Officials break ground for affordable housing on site once owned by Pittsburgh's land bank
By Julia Zenkevich
June 20, 2025 at 4:33 PM EDT
Officials broke ground Friday on a project to build two new affordable homes in Larimer.
The Pittsburgh Land Bank sold the two empty lots, located at the corner of Lincoln and Shetland avenues, to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh. The nonprofit will build two single-family homes on the site, which will be sold to low-to-moderate income families who complete Habitat Pittsburgh’s homeownership program and consumer financial literacy education classes.
Elected officials praised the partnership between the land bank and Habitat Pittsburgh, and said the new development will help revitalize the Larimer community, and bring in additional tax revenue for the city.
“It’s going to be critically important that we continue to partner with partners like Habitat for Humanity that have the resources to build,” said City Councilor Bobby Wilson, who chairs the board of the land bank. The goal, he said, was to ensure “that these properties don't continue to go into the hands of property owners that will just sit on them for years.”
A land bank acquires abandoned or blighted properties, clears their titles and sells them to owners who will get the properties back on the tax rolls.
The relationship with the agency is beneficial for Habitat Pittsburgh, said its president and CEO, Howard B. Slaughter, Jr. The land bank clears the red tape that often comes with purchasing abandoned properties and can transfer properties to nonprofits for little cost.
“When you're buying properties from private individuals, it certainly costs a lot more. With the land bank, we're buying these two lots alone for $13,000,” he said. “That gives us the opportunity to build more houses across the city.”
Indeed, Habitat Pittsburgh has already built two homes adjacent to the vacant lots, and leaders hope to develop more affordable homes in the area.
Habitat Pittsburgh previously built homes adjacent to the lots where Friday's groundbreaking took place. The nonprofit plans to build two new affordable homes on the site. (1920x1440, AR: 1.3333333333333333)
The groundbreaking was a milestone for the land bank, which got off to a rocky start in 2014 and faces an uncertain funding future. The transaction with Habitat Pittsburgh marked the bank’s 35th and 36th sales since 2023. The land bank has 90 more lots in its inventory ready to sell, according to Wilson.
Land bank officials are currently negotiating an agreement with the city, Pittsburgh Public Schools, and Allegheny County, that would give the bank the right of first refusal for properties at sheriff sales. Wilson expects the agreement will be in place by the end of the summer.
But with the land bank’s funding slated to run out in 2026, leaders are scrambling to find new sources of revenue. City Council established a task force earlier this month to investigate funding solutions.
In the meantime, Friday’s groundbreaking gives the land bank momentum, Wilson said.
“We need to continue to fund the land banks so we can continue to work like this,” he added. “If we're not doing work like this, then we're very much underserving the communities that we represent.”
The Pittsburgh Land Bank sold the two empty lots, located at the corner of Lincoln and Shetland avenues, to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh. The nonprofit will build two single-family homes on the site, which will be sold to low-to-moderate income families who complete Habitat Pittsburgh’s homeownership program and consumer financial literacy education classes.
Elected officials praised the partnership between the land bank and Habitat Pittsburgh, and said the new development will help revitalize the Larimer community, and bring in additional tax revenue for the city.
“It’s going to be critically important that we continue to partner with partners like Habitat for Humanity that have the resources to build,” said City Councilor Bobby Wilson, who chairs the board of the land bank. The goal, he said, was to ensure “that these properties don't continue to go into the hands of property owners that will just sit on them for years.”
A land bank acquires abandoned or blighted properties, clears their titles and sells them to owners who will get the properties back on the tax rolls.
The relationship with the agency is beneficial for Habitat Pittsburgh, said its president and CEO, Howard B. Slaughter, Jr. The land bank clears the red tape that often comes with purchasing abandoned properties and can transfer properties to nonprofits for little cost.
“When you're buying properties from private individuals, it certainly costs a lot more. With the land bank, we're buying these two lots alone for $13,000,” he said. “That gives us the opportunity to build more houses across the city.”
Indeed, Habitat Pittsburgh has already built two homes adjacent to the vacant lots, and leaders hope to develop more affordable homes in the area.
Habitat Pittsburgh previously built homes adjacent to the lots where Friday's groundbreaking took place. The nonprofit plans to build two new affordable homes on the site. (1920x1440, AR: 1.3333333333333333)
The groundbreaking was a milestone for the land bank, which got off to a rocky start in 2014 and faces an uncertain funding future. The transaction with Habitat Pittsburgh marked the bank’s 35th and 36th sales since 2023. The land bank has 90 more lots in its inventory ready to sell, according to Wilson.
Land bank officials are currently negotiating an agreement with the city, Pittsburgh Public Schools, and Allegheny County, that would give the bank the right of first refusal for properties at sheriff sales. Wilson expects the agreement will be in place by the end of the summer.
But with the land bank’s funding slated to run out in 2026, leaders are scrambling to find new sources of revenue. City Council established a task force earlier this month to investigate funding solutions.
In the meantime, Friday’s groundbreaking gives the land bank momentum, Wilson said.
“We need to continue to fund the land banks so we can continue to work like this,” he added. “If we're not doing work like this, then we're very much underserving the communities that we represent.”