Hill District $50M Federal Boost for Housing Renewal

A Landmark Federal Award for the Hill District

In July 2023, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $50 million to the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) through the Choice Neighborhoods Implementation program. The grant clears the way for a long-planned transformation of Bedford Dwellings, one of the oldest public housing developments in the city and a fixture of the historically African American Hill District neighborhood. Pittsburgh's award was part of a national $370 million Choice Neighborhoods round announced by then-HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge.

What the Plan Includes

HACP intends to demolish the existing 411-unit Bedford Dwellings complex and replace it with more than 800 mixed-income units. The plan calls for at least 411 units of deeply affordable housing (one-for-one replacement), around 200 additional income-restricted units, and roughly 200 units available at market rates. In total, the redeveloped community will include 823 new housing units along with upgraded community spaces, services, and infrastructure. The new neighborhood is intended to retain current residents while attracting a mix of incomes and creating a more economically integrated community.

The Role of Choice Neighborhoods

HUD's Choice Neighborhoods program is a competitive federal grant used to replace severely distressed public and HUD-assisted housing with mixed-income communities. The program takes what HUD calls a 'Housing, People, and Neighborhood' approach, combining bricks-and-mortar redevelopment with education, workforce, health, and safety investments. Roughly 40 housing authorities applied in the round that funded Pittsburgh, making the award highly competitive.

Partnerships and Timeline

HACP is working with private partner TREK Development and with local community organizations, including the Hill Community Development Corporation, on planning and construction. The agency estimates the full redevelopment will take roughly eight years to complete, with phased construction allowing current residents to transition into new homes without permanent displacement. Early phases have already delivered new housing in the Hill District, including The Reed, a 123-unit mixed-income complex completed in 2025 that features 24 townhomes, a 46-unit family building, and a 53-unit senior high-rise.

Why the Hill District

The Hill District was once one of the most vibrant Black neighborhoods in the United States but suffered severe damage from 1950s urban renewal that demolished much of its housing stock and commercial corridor. Decades of disinvestment followed. The $50 million Choice Neighborhoods grant represents one of the largest single federal investments in the neighborhood in a generation. It builds on separate public and private efforts to reconnect the Hill District to downtown Pittsburgh.

What It Means for Residents

For Bedford Dwellings residents, the grant provides a legally enforceable right to return after redevelopment, along with case management, workforce development, health services, and educational programming tied to the Choice Neighborhoods model. Supportive services are designed to help residents improve incomes, connect to schools, and build long-term stability rather than just swapping old apartments for new buildings.

The Broader Picture

Pittsburgh's $50 million award was one of eight Choice Neighborhoods Implementation grants announced in July 2023, joining Atlanta, Birmingham, Lake Charles, Miami, Philadelphia, Tucson, and Wilmington. Collectively, the round is intended to demonstrate that mixed-income redevelopment, paired with robust resident services, can revitalize neighborhoods that have suffered long-term disinvestment.