If property taxes go up, Hazelwood residents have options

Also: Affordable homes for sale; apply now for Pitt career training program

Can you see your house from here? Clicking the “maps” tab on any property on the Allegheny County Real Estate Portal lets you see an overhead view of the property and surrounding properties labeled with their lot numbers. To find your property’s current assessed value, visit the Allegheny County Real Estate Portal at realestate.alleghenycounty.us. Screenshot of a map from the Allegheny County Real Estate Portal

By Managing Editor Juliet Martinez

The Dec. 9 Greater Hazelwood community meeting offered residents and visitors the chance to learn about new affordable homes for sale. They heard about a workforce program to help young people enter science careers. They also discussed how possible tax changes might affect them.

Proposed tax hike

District 5 City Councilor Barb Warwick proposed a 30% property tax increase on Dec. 8. She spoke at the meeting the next day about why she sees it as necessary.

The city is in dire financial straits, Ms. Warwick said. The budget is about $20 million short of what the city owes for overtime and utilities. Pittsburgh’s snowplows, ambulances, garbage trucks and police cruisers are aging and underfunded. And the city may have to repay some or all of the roughly $79 million it has received from the “jock tax.” The state Supreme Court found it unconstitutional in September.

Ms. Warwick said the city is not bringing in enough money. Trying to trim the budget will mean cutting services.

“We don’t want ambulances breaking down on the way to the hospital. We don’t want our rec centers to be closed. We want all of our pools and spray parks to be open in the summer, and that means they have to be staffed,” she said.

If the 30% tax hike is approved, it would bring roughly $41 million into city coffers.

If the county says a home is worth $100,000, the current property tax on that home is close to $800. If the proposed increase passes City Council, it would add about $240 per year to that home’s tax bill.

By law, any tax increases have to be “revenue neutral.” This means they have to meet the city’s needs without bringing in a surplus of funds. Ms. Warwick said if the tax increase passes and brings in more money than Pittsburgh needs for a balanced budget, the city would have to lower it. (Editor’s note: On Dec. 21, Pittsburgh City Council approved a 20% property tax increase.)

Tax reassessment

Hazelwood Initiative Inc. Executive Director Sonya Tilghman spoke about the possibility of tax reassessment. Properties in Allegheny County could soon be reassessed for the first time since 2012. This will not happen before tax payments are due in 2026, but is likely to happen before 2027. Ms. Tilghman is raising funds to hire a staff member to help Hazelwood homeowners if/when their property taxes increase. Most cities and counties reassess property values on a more frequent basis. This makes increases in property taxes more gradual. It also helps revenue keep up with expenses.

To find your property’s current assessed value, visit the Allegheny County Real Estate Portal at realestate.alleghenycounty.us. Enter the number, street name and municipality of your property. Then it will show you the tax information about the property.

On that page, there is a line of tabs at the top of the screen. These can tell you more about the structure and the owner history. You can also see the comparable properties used to determine the tax assessment. By clicking on the “maps” tab, you can see a bird’s-eye view of your neighborhood with the lot numbers of the houses around yours.

The comparable properties and your neighbors’ assessments may be useful in appealing your home’s assessment if it goes up. Ms. Tilghman said she hopes to hire someone who can help residents with appeals. This person could also guide them toward programs to help them keep their property taxes down.

One of the programs is the Homestead Exclusion. The Homestead Exclusion in Allegheny County offers a lower assessment for a homeowner’s primary home. That means the owner lives in the home. It could be a single-family home, rectory, or attached to a business that the owner runs.

Learn more about the Homeowner’s Exclusion at tinyurl.com/homeowners-exclusion-Allegheny.

The Property Tax and Rent Rebate program also can offset the cost of housing for elderly or disabled homeowners and renters. The rebate amount depends on the applicant’s income. The lowest-income applicants in Pittsburgh can receive up to $1,500. Visit tinyurl.com/property-tax-rent-rebate-PA to learn more.

Hazelwood Initiative Inc. will open applications for its Neighborhood Investment Fund grant in January. Grants from this program can help pay property taxes. Ms. Tilghman said few past recipients have used it for that. See the ad on this page for details.

Pitt career training

Hazelwood resident Heidi Ward of the University of Pittsburgh Office of Engagement spoke about a new job training program.

The Life Sciences Bridge Program is for Greater Hazelwood young adults between 18 and 24 years old who do not plan to go to college. The paid program will offer 50 hours of skill-building work experience in the 15207 ZIP code. They will learn about possible careers. They will also get support around job-related challenges. These could be child care, transportation, housing and clothing.

The life sciences, Ms. Ward explained, are fields of study that relate to living things, medicine and health. Those include biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics, clinical research and agricultural innovation.

Hazelwood resident and workforce development entrepreneur Danielle Davis designed the course. Her company, Davis Consulting Solutions, will run the course and pay the stipend to participants. The first session will start in February and end in April. The second session will go from August to October. Apply online at cec.pitt.edu/greaterhazelwood/life-sciences-bridge-program.

The program is funded by a grant from the Heinz Endowments. Learn more on Page 10.

Affordable homeownership

Hazelwood Initiative Director of Real Estate Nancy Noszka announced that two renovated, affordable homes in Hazelwood will be for sale in January. The homes at 312 and 316 Renova St. each have two bedrooms, one bathroom and a yard. See the ad on the facing page for more information.

The nonprofit has five more affordable homeownership renovation projects in the works for 2026.

Moderate- and low-income homebuyers interested in these properties should contact Ms. Noszka. Email nnoszka@hazelwoodinitiative.org or call 412-421-7234, extension 407.