An affordable homeownership program in Pittsburgh that launched last year has sold 100 homes. Officials from Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority announced the 100th closing last week of the OwnPGH program, an affordable homeownership program funded through federal pandemic relief dollars.
OwnPGH provides up to $90,000 of financing in the form of grants to people seeking to buy a home in Pittsburgh whose income is at or below 80% of area median income — about $80,300 for a family of four.
The program launched in January 2023, with a $15,625,000 American Rescue Plan Act allocation from the City of Pittsburgh.
The program’s 100th buyer was Dany Ricci, who received a $60,000 grant to purchase a home in East Liberty through nonprofit City of Bridges Community Land Trust, according to an announcement by URA officials last week.
“I never thought that homeownership was possible for me; having worked in various administrative positions in social services and nonprofits for the last 12 years, I generally assumed that buying houses was for doctors and lawyers and people with PhDs and 401(k)s,” said Ricci in a press release after their closing day.
“Purchasing my own home feels like a mini miracle — something I'd always dreamed of but assumed was never going to be in the cards for me,” they said. “Having a house of my own makes all kinds of other life goals feel attainable — being able to be financially secure, increasing my education and building generational wealth, and not having to sacrifice stability for working in fields that I believe in.”
URA officials said the average loan amount for the program has been $55,200 and the average household income for the program has been $48,029.52. Sixty percent of borrowers were Black, according to URA statistics; 46 of the homebuyers were new residents to the City of Pittsburgh.
It has given out $5.52 million in financing.
URA officials said the program is projected to expend its funds by the end of this year.
Information on how to apply is available here.
