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Pittsburgh City Council

The long-running zoning rewrite moves to the finish line.

Written by Amy Whipple

Two years after then-Mayor Ed Gainey submitted bills to Pittsburgh City Council to increase the amount of affordable housing in the city, that legislation is close to enactment.

During the Oct. 21 committee meeting, council voted to move forward with an amended legislative package that covers zoning changes to accessory dwelling units, inclusionary zoning, parking reform and minimum lot size.

“It is now one of the situations where it’s a compromise and no one’s really that happy, but, you know, that’s a good compromise when everybody has had to give up something,” said Council Member Deb Gross of Highland Park.

Of the items in the package, none has garnered more attention over the past two years than affordable housing.

Council voted last year to remove mandatory inclusionary zoning that would have required 10 percent of housing units to be affordable in new or renovated developments of 20 or more homes.

The new version, if approved by council, includes a voluntary program that offers incentives to developers to include affordable housing for low-income residents. Those units would be required to maintain the lower rent for at least 35 years, rather than the initially proposed 20.

Developers that provide affordable units would be able to build their buildings higher than zoning allows.

The bill also makes it easier to build accessory dwelling units, which includes small backyard houses, or basement and attic suites. They would be permitted on any lot that's primarily used for a residence, community center or religious assembly.

Additionally, it removes parking requirements for new development.

“There are hundreds of millions of dollars of new development that have been wasted on housing for cars instead of housing for people,” said Gross.

Council is expected to cast its final vote next week.

Connections to this story

Governments:
Pittsburgh City Council
Public meetings:
City Council · October 20, 2026
Sources:
Ordinance 2025-1545 — amending the Pittsburgh Code, Title Nine, Zoning Code, Article II, Base Zoning District, Chapter 903 Residential Zoning…

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