Rep. Summer Lee Leads Charge to Keep HUD Pittsburgh Office Open
**For Immediate Release**
Rep. Summer Lee Leads Charge to Keep HUD Pittsburgh Office Open
Reports Indicate Proposed Shutdown of Pittsburgh Field Office, 33 Others
Letter Text | Press Conference Video | Photos
WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 20, 2025 — Today, Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12) led members of the Pennsylvania delegation, local elected officials and leaders, and advocates in calling on the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to keep the Pittsburgh Field Office open. At a press conference earlier today, Rep. Lee unveiled a letter she led that outlines strong opposition to proposals to close the field office, including all other offices in 33 states. Reports indicate HUD plans to shut down field offices nationwide.
The Pittsburgh Field Office is essential to ensuring that public housing, community development, and fair housing programs are effectively administered in Pennsylvania. It oversees 34 housing authorities across 29 counties in Western Pennsylvania, including three of the largest housing authorities in the state: the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and Westmoreland County.
“For months, my office has been in close contact with the Pittsburgh Field Office to address life-threatening conditions in federally-assisted properties in PA-12. Countless families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities in my district and beyond rely on HUD to ensure they have safe, healthy, and habitable housing. Closing this office would be nothing short of devastating,” said Congresswoman Summer Lee. “This administration claims to care about working families and people but closing this office, slashing the federal workforce, and maintaining a hiring freeze would be detrimental for tenants and housing authorities alike. Systemic failures require oversight; HUD must keep its field offices open to address them.”
In addition to the Congressional delegation members who signed on to the letter, local leaders expressed opposition to proposals to close the Pittsburgh Field Office.
“I strongly oppose any proposal to close the Pittsburgh Field Office and other regional HUD offices across the country. These offices are vital lifelines for communities, particularly for vulnerable populations like families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities who depend on HUD programs for safe, stable housing. Closing these offices would create a dangerous gap in housing oversight, leaving thousands of residents at risk and allowing negligent landlords to evade accountability. We urge HUD to reverse this decision and recognize the critical role local offices play in ensuring fair housing, revitalizing communities, and protecting the most vulnerable among us,” said Mayor Ed Gainey.
“Our regional HUD office plays a crucial role in administering millions in federal funds that all 130 municipalities in Allegheny County rely on for affordable housing, critical municipal and infrastructure improvements, and business and workforce development programs. Closing the Pittsburgh office would create significant barriers to accessing vital resources, jeopardizing our ability to effectively address housing needs and to invest in the health and safety of our communities. Without direct assistance from the regional office, communities will be without the necessary technical assistance and regulatory guidance to advance projects. We need to be investing in affordable housing and our communities now more than ever, not pulling back,” said County Executive Sara Innamorato.
The letter was signed by Representatives Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Dwight Evans (PA-03), and Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02).
A copy of the letter can be found here. Footage from the press conference can be found here, and photos can be found here.
Congresswoman Summer Lee serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the Committee on Education and the 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.