Pittsburgh Approves $335 Million Coronavirus Aid Spending Plan

PITTSBURGH, PA — Pittsburgh city council on Tuesday adopted a plan to spend $335 million in federal coronavirus aid, despite objections over the past few weeks that the public had insufficient input into the plan.

The vote was 8-1, with councilwoman Deb Gross voting against the proposal.

The city will spend more than one-third of the American Rescue Plan money on shoring up its
workforce. About $112 million will be spent on avoiding all of the layoffs originally proposed in the city's original 2021 budget. Another $22 million will go toward restoring critical positions that already have been eliminated. The city also is allocating $5 million to undo its wage freeze.

A breakdown of the proposed allocations:

Investment in People ($66 million)

• $21 million for OwnPGH to promote affordable home ownership in Pittsburgh.
• $5 million to create a fund at the Urban Redevelopment Authority to protect existing affordable housing.
• $6 million to expand the city's lot maintenance program through a workforce development initiative.
• $10 million to expand our Office of Community Health & Safety - Allegheny Health Network co-responder model to all six zones 24-7.
• $2 million for a new fund to support local artists who experienced financial hardship during COVID-19 and to bring music and art into public events and facilities across Pittsburgh.
• $2.5 million to fund a Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot.
• $19 million to fund improvements at CitiParks Recreation Centers across Pittsburgh to include Rec2Tech build out, HVAC improvements and sustainability upgrades.
• $2 million for community public safety facilities to respond to rise in violent crime.
• Creation of a new grant program to support youth sports organizations in the city.

Investment in Planet ($37.5 million)

• $10 million to create a new program at the Urban Redevelopment Authority to help low to moderate income homeowners make improvements to their homes to weatherize, lower utility bills and promote renewable energy uses.
• $20 million for removal of lead from city water and paint.
• $7.5 million for the purchase of electric vehicles and electric vehicle infrastructure for the city fleet.

Investment in Place ($58 million)

• $7 million of funding for the Mayor's 7 Avenues of Hope ($1 million each).
• $10 million to launch the reconstructed Land Bank at the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
• $5 million to create a fund at the Urban Redevelopment Authority to support community land trusts.
• $2 million to close the funding gap on affordable housing development at Gladstone School in Hazelwood.
• $1 million to the redevelopment of 1600 Broadway Avenue in Beechview.
• $2 million for the redevelopment of Lexington Technology Park - Homewood Avenue.
• $1 million for the Jasmine Nyree Campus in Sheraden.
• $3.5 million to forgive small business loans from the Urban Redevelopment Authority during the pandemic.
• $1 million to help make businesses make their "streeteries" permanent.
• $12 million to fund the addition of 8,000 new LED streetlights that were found to be missing during the light equity analysis.
• $2 million to complete the funding for new Davis Avenue Bridge in Brighton Heights for bikes & pedestrians.
• $2.5 million to complete the funding for the North Avenue Streetscape Rehabilitation.
• $1 million to complete the funding for new sidewalks on Irvine Street in Hazelwood.
• $3 Million to complete design and engineering on public step projects to make shovel ready for the infrastructure bill.
• $2.2 million to complete design and engineering on Hill District Corridor Improvements to make shovel ready for the infrastructure bill.
• $2.8 million to complete funding for the final segment for the conversion of Penn Circle back to two-way.

Investment in Performance ($172 million)

• $22 million to restore critical positions cut from the city's budget.
• $112 million to avoid all of the potential layoffs outlined in the original 2021 City of Pittsburgh budget.
• $17 million to restore critical budget items such as the City Cuts program for seniors and the city Facility Improvement Fund.
• $6 million to invest in the city's fleet to respond to the extra wear and tear vehicles received during the pandemic.
• $5 million to undo the city's wage freeze.
• Addresses the lost revenue of the Public Parking Authority of Pittsburgh.

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