where new construction is pretty much the only thing that gets an accurate assessment, is effectively a tax on renters and new arrivals.
How we work
Reform the rules
Back zoning reform and streamlined permitting so more homes are legal to build, especially near transit and jobs.
Educate & engage
Turn out residents to the meetings that matter and make it easy to take a pro-housing position on local projects.
Build partnerships
Work with neighbors, labor, faith groups, and builders toward a shared abundant-housing agenda.
Pro-Housing Pittsburgh is a chapter of YIMBY Action.
One of the local groups organizing for more homes across the country, backed by the national team.
