Pittsburgh Housing fund providing new roofs for 24 city homeowners

Twenty-four Pittsburgh homeowners are getting new roofs this summer through the city’s Housing Opportunity Fund and a significant charitable donation, the Mayor’s Office reported Tuesday.

The “Roof-a-Thon” program has so far replaced a dozen roofs across Pittsburgh since it began in early June. Owners receive grants ranging from $30,000 to $35,000. The program’s total cost is $733,028 with $125,000 of that coming from the Wells Fargo Foundation.

Pittsburgh City Council in 2016 created the Housing Opportunity Fund to address the city’s affordable housing problem. The ordinance requires the city to set aside $10 million each year for the fund. The Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority administers the fund, which is broken down into eight funding areas.

“Roofing repair is one of the largest home repair needs among the households who applied to the (Housing Assistance Program),” Jessica Smith Perry, the URA’s director of housing initiatives, said in a statement. “Back in February 2019 there were so many applicants needing repairs and replacements that URA staff started discussions on how to get as many roofs done at once and as quickly as possible, and that’s how the concept of the Roof-a-Thon was born.”

The URA chose homeowners for the program based on greatest need and plans to continue providing money for new roofs each year.

Click here for more information on the Housing Opportunity Fund and its application process.