Councilman Wilson

Hello everyone!

I’m proud to announce that I was recently appointed as the Board Chair for the Pittsburgh Land Bank. This opportunity will allow me to continue to push the City of Pittsburgh to return vacant, abandoned, blighted, and tax-delinquent lots and homes to productive use.

I’m also excited to share that in late February, my legislation to reduce zoning burdens on childcare facilities passed in City Council. The Zoning Code defines a child care facility as “an establishment that provides care, protection and supervision for children on a regular basis away from their primary residence for less than 24 hours per day.” It currently requires a “Special Exception,” to be reviewed by the Zoning Board of Administration, to allow for childcare facilities in single-family residentially zoned neighborhoods.

This bill will now do the following:

1. Allow facilities that will care for up to six children to be permitted by-right within residential zoning districts.
2. Exempt childcare accessory units from current home occupation standards when they take care of three or fewer children and where the home is the primary residence of the childcare provider.
3. Remove off-street parking minimums and maximums for childcare facilities.
4. Add accessory in-home childcare for three or fewer children where the home is the primary residence of the childcare provider to the list of exemptions for a record of zoning approval.

Removing these zoning burdens allows us to provide childcare services to working families right where they live. It is an obvious first step to making childcare more accessible in the City of Pittsburgh.

I also want to share numerous initiatives that have recently opened up within the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Public Service Grant (PSG) applications are open from March 4 through April 12. These grants, issued through the City’s Office of Management and Budget, Community Development Division, are federally funded via the Department of Housing and Urban Development and are available to nonprofit organizations serving Pittsburgh residents with low and moderate incomes. In the past, Public Service grants have funded projects such as food pantries, youth programs, job training, career counseling, literacy programs, and senior activity programs.

There are a few new guidelines for this year which are as follows: all applicants must have a 501(c)(3) nonprofit status — fiscal sponsors cannot satisfy this requirement; all funded organizations must be registered through SAM.gov; projects must fall into approved HUD public service categories; and the minimum award is $10,000. The deadline for decisions on recipients of PSGs is May 13 and will be distributed to awardees in 2025.

Currently, the Office of Management and Budget, Community Development Division is gathering input on community needs. Their survey is designed to find out what types of services City residents want to see funded in their specific neighborhoods. The survey will be open until April 12. All City residents are encouraged to complete it, but only once and can be accessed here: arcg.is/uTGTr. Residents are also able to call 311 and request to take the survey over the phone.

The Allegheny County Department of Economic Development recently announced their Lead Safe Homes Program, which offers qualifying homeowners and renters in Allegheny County free lead paint testing and remediation. They are currently looking for applicants to fill their queue for 2024. Lead is a common ingredient in household paint in homes built before 1978. NO level of lead is safe. It is toxic to humans, especially young children. Even low levels can cause IQ loss, behavioral problems, developmental delays, and other health issues.

The Lead Safe Homes Program will test homes for lead and remove, replace, or cover all areas in a home with damaged lead paint. To apply, you can call (412) 227-5700 or email alleghenylead@actionhousing.org. For more details, visit alleghenycounty.us/leadsafeprogram.

If you have any questions or concerns, call us at (412) 255-2135, email us at district1@pittsburghpa.gov, or find us on Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter). My staff and I are looking forward to hearing from you!