Pittsburgh council approves ordinance to reduce minimum lot sizes amid housing affordability debate

Pittsburgh City Council on May 6 voted 8-0 to adopt Ordinance 15‑79, an amendment to Title 9 (Zoning) that reduces required minimum lot sizes across specified residential zoning districts.

Advocates and several council members said the change aims to ease barriers to building smaller, denser housing forms such as duplexes and triplexes. John Rhodes, a board member of the City of Bridges Community Land Trust, told the council the change would help make neighborhoods “a more affordable, inclusive, and transit friendly place.” Morgan Shaw, a Shadyside resident, said she supported the ordinance because “every day that we wait, housing gets more expensive and more of our neighbors get displaced.”

Supporters framed the ordinance as one tool within a larger affordability effort. Councilwoman Gross said she supported the bill’s language but argued the change “in isolation will not have the impact” the city needs and urged that it be paired with other reforms such as expanded inclusionary zoning, parking reform, and measures to fund affordable units. Councilman Bobby Wilson, chair of the Land Use and Economic Development Committee and sponsor of the zoning changes, said the ordinance “decreases the cost of housing without costing the city anything.”

The council took public comment before the vote. John Rhodes cited local examples of lost housing in Polish Hill, saying median rent there rose nearly 50% from 2019 to 2022 and that the neighborhood lost more than 10% of its housing units over the last decade. Rhodes also cited the city’s 2022 housing needs assessment and market data showing low multifamily development rates, and he urged council to move on minimum lot size reform as one piece of a broader strategy.

During council discussion, several members reiterated that minimum lot size reform should be implemented alongside other policies and funding to produce affordable units rather than rely solely on market-led redevelopment. After remarks from members, the clerk took a roll call and the ordinance passed final action with eight votes in favor and none opposed.

The ordinance changes the Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances, Title 9 (Zoning), Article 2, chapter 903, to reduce required minimum lot sizes in the districts specified in the bill text. The council did not adopt additional inclusionary zoning or funding measures as part of this ordinance; several members said they will press for related legislation in subsequent committee work.

Council President Lavelle presided over the meeting and announced the final tally. The ordinance will be incorporated into the city code as amended and the city planning department will administer the revised lot-size standards moving forward.