After resounding testimony at City Council public hearings and the Planning Commission by many scores Lawrenceville residents and supportive housing justice advocates from across Pittsburgh, City Council unanimously approved the Inclusionary Zoning Interim Planning Overlay District (IPOD-6) and the Mayor signed the ordinance on July 25th of 2019.
What difference has inclusionary zoning made for Lawrenceville so far? And what’s next? Please join us for an update on inclusionary zoning to preserve affordable housing in Lawrenceville, and hear about possible next steps to take action! Contact us at info@lunited.org or call us at 412-802-7220 to RSVP and receive the Zoom info to join the video meeting or call in by phone on December 15th between 6:30-8pm.
A public hearing has been scheduled at City Council on the Inclusionary Housing Interim Planning Overlay District for Lawrenceville on July 16th at 1:30 p.m. at Council Chambers in the City-County Building (414 Grant Street, 5th Floor). To register for 3 minutes to speak, fill out the form here by 10:30 a.m. on 7/16, or call the City Clerk office at 412-255-2138. Residents who don’t register in advance may still come to the public hearing and speak for 1 minute.
This is expected to be the last public hearing before City Council votes on the legislation, which was introduced in February by Councilwoman Gross and unanimously recommended by the Planning Commission in April. The legislation requires residential development projects in Lawrenceville over 20 units to include 10% of units for low and moderate income families.
Lawrenceville United fully supports mandatory inclusionary zoning as a tool to create housing opportunities for all as the neighborhood grows. We encourage residents to come to the public hearing on 7/16 to voice their support.
Need help preparing your testimony? Join us on Monday, July 15th from 6-8 p.m. at Goodwill’s Workforce Development Center (118 52nd Street) for support.
Need a ride to the hearing? Call us at 412-802-7220 or email info@LUnited.org.
A robust community process was held in the fall of 2018 that included three well-attended community meetings discussing the state of housing in Lawrenceville and the prospect of inclusionary zoning as a way to ensure affordability as the neighborhood grows. (For all the presentations and notes from that process, click here.)
On February 19th, Councilwoman Gross introduced legislation for the Inclusionary Housing Interim Planning Overlay District (IPOD-6), which would create the first mandatory inclusionary zoning program in the City of Pittsburgh, requiring residential developments in Lawrenceville over 20 units to price 10% of units affordably for low/moderate-income folks.
The legislation has now been referred to the Planning Commission, which will make a recommendation to City Council after holding a public hearing on Tuesday, April 23rd at 2 p.m. at 200 Ross Street in the First Floor Hearing Room. Property owners in Lawrenceville should have received a mailing from the Department of City Planning notifying them of the proposed zoning change and the public hearing.
Lawrenceville United fully supports mandatory inclusionary zoning as a tool to create housing opportunities for all as the neighborhood grows. We encourage residents to come to the Planning Commission hearing on 4/23 to show their support. Residents can also show support by completing the “Response Form” that was part of the mailing from City Planning, or by emailing Andrew.McCray@pittsburghpa.gov with the following information:
For any questions or for support preparing your testimony for the Planning Commission, please call LU at 412-802-7220 or email Dave@LUnited.org.
Lawrenceville United, Lawrenceville Corporation, Councilwoman Deb Gross, and the Department of City Planning co-hosted three “Housing For All” community meetings between September and November to discuss the state of housing and displacement in Lawrenceville and discuss a possible inclusionary zoning policy in Lawrenceville. Meeting notes are available here.
Now it’s time to make “housing for all” a reality!
To support housing opportunities for all as the Lawrenceville neighborhood grows, please join us by:
Lawrenceville United, Lawrenceville Corporation, Councilwoman Deb Gross, and the Department of City Planning held the third and final “Housing For All” community meeting on Monday, November 5th from 6-8 p.m. at Goodwill of Southwestern PA’s Workforce Development Center. The meeting focused on the proposed Interim Planning Overlay District (IPOD) for Lawrenceville that would implement inclusionary zoning across the neighborhood. Please see below for materials and notes from the meeting:
Please follow the links below for recaps of the previous two meetings:
Next steps:
The second of three “Housing For All” community meetings was held on Wednesday, October 17th at 6 p.m. at Goodwill of Southwestern PA’s Workforce Development Center. The meeting focused on Inclusionary Zoning as a tool to preserve affordability. Please see below for materials and notes from the meeting:
The third community meeting, Housing For All: Community Feedback and Call to Action, will take place on Monday, November 5th from 6-8 p.m. at Goodwill’s Workforce Development Center (118 52nd Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201). The building is fully accessible. Dinner provided. Childcare available by advance request to LU at 412-802-7220.
For a recap of the first meeting held on 9/28/2018, Housing For All: The State of Housing & Displacement in Lawrenceville, please click here.
Many thanks to the Office of Councilwoman Deb Gross, Lawrenceville Corporation and the Department of City Planning for partnering on this effort. The hosting partners provided updates on the state of housing in Lawrenceville, displacement, and what’s being done about it. Thank you to all of the attendees who shared their stories and experiences.
Be sure to check out Lawrenceville United’s Presentation here: The State of Housing in Lawrenceville
We also have the notes that reflect the stories and experiences shared by the session attendees: Housing for All Group Notes
The next event in the Housing for All series happens on October 17, 2018 from 6-8 p.m. at Goodwill’s Workforce Development Center at 118 52nd Street – Inclusionary Zoning: a tool to preserve affordability
As Lawrenceville’s housing market has exploded, one of Lawrenceville United’s top priorities for the neighborhood is preserving affordable housing. One tool LU has advocated for is Inclusionary Zoning (IZ). For more information on Inclusionary Zoning, please see the brief on IZ below. To download as a printable document, please click here.
Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) Explained
What is Inclusionary Zoning? The simplest explanation for inclusionary zoning programs is that they either incentivize or mandate developers to include affordable units as part of new housing developments of a certain size. For instance, if a developer were to build a housing project of 250 units, under IZ the developer might be required to sell or rent 15% of those units (37 units) to lower-income residents.
What are the benefits? Inclusionary zoning is a proven tool for creating new affordable housing at a time when many communities desperately need it and public funding for housing has been declining for decades. By leveraging the private market, IZ is one of the few ways to create new housing for low-income families without significant public subsidy. It can also help prevent or mitigate gentrification and displacement when housing prices and land values increase in a community. Studies have also shown that it is an effective tool for locating affordable housing in higher-income neighborhoods and areas with better performing schools.
Why is it needed? In Lawrenceville, over 600 housing units have been created in the past couple years, yet almost none of them have been for the working class families that have been the roots of Lawrenceville for generations. At the same time, the appreciation of housing costs has led to displacement of low-income families. With large parcels still developable, IZ has the potential to harness development in the neighborhood to ensure that housing options are available for all income levels and so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of a neighborhood that residents have worked to make safer and less blighted, with improving schools and better access to transportation and local jobs.
What’s being done about IZ locally? In May 2016, the Affordable Housing Task Force identified IZ as one of its key recommendations to address the gap of over 17,000 affordable units in Pittsburgh. Mayor Peduto issued an Executive Order in February 2017 to create an Exploratory Committee that would further assess the feasibility and structure of an IZ program. Specific recommendations were released in November 2017 to City Council and the Mayor, and suggested mandatory inclusion of 10% affordable units city-wide in projects over 20 unit, with a by-right tax abatement offered. Councilwoman Gross sponsored amendments to the zoning text for Urban Industrial in December 2017 that requires 30% affordability in projects over 20 units. LU is currently about to launch a community process in Lawrenceville to pilot IZ that could serve as a model for other neighborhoods or a city-wide policy.
Additional Resources