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You may already be familiar with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). They work with our very own CDC to help finance construction and rehab of houses and buildings as well as home purchases and improvements.  What you may not know is that they offer other programs whereby funds can be given directly to YOU as a resident of the City of Pittsburgh for things like fixing your roof or rehabbing an older house. And we’re not talking chump change, we’re talking loans for $5K-$30K or more. So read on and see which of these incentive programs apply to you*.

Home Emergency Loan Program (HELP) - offers a 0% interest rate to help City of Pittsburgh homeowners correct an emergency like a gas leak or broken furnace. The maximum loan amount is $5,000 for single unit properties and $7,000 for two (2) units.

Home Improvement Loan Program (HILP) - can help new City of Pittsburgh homeowners to upgrade because there is no equity requirement. You can purchase your home and take a HILP loan the next day. You may borrow up to $15,000 for a single unit home.

Housing Recovery Program (HRP) - offers borrowers the ability to purchase and substantially rehabilitate a home while combining all the costs into one payment. This enables buyers to purchase affordable City of Pittsburgh homes that are at least 20 years old and in need of repair and fix them up like new.

The Pittsburgh Home Ownership Program (PHOP) - provides fixed, low interest, 30-year mortgage loans for low to moderate income home buyers. The URA even offers a Down Payment/Closing Cost Assistance (DP/CCA) grant up to $3,000, for income eligible borrowers.

Pittsburgh Home Rehabilitation Program (PHRP) - offers a 0% interest rate to help low-income City of Pittsburgh homeowners improve their homes. The loan term can be spread over 20 years, and homeowners may borrow up to $25,000 for a single unit home and $35,000 for a two unit home.

Keystone Renovation & Repair Program (R&R) - URA is a Program Administrator for this Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) program. This is for working families with household income as high as $90,000.

Not to mention a Tax Abatement program and the Pittsburgh Promise, which can potentially provide up to $5K a year for your child’s college education.

I think we’ve learned from the widely-publicized criminal activity in our neighborhood as of late that part of the battle we’re fighting is one of perception. Allowing our homes and buildings to remain abandoned and dilapidated from neglect is allowing our community to rot from the outside in. No one respectable is going to want to move into a neighborhood in disarray (perceived or not). Let’s use what’s available to clean up our act.

* As with any government-backed loan, there are stipulations (household income ceilings and loan terms for example) so read the fine print and ask questions before you jump in.