Rep. Summer Lee Presents $1 Million for Downtown Pittsburgh Housing Conversion Projects

Photos (Dropbox)

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 5, 2026 - Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) joined Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O'Connor, local leaders, and the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) to present $1 million in federal funding secured through Rep. Lee's Community Project Funding efforts to support the conversion of vacant downtown office buildings into affordable housing.

The funding will provide critical construction gap financing for eligible office-to-residential conversion project(s) in Downtown Pittsburgh. These adaptive reuse efforts will help address the region's affordable housing shortage, reduce commercial vacancy, activate street-level business corridors, and strengthen the local economy.

"Every dollar we bring home to PA-12 should be about meeting the real needs of our people," said Rep. Summer Lee. "I'm proud to deliver this $1 million investment to help turn vacant office space into affordable homes, create good-paying jobs, and bring new life to downtown Pittsburgh. When people have a stable place to call home, they have a foundation to raise their families, stay healthy, pursue education, build careers, and participate fully in their communities. This is about making sure our neighbors can afford to stay, grow, and thrive right here in the place they call home.  In the long term, this work means stronger neighborhoods, more opportunity for working families, and a downtown that reflects and serves the people who live here. We're building a future where our region works for all of us, not just a select few."

"Partnership has helped build the energy around creating a more vibrant Downtown through investments in housing, public space and the details," said Mayor Corey O'Connor. "I'd like to thank Congresswoman Lee for being a part of that energy and bringing $1 million to invest in residential conversions for the Downtown community."

"Thank you to Congresswoman Lee for her leadership in securing this critical investment," said URA Executive Director Susheela Nemani-Stanger. "By advancing office-to-residential conversions, we're creating a more vibrant, livable Downtown that works for residents across incomes and supports long-term regional economic growth."

The $1 million in federal funding secured through Rep. Lee's Community Project Funding efforts will:

• Provide construction gap financing for eligible office-to-residential conversion project(s)
• Adaptively reuse vacant office buildings to create affordable housing
• Revitalize Downtown Pittsburgh's core by bringing new residents and activity into underused spaces
• Address the region's severe affordable housing shortage
• Respond to the surge in commercial vacancy Downtown
• Strengthen the regional tax base and support local economic recovery

Rep. Lee has made affordable housing one of her top priorities in Congress, fighting to bring federal dollars home to address housing insecurity, prevent displacement, and ensure every family has a safe, stable, affordable place to live. In addition to securing this $1 million investment for Downtown Pittsburgh office-to-residential conversions, Lee helped deliver $50 million to revitalize Bedford Dwellings and the Hill District, advocated for a $3 million federal investment for affordable housing in Allegheny County, backed the successful "500 in 500" initiative, which helped house hundreds of people experiencing homelessness, and delivered more than $1 million to combat blight and revitalize North Braddock. Her office has also championed legislative solutions like the Keep Affordable Housing in Forgotten Communities Act, while prioritizing rental assistance, tenant protections, and anti-displacement efforts across PA-12.

Through her Community Project Funding efforts, Lee has secured direct investments for community-based organizations, including a$1 million CPF award to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, $450,000 to the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh, over $1.5 million in federal support for the Tree of Life rebuilding and healing initiatives, $1 million in Community Project Funding for historic renovations at the Carnegie Library of Homestead, and more than $1 million in federal funding to combat blight and revitalize housing in North Braddock. 

These projects are part of more than $24.9 million in Community Project Funding secured during her time in Congress. Rep. Lee's office has consistently directed federal dollars to historically overlooked communities to ensure equitable access to opportunities and long-term regional growth and stability.

To see photos from the event, please click HERE.

Congresswoman Summer Lee serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Education and Workforce. Since taking office in January 2023, shehas delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2.7 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania's infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs.  Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 4,000 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.