Sustainable Funding for the Pgh Land Bank Task Force Release Report

Published on December 23, 2025

Task Force Report Finds Pittsburgh Could Eliminate Blight in Five Years with Sustained Land Bank Funding

The report underscores unresolved funding challenges facing the Land Bank after federal support expires at the end of 2026.

Pittsburgh, PA (December 23, 2025)—The Pittsburgh Land Bank’s (PLB) funding source is set to expire at the end of 2026. Councilman Bobby Wilson (District 1) passed a resolution earlier this year establishing the Task Force on Sustainable Funding for the PLB, which released its formal report today to Pittsburgh City Council and the PLB Board of Directors. The report offers a comprehensive roadmap for the PLB to secure long-term, recurring funding to continue its work returning vacant and abandoned properties back to community assets. The report details the PLB’s history, its recent operational progress, its current challenges, and scenarios to address them.

“The Pittsburgh Land Bank is a vital tool to reduce blight and return properties back to the tax rolls,” stated Councilman Bobby Wilson, who also serves as the Board Chair of the PLB. “By the end of this year, the Land Bank will have completed over 100 property sales. We just signed the Three Taxing Body Agreement between the City, the County, and Pittsburgh Public Schools which grants the PLB access to the Sheriff’s Sale.”

“This means more properties sold, more tax revenue for the City, and most importantly, more residents becoming homeowners. With our current budget deficit, investing in the Land Bank is one way to generate more revenue and the recommendations in this report highlight those options.”

Patrick Cornell, Chief Financial Officer for the City of Pittsburgh and member of the Task Force added, “The City’s allocation of American Rescue Plan Act dollars allowed the Pittsburgh Land Bank to meaningfully begin operations. As the federal program winds down, we know this work must continue. I am thankful that this Task Force had the opportunity to explore possible alternate revenue sources and I look forward to seeing how our elected officials and the Board of the Pittsburgh Land Bank respond to our recommendations.”

Recent successes of the PLB include the launch of its competitive disposition process in 2023, which formalized how residents, developers, and community groups acquire property; the execution of the Tri-Party Cooperation Agreement between the City, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the PLB to establish coordinated pathways for property transfers; and the creation of the Pilot Residential Rehab Program, which allows qualified buyers to purchase and rehab Land Bank properties into owner-occupied residences.

Even with these successes, the Land Bank faces a financial challenge with the expiration of ARPA funds in 2026. The report identifies that there are over 11,000 tax-delinquent parcels, over 2,000 condemned and dead-end parcels combined within the City and no clear pathway to address the enormity of the issue. Leaving these properties untouched creates an undue burden on City resources—more emergency demolitions, public safety calls, and lost tax revenue, all leading to declining property values in many neighborhoods.

“Investing in land recycling now will pay major dividends for Pittsburgh’s future,” said Sally Stadelman, Acting Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Land Bank. “By preserving existing housing stock and removing barriers to land access, we can improve quality of life for existing neighbors, strengthen the tax base, save our historic housing stock, and create more pathways to long-term affordability.”

The report identifies a 5-year plan to eradicate the over 13,000 distressed parcels with an annual investment between $32 and $35 million dollars per year, a 5-year total nearly $170 million. With that level of investment, the PLB would be able to restore property values across neighborhoods, generate an average of $20 million annually in sales revenue, and prevent further decline and reduce spending on emergency demolitions. A second, lower-cost scenario identified in the report, focuses on addressing only the 1,525 severely abandoned structures. This would still reduce demolition costs and increase market values in neighborhoods.

One of the report’s key recommendations is for the City to convene cooperative funding agreements with Allegheny County and Pittsburgh Public Schools to create a shared, regional funding framework for the PLB. Drawing on the Tri-COG Land Bank model, proportional cost-sharing among taxing bodies aligns incentives and allows all partners to benefit when properties return to the tax rolls.

"This report caps a productive four months of collaboration and fulfills the Land Bank Task Force's mission, identifying clear pathways to long-term funding for this vital Pittsburgh entity,” remarked Councilperson Erika Strassburger, a member of the Task Force. “One of my goals in designing the proposed Affordable Housing Bonus Program was to generate steady revenues for deeply affordable housing initiatives, including Land Bank support, so I am proud to see AHBP fee-in-lieu proceeds highlighted as one of the funding streams. I commend Councilman Wilson on his leadership in convening this Task Force and his tireless advocacy for the Land Bank."

Councilman Wilson added, “Without funding in 2027, the Land Bank will lose momentum just as it’s

beginning to show results. This report outlines the scope of Pittsburgh’s vacant and distressed property challenge and the level of investment needed for the Land Bank to expand homeownership and stabilize neighborhoods. City Council must be serious about committing to sustained funding and long-term advocacy for the Pittsburgh Land Bank, for the benefit of future generations of Pittsburghers.”

Julianne Hluska
Chief of Staff
Councilman Bobby Wilson
Julianne.hluska@pittsburghpa.gov
412-676-5758