Council committee backs $2 million eviction-prevention agreement with Urban Redevelopment Authority

Pittsburgh City Council standing committees on Feb. 12 recommended approval of an agreement authorizing up to $2 million for eviction-prevention services with the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA).

Patrick Cornell, chief financial officer, told committee members the money comes from the city's Stop the Violence allocation and that Councilwoman Gross previously introduced an ordinance allowing up to 20% of Stop the Violence funds to be used for eviction prevention. "These funds are Stop the Violence funds," Cornell said. "The mayor proposed and city council approved $2,000,000 for that purpose." He added that the URA already has agreements in place and that the URA's chief housing officer is available to answer operational questions.

Council members asked who would administer the program and how the funds would be deployed. Cornell and staff said URA would expand existing eviction-prevention programs and use its agreements to distribute funds; officials did not provide line-item distribution in the committee discussion. A council member said she planned to schedule follow-up meetings with URA to review program operations.

The committee gave Bill 14-62 an affirmative recommendation. The agreement authorizes the mayor and the director of the Office of Management and Budget to enter into agreements with the URA for professional services relating to eviction prevention for tenants at a cost not to exceed $2,000,000 over one year. No additional program details or contract terms were provided during the committee discussion recorded in the transcript.