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County and city officials say 505‑by‑500 housing push on track; vouchers and housing authority cooperation cited
Summary
Officials reported progress toward a goal of housing 500 people in 500 days through prioritizing existing affordable units, new acquisitions and rapid voucher issuance; city housing authority averaging a 12‑day voucher process was credited for accelerating placements.
PITTSBURGH — City and county officials described progress on a coordinated housing push — often referenced as “505” or a 500‑by‑500 goal — that prioritizes vouchers and a mix of existing and newly created affordable units to move people from shelter into permanent housing.
Camila Darkon, assistant director for the Office of Community Health and Safety, said the initiative pairs housing prioritization with intensive case management. “I've got 203 units on this slide with 369 folks housed,” Darkon said, describing units that include family units and multi‑person households; officials said the program expects to reach the 500 goal by the third week in October when the initiative reaches 500 days.
Officials credited fast voucher processing by the City Housing Authority, which they said averaged about 12 days to issue vouchers in these placements, and cooperation to “port” vouchers to county placements when needed. The initiative uses a mix of unit types: existing affordable units prioritized for this population, bridge housing that moves to permanent units, acquisitions and private developers who reserved some units for placements.
Why it matters: Officials said the approach reduces shelter length of stay and addresses urgent affordability pressure that has increased demand for shelter for populations including seniors and households experiencing short‑term crises. The county reported over 1,700 people housed through various programs last year, and staff said rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing remain active pathways for people with different needs.
(Ending) Officials asked council members to support outreach to landlords and property managers willing to accept vouchers and to forward potential building leads for acquisition or conversion to DHS staff.
