Through an inclusive, community-centered approach, NCRC member Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group (PCRG) is working to revitalize Allegheny County’s single family housing market and put homeownership back in the hands of families through their policy advocacy and financial education efforts.
PCRG began in 1988 as a coalition of local nonprofits dedicated to addressing racially discriminatory practices in Pittsburgh’s housing market. Since then, PCRG has blossomed into a holistic community reinvestment entity that has generated over $9 billion dollars for Pittsburgh’s underserved neighborhoods.
Ernie Hogan, Executive Director of PCRG, started his relationship with the group as a volunteer over 30 years ago. He says his 14 years working with PCRG taught him that investments must come with education for it to be sustainable.
“We have to educate the communities and residents most impacted so that they can learn how to navigate the systems and open doors of opportunity [for themselves],” said Hogan. “At the same time, helping to protect those communities through policy and transparency [is important].”
This mindset continues to guide PCRG as America faces a single family housing crisis, with corporate homeownership limiting options and hiking prices. NCRC research finds that cash purchases of single family homes by investors looking to enter the rental market are contributing to a five-year low of the homeownership rate.
“I think we’re starting to see how to work hand in hand with our local government for down payment programs and how to build local resources, like the housing opportunity fund in Pittsburgh. We’re really working to make affordability permanent for people navigating the housing landscape,” said Hogan.
One of PCRG’s flagship offerings is the Reimagining Communities Initiative (RCI), launched in 2011. The program works to create economic avenues for residents in gentrified neighborhoods by offering financial literacy, homeownership and foreclosure counseling services. Through RCI, PCRG has helped restore more than 400 properties and provided counseling services to hundreds of Pittsburgh residents, empowering them to achieve economic stability and actively participate in their community’s development.
PCRG is also a key player in facilitating partnerships between community organizations, financial institutions and local governments. These collaborations helped create special mortgage programs and home improvement loan programs and policies that protect Pittsburgh’s residents from predatory lending practices, significantly increasing access to credit for low-income communities.
Hogan says PCRG’s policy advocacy efforts are a particular point of pride for him. The reinvestment group has tackled a range of community issues, including loan accessibility, investment in transit infrastructure and improving housing court processes. By bringing the community’s voice into the economic development process occurring in urban neighborhoods, PCRG creates an informed approach to community revitalization.
Looking ahead, Hogan says he’s excited to continue to empower Pittsburgh’s next generation of home and small business owners through financial literacy and economic development to ensure long term community prosperity.
“We’re really proud of our PCRG board for their vision and foresight and I’m very blessed to work for such an enlightened and supportive group that can forget us as they move on, which is a great legacy,” said Hogan.
Maya McKenzie is a Contributing Writer.
Photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group.
