Affordable housing in Pittsburgh clears hurdle with City Council vote

Pittsburgh City Council has just made it easier to build townhomes and row houses, a step that supporters say will boost the city’s affordable housing stock.

The move came Monday in a unanimous vote approving a zoning change to expand where attached housing can be built in the city.

Attached housing includes townhomes and row houses, as opposed to detached stand-alone houses.

Until now, the zoning code didn’t allow attached residences to be built in areas zoned for only detached housing.

The change, sponsored by Councilman Bobby Wilson, D-North Side, now permits townhouses and other attached housing in lots up to 35 feet wide in neighborhoods zoned for detached housing. Developers could seek an exemption for larger lots.

Related:

• Zoning change to allow more townhouses supported by Pittsburgh Planning Commission

• City Council seeks to cut red tape for affordable housing in Pittsburgh

Most people who spoke during a public hearing earlier this month supported the legislation, saying that it can be cheaper to build attached housing. That could translate to more affordable housing, they said, and help people find more housing options at various price ranges.

“Anything you do to make more housing brings down the cost of all housing,” John Seiffer, of Squirrel Hill, told council members.

But opponents argued that the legislation does not come with any affordability requirement. Developers could build townhouses and sell them at luxury rates affordable only to the city’s wealthiest residents.

It’s a “myth” that the legislation automatically would create an influx of affordable units, said Pittsburgher David Demko.

“This bill has no affordable housing requirements,” Demko said, arguing that the zoning tweak also could change “the context and character of the neighborhood” in areas that don’t currently have attached housing.