Rep. Summer Lee Joins County Executive Innamorato to Celebrate Day 500 of “500 in 500” Affordable Housing Initiative

Photos (Dropbox)

PITTSBURGH, PA – OCTOBER 21, 2025 — Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12) joined County Executive Sara Innamorato in celebrating the 500th day of the 500 in 500 initiative and announced the overwhelming success of the project. Launched in June 2024, 500 in 500 was a bold and urgent initiative to identify 500 units of affordable housing to move people from homelessness to housed within 500 days. Congresswoman Lee secured $3 million in the Appropriations Bill in support of this project, however it is now under threat because Republicans shut down the government and refuse to pass a budget that invests in our communities.

October 18 marked day 500 of the initiative, and to date, 622 people have been housed, and 568 units have been identified. Another 83 people are in the process of moving into housing now. Of the 568 identified units, 387 are occupied, 37 are in the process of being moved into and 12 are in the process of being matched with a tenant, 28 units are acquired and pledged to the program, 82 are under construction and 22 are financed and are moving towards construction. Additionally, 97 percent of people who received housing through 500 in 500 have remained in a lease and not returned to homelessness.

"Five hundred homes in five hundred days means more of our neighbors now have a safe place to sleep, raise their kids, and plan for their future. Our budgets are a reflection of our values, and today, Allegheny County is proving that we value people and their wellbeing. That is a testament to the County Executive and every partner who refused to accept homelessness as inevitable,” said Congresswoman Lee. “This should be our standard, and it’s why I will continue working to bring resources back home. Every single person in PA-12 and across the country deserves a safe, stable place to live."

“It is remarkable that just 500 days ago we set out with a bold, urgent mission – to identify 500 units of housing for our homeless neighbors. With meaningful partnerships, and shared vision and values, I am delighted to announce that we reached our goals. Six hundred and twenty-two people have received housing through this program, including over 100 families, and we have identified more than 550 units of housing,” said County Executive Sara Innamorato. “Just because we are at day 500 the work will not stop. Helping our neighbors get back on their feet remains an urgent problem, but I am thrilled we have new pathways and processes to more quickly help people move from shelters to homes.”

There were several interventions that allowed 500 in 500 to meet its goals:

• The county invested in repairing vacant public housing units to make them move-in ready for people coming out of shelter.
• Human Services created new relationships with the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Housing Authority, as well as developers to promise people trying to exit shelter a “first look” of open apartments.
• Multiple parties agreed to make vouchers portable across municipal lines so people could find an apartment that worked for them.
• And Human Services supported landlords and tenants so both parties had someone helping them to ensure placements were successful.

During the last 500 days, Allegheny County and partners have also worked to increase shelter capacity and humanely decommission encampments, ensuring anyone staying outside was given a credible offer of housing. Subsequently, the number of tents have been reduced from a peak of more than 150 tents in the summer of 2024 to just a handful today downtown and on adjacent river trails.

The following partners, developers, landlords, and funders joined Allegheny County in making 500 in 500 a success:  

• City of Pittsburgh
• Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh
• Allegheny County Housing Authority
• ACTION Housing
• Baltic Steel Management
• Brandywine Communities
• Clairton Community Property
• Glenshaw Gardens
• Hullett Properties
• MS Capital Group Pittsburgh LLC
• NDC Asset Management
• Rising Tide Partners
• Buhl Foundation
• Eden Hall Foundation
• The Heinz Endowments
• Henry L. Hillman Foundation
• Richard King Mellon Foundation
• Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh

“We know that people who are unhoused want a home—not just shelter. But for too long, a lack of available housing meant there was no clear path out of temporary shelters. That was a real obstacle. 500 in 500 changed that,” said Mayor Ed Gainey.“Now, we can say with confidence: a top bunk in a congregate room isn’t where someone has to stay, it’s just the first step on their journey home. We’re deeply grateful to our team in the Office of Community Health and Safety, in particular the Reaching Out On The Street team, and to the many community advocates who worked tirelessly to help unsheltered neighbors come inside. Thank you to Public Works staff who upheld people’s dignity during difficult times and who continue to restore our parks and trails as more people transition into housing. And a special thanks to the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) and to the Urban Redevelopment Agency (URA) for their critical work in supporting this endeavor. Together, we are making lasting change and bringing our neighbors home."

“The 500 in 500 initiative is a clear example of how when we set a specific, pressing goal, and bring the right partners to the table, government can solve some of the hardest problems we are facing,” said Allegheny County Department of Human Services Director Erin Dalton.  “This initiative showed that even modest changes to shift the affordable housing system to help people experiencing homelessness can have an impact.  If we continue to leverage public investments in housing, setting aside 10 percent for this population, we’ll have the units we need to support our unhoused neighbors."

“Pittsburgh’s riverfronts are for everyone, and 500 in 500 has helped ensure that our trails and parks feel more open, safe, and inclusive,” said Matt Galluzzo, president and CEO of Riverlife. "Allegheny County’s data-driven and human-centered approach has demonstrated what’s possible when we tackle challenges--even colossal ones--in a thoughtful and dignified way."

Photos from the event can be found here.

Congresswoman Summer Lee serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Education and Workforce. Since taking office in January 2023, she has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2.4 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs. Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 3,000 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.