Pittsburgh Named Among First 15 Cities in Bloomberg Philanthropies Housing Initiative
Pittsburgh is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor announced Oct. 15 that the city is among the first 15 U.S. local governments selected for a new Bloomberg Philanthropies housing initiative, which will provide funding and expertise to speed permit reform and unlock housing supply. The initiative spreads three approaches already in use elsewhere: faster, digital permitting from San Diego, expanded accessory dwelling units from Austin, and housing strike teams from Atlanta. Each participating city will receive $450,000 to $750,000 for technology to clear approval backlogs, architects to draft permit-ready plans, and strike team staff. Within two years, cities are expected to halve approval times and double their accessory-dwelling pipelines. Up to 30 cities will ultimately take part. Pittsburgh has been pursuing its own permit overhaul: its EZ Permits initiative targets one-business-day approvals for projects that do not require design review, alongside virtual inspections and an online permit tracker launched in July. Estimates put Pittsburgh's shortfall at roughly 11,000 affordable homes for its lowest-income residents, with about 20,000 vacant homes, more than 15 percent of its housing stock.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：从北岸望向匹兹堡市中心天际线夜景（2023年）。图片来源：Cbaile19，CC0。Photo: Downtown Pittsburgh skyline from the North Shore at night, 2023. Image: Cbaile19, CC0.
