History

In 1957, Mayor David Lawrence and Philanthropist Richard King Mellon, along with other civic leaders, founded ACTION-Housing. The organization was created with the guiding principle that any great city must have not only a vibrant city center, but also strong neighborhoods and good housing for its residents.

Throughout the years, this mission of improving our neighborhoods has taken on many different forms. Most visibly, ACTION-Housing, Inc. has a long-standing history of real estate development designed to serve the community’s most vulnerable populations while addressing emerging community needs. Since 1985, ACTION-Housing has developed or assisted in the development of over 4,500 units of housing, both single- and multifamily. This housing responds to the needs of low-income households of all types: seniors, individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities, the homeless, veterans, and young people who have aged out of the foster care system. Most of these units were created in collaboration with community-based partners, such as local development corporations and supportive service providers.

ACTION-Housing has provided Social Services and Programs since its inception in 1957.

These essential supportive services and programs are designed to improve the vitality and vibrancy of our client’s lives, and in turn their broader communities throughout Western Pennsylvania. We currently provide programs for single-family home weatherization, in-home accessibility, mortgage and foreclosure assistance, youth aging out of the foster care system, and homeless families. More information about all of our programs and services can be found here.

As we look toward the future, we believe that long-term sustainability in affordable housing and related social programming encompasses three dimensions: the economic, the social, and the environmental. The economic dimension addresses the financial costs associated with housing development, which has always presented challenges for the nonprofit developer. The social dimension encompasses the sense of belonging and the feeling of community among our clients. Our goal is to build community, not just buildings. The environmental dimension is concerned with developing and rehabilitating properties using high standards for energy efficiency, water conservation, and indoor health and safety.

With these three dimensions deeply embedded in our program and project design, ACTION-Housing continues the original mission of its founders by improving neighborhoods and creating a region with vibrant communities that value diversity and sustainability.