Housing affordability is one of the most pressing challenges I hear about from Pittsburghers every day — whether it’s rising rents, limited supply, or the difficulty families face trying to stay in the neighborhoods they’ve built their lives in. It’s also one of the central issues I’ve focused on in Harrisburg, because meeting this moment requires real investment in both housing and opportunity.
Earlier this month, I was proud to announce a $1 million grant to support the Horace Mann Village development right here in the Northside — a project that helps answer that need in a very tangible way by bringing new housing, community space and workforce development opportunities to a long-underused site.
The Horace Mann Village project will ultimately include 182 new residential units, a structured parking facility, a public park and a workforce development center. It reflects a simple but important idea: that addressing affordability isn’t just about building more units, but also about building stronger, more connected neighborhoods.
This investment is part of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Pennsylvania Mixed-Use Housing Development Pilot Program, which is helping communities across Pennsylvania convert underutilized properties into housing and community assets. With more than 100 applications competing for limited funding, it’s clear just how urgent the need is to expand housing supply across the Commonwealth.
That broader commitment to expanding opportunity and strengthening communities is rooted in a long legacy in Pennsylvania politics — one that includes the work of K. Leroy Irvis, who represented the same Pittsburgh seat I am honored to hold today. Rep. Irvis served in the Pennsylvania House from 1958 to 1988 and made history as the first African American Speaker of the House in any state legislature since Reconstruction. His leadership broke barriers at the highest levels of state government, but just as importantly, he used his platform to expand opportunity, advance fairness, and strengthen public education and economic access across Pennsylvania.
In the state Capitol, I recently had the privilege of welcoming Rep. Irvis’s widow and family to the House chamber, where they were recognized for his extraordinary service and enduring impact on the Commonwealth. Seeing them there was a powerful reminder that his legacy is not only remembered, but actively reflected in the work we continue to do — especially as we think about how to expand opportunity and strengthen communities like ours in Pittsburgh.
I’ve been seeing that urgency reflected throughout our budget hearings for the 2026–27 proposal in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Appropriations Committee. Housing, education, workforce development and long-term economic strength are deeply connected — and the choices we make in this budget will shape how well we respond to challenges like the ongoing teacher shortage.
That conversation about opportunity and access is especially urgent in education. One of the most pressing challenges we face is the teacher shortage across Pennsylvania, particularly the need to recruit and retain more educators of color. With roughly 94% of teachers in the Commonwealth identifying as white, too many students still don’t see themselves reflected in their classrooms — a gap that affects both opportunity and outcomes.
As budget negotiations continue, I’ll stay focused on making sure Pittsburgh’s priorities are reflected in the final agreement: stronger schools, stronger communities and investments that help working families get ahead.
