The Hilltop Housing Market Restoration Strategy
Hilltop Alliance
Economic Equity
Hilltop Alliance comprises community-based organizations from eleven South Pittsburgh neighborhoods that collaborate to preserve and create assets in the Hilltop community through resource coordination. By connecting these organizations and leveraging their efforts, the Alliance acts as a united voice for the Hilltop.
The Hilltop Alliance contracted Fourth Economy Consulting and Maynes Associates Architects, LLC (which merged with Moshier Studio in 2017) to analyze the housing market and develop a market-based housing strategy for Allentown and Beltzhoover. Recent planning efforts identified the need to address vacant property and stabilize residential areas. With these neighborhoods’ housing market suffering from neglect, disinvestment, and vacancy, this study aimed to halt the decline and restore the market. It focused on helping existing homeowners improve their properties and promoting increased homeownership and family occupancy in restored properties.
Our Approach
Our team combined qualitative data—gathered through a windshield survey, community tour, and community meetings examining issues and assets—with market condition analysis. This included examining vacant property, home values, sales data, population trends, and housing characteristics. We identified specific blocks and parcels for Emerging Market Demonstration Areas, where the community could focus and scale reinvestment, and determined the tipping point for stabilizing the housing market. Additionally, we developed a Housing Repair Toolkit to help property owners, community leaders, and potential residents weigh various property improvement options.
The Results
The Hilltop Alliance used market strategy and rehabilitation estimates to fund its property stabilization program. Since 2014, they’ve identified 199 properties, renovated and sold 2, renovated 40 for existing owners, with 51 in progress and 100 receiving maintenance. In 2020, we developed a Housing Strategy and Action Plan with the Alliance and Allentown CDC, using community input to identify properties for stabilization and redevelopment. By early 2025, the Alliance resolved over 3,000 property maintenance code issues and provided home repair resources to over 350 low-to-moderate income (LMI) homeowners.
Location
Pittsburgh, PA