Sen. Fontana Announces Nearly $3 Million for Affordable Housing Projects

Allegheny County − June 16, 2026 - Programs that address affordable housing needs in the 42^nd Senatorial District will receive state grants totaling $2,925,000 state Sen. Wayne Fontana announced today.

"Getting people into safe and affordable housing and keeping people in their homes makes a huge difference in peoples' lives," Fontana said. "These organizations continue to do great work and I am proud to advocate for this state investment into our communities."

Sen. Fontana has helped to secure grants totaling more than $18.6 million in the last six years for affordable housing in his district.

The grants are made available through the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) Fund, which is managed by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.

Funding for the PHARE awards comes from two main sources. Since 2012, the program has received a portion of the impact fees collected from natural gas companies operating in the state with the goal of addressing the housing shortage caused by the impact of drilling. That is supplemented with funding provided by a portion of the state's Realty Transfer Tax. The PHARE Fund is often referred to as the state's Housing Trust Fund.

Overall, PHFFA announced 432 awards in all 67 counties totaling $93.4 million. At least 79 percent of the total awards will be used to fund projects benefiting households with incomes below 50 percent of the area median income.

The awardees of the grants:

ACTION-Housing, Inc., Capital Improvements
$750,000 towards capital improvements at Sylvania Apartments in Mt. Washington and Ormsby Manor in Mt. Oliver and towards general operational support for staff's preservation work.

Allegheny County Dept. of Human Services, Homeless Prevention Program
$500,000 for enhancing its homelessness prevention program by targeting rental assistance and accompanying supportive services to households most at risk of experiencing homelessness.

Amani Christian Community Development Corporation, Renaissance Project
$125,000 to support its partnership with First Commonwealth Bank to construct four new, modern, high-efficiency, for-sale residential units on vacant, underutilized land on Hillside Drive in the heart of the city of Pittsburgh.

Black River Real Estate Development, LLC, Horace Mann Village
$200,000 towards the project to create affordable and mixed income housing in the former Horace Mann School in Marshall-Shadeland. The focus of the program is on Seniors and members of the workforce with a classification of very low and low income. The Organization works with the premier workforce development entities as well as the community to bring a development to Pittsburgh that currently does not exist.

Catapult Greater Pittsburgh, Inc., Preserving Affordable Homeownership in Allegheny County
$200,000 to provide tangled title legal support, health and safety home repairs, and estate planning education for low-income homeowners and their heirs to help them stay in their homes, grow equity, and protect their assets.

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, St. Joseph House of Hospitality
$100,000 to help fund the only year-round men's residential program of its kind in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The St. Joseph House offers private, furnished rooms to men 50 years or older with limited income who are homeless or near homelessness. One of the primary things that distinguishes SJHH from other residential programs is that there are no limitations on the length of stay for residents. The average length of stay for residents is currently 3.9 years.

Jubilee Association, LLC., Strengthening the Preventing Homelessness Program and Path to Stability Program
$100,000 towards the Preventing Homelessness Program that provides urgent rent and utilities assistance, and the Path to Self-Sufficiency Program that delivers personalized case management, mentorship & goal setting across housing, health, finances, education & employment-empowering guests to achieve lasting independence & resilience.

LEVEL: Equity Building, Affordable Homeownership Education Program I
$250,000 expand and enhance its cohesive and customized counseling, education, and outreach services to provide comprehensive homeownership services to future low- to moderate-income homebuyers in McKees Rocks.

Light of Life Ministries, Inc., Comprehensive Housing & Recovery Assistance for Women and Children Experiencing Homelessness and Mental-Health Disorders
$200,000 to support its 18-24-month Women and Children's Program, which provides safe housing, rental assistance, and recovery-focused services for women and children experiencing homelessness and serious mental health or substance use disorders. Through Scattered Sites Housing and Sister's House, the program offers stable housing, case management, and wraparound support that help families regain stability and move toward lasting independence.

The Residences at Wood Street, Wood Street Commons and Centre Ave Housing Supportive Services
$200,000 towards a full-time supportive service coordinator at both Single Room Occupancy properties in the City of Pittsburgh who is highly trained and capable of dealing with the high-acuity needs of the residents and providing residents basic needs support through food programs and providing necessary items like bedding, linens, and toiletries to residents.

Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, Homeownership Program
$100,000 to promote first time homebuyer's education and sound financial management principles to provide increased access to asset building methodologies in underrepresented communities. By equipping individuals and families with the strategies needed to build generational wealth, they are empowering their constituents to move along the continuum of becoming economically self-sufficient.

Women for a Healthy Environment, The Healthy Homes Stabilization Fund
$200,000 towards its rapid-response emergency repair program that provides small but critical health and safety fixes for low- to moderate-income households living in older homes throughout Allegheny County. By resolving prerequisite hazards that delay weatherization, lead remediation, and rehabilitation work, the program strengthens partner efforts and ensures residents can remain safely housed while larger repairs move forward without interruption.

More information on the PA Housing Finance Agency and the statewide PHARE funding awards can be found here.

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