Community Transformation: A Neighborhood-by-Neighborhood Look at Recent Home Repairs

We’re excited to share the progress happening across our communities! From crucial structural fixes to vital energy upgrades, we have been hard at work making homes safer, more efficient, and more beautiful.

Funding for these projects was provided by a variety of programs including:

💲Energize Pittsburgh
💲HEART emergency repair program
💲Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB)
💲Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED)
💲Urban Redevelopment Authority Lower Hill Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance program (URA LERTA)
💲Corporate Sponsors and Volunteers from Brentwood Bank and FedEx.

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Here is a breakdown of the recently completed home repairs, categorized by project type and grouped by neighborhood.

 

Beltzhoover: 1 Home

• HVAC & Electrical: Installed a new heat pump with updated piping, a thermostat, and a ceiling fan
• Windows: Replaced a damaged window

Chartiers: 1 Home

• HVAC & Plumbing: Upgraded a home with a heat pump, a water heater, and a sump pump to address a sewer lateral issue.

• Interior & Finishes: Completed extensive interior work, including patching and painting the basement hallway, scraping and painting the bedroom ceiling, replacing drywall in the sunroom and living room, sorting and decluttering, removing chipped living room tile, and installing new plank flooring with trim in the kitchen and bathroom. Also installed a new bathroom shower rod and curtain.

• Exterior & Structural: Volunteers scraped and painted the front porch, power-washed the front porch awning, and installed two handrails on split-level landings for safety.

Clairton: 4 Homes

• Plumbing & Bathroom: Remodeled bathrooms, which included multiple tub-to-shower conversions, bathroom floor repairs, and subfloor replacements.

• Roofing & Exterior: Protected homes from the elements with full roof replacements, roof repairs, new vinyl siding, and repairs to soffits and fascia.

•  Interior & Finishes: Repaired basement leaks and updated interior flooring and walls. Kitchens also received needed repairs.

• Windows & Accessibility: Replaced windows (including one project with 7 new windows) and installed a new stairlift for improved accessibility.

Crafton Heights: 1 Home

• Plumbing: Replaced a water heater.

• Exterior & Structural: Built a new retaining wall, fence, and a deck.

• Windows: Installed brand new windows. 

East Hills: 4 Homes

• Electrical: Modernized power systems by upgrading 100 AMP services to new 200 AMP panels, replacing service drops, and installing solar panels. Added smoke/CO detectors and replaced multiple interior and exterior light fixtures, including garage, front driveway, and front porch lights.

• HVAC & Plumbing: Installed a new outdoor heat pump unit with a thermostat, completely renovated a bathroom with new plumbing and fixtures, and inspected and snaked a sewer line.

• Windows & Doors: Improved insulation and security by replacing over 22 windows (including 8 white vinyl double-hung units with proper trimming and caulking) and window wells. Replaced 8 interior/exterior doors, added a storm door, a screen door, and installed a fire-rated basement door and deadbolt.

• Interior & Finishes: Repaired or replaced flooring and baseboards across living rooms, dining rooms, hallways, bathrooms, and kitchens. Installed new kitchen cabinet hardware, a bathroom vanity, a dining room pantry, and dry-locked basement block walls.

• Exterior & Structural: Replaced roofs, gutters, downspouts, and fascia. Repaired exterior walls, painted the back porch, demolished and replaced driveway retaining walls and steps with a French drain, and safely removed three trees.

Hazelwood: 1 Home

• Electrical: Converted two service lines to a single line with a new panel, added new circuits, and installed GFCI outlets.

• Appliances: Modernized homes with a new induction range and a heat pump dryer.

• Windows: Installed a new glass block window.

Hill District: 1 Home

• Accessibility & Structural: Replaced the front stairs and handrail, installed a designated electrical outlet, and fabricated and installed a curved stairlift.

• Doors: Installed a new front storm door.

Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar: 5 Homes

• Electrical & HVAC: Significantly upgraded power capacity with new 150 AMP and 200 AMP electrical panels, new service lines, circuits, and GFCI outlets. Installed new furnaces, outdoor heat pumps with thermostats, and various light fixtures and ceiling fans.

• Plumbing & Bathroom: Replaced hot water heaters (with expansion tanks) and added a main shut-off valve to water meters. Completed large-scale bathroom renovations, including framing walk-in showers with tile surrounds, new fixtures, and subfloor/flooring.

• Interior & Structural: Completed major interior overhauls, such as structural basement reinforcements (new posts and beams), moving and framing a new kitchen layout, and installing new cabinets, countertops, flooring, and appliances (refrigerator, microwave, induction stove). Demolished old paneling and plaster to install, prime, and paint new drywall and vinyl plank flooring.

• Roofing & Exterior: Addressed structural vulnerabilities by replacing roofs, soffits, fascia, gutters, and downspouts. Repaired chimney flashing and caps, replaced missing siding, demolished and poured new concrete walkways and front steps to code, and installed handrails. Further improved exteriors by parging foundations, removing vines/trees, and repairing cracks in front porches.

• Windows & Doors: Installed glass block windows, standard windows, storm doors, and reattached doors.

Manchester: 1 Home

• Roofing & Exterior: Deck removal, re-siding at rear of home

• Electrical: Electrical safety upgrades

Marshall-Shadeland: 2 Homes

• Roofing & Exterior: Completed extensive exterior overhauls including roof repair/replacement, replaced fascia, chimney flashing, chimney caps, vinyl siding, gutters, and downspouts. Also replaced a metal awning and porch railings.

• HVAC & Appliances: Upgraded efficiency by installing an outdoor heat pump unit with a thermostat and a heat pump dryer with a new service line.

• Windows: Replaced 9 windows.

McKeesport: 2 Homes

• Roofing & Exterior: Executed a full roof replacement, resurfaced a porch, installed a porch railing, and poured a concrete walkway with handrails.

• Doors: Improved safety and access by replacing an exterior door, a storm door, and installing a Bilco door.

• Structural: Removed and safely rebuilt unsafe basement steps.

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That’s 23 people living in safer and healthier homes thanks to the support from our funders and volunteers!

At Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh (RTP), we believe that a safe and healthy home is the foundation of a thriving life. But a home is more than just a roof and four walls—it’s the place where families gather to share meals and find security. This year, we are thrilled to celebrate our continued partnership with Giant Eagle, a collaboration that is making a profound difference for homeowners across our community.

A Champion for the Community

Our journey with Giant Eagle reached an incredible milestone in 2025 when they championed our selection for the WQED Community Champions Award. This prestigious recognition highlighted our shared commitment to improving the lives of our neighbors in need.

Beyond the accolades, Giant Eagle showed up in the most direct way possible: through hands-on service. Throughout 2025, their dedicated volunteers traded their storefronts for tool belts, joining us on-site to complete critical home repairs. Their energy and hard work transformed houses into safer, more accessible spaces for the seniors, veterans, and neighbors we serve.

Beyond Repairs: The “Rebuild and Refill” Initiative

As we step into 2026, Giant Eagle is taking their support even further. Recognizing that many of our homeowners face food insecurity alongside housing challenges, they have launched a generous “fill the pantry” initiative.

This winter, Giant Eagle has sponsored dozens of gift cards to ensure our homeowners can stock their shelves with fresh, nutritious food. Even more moving is their commitment to “Rebuild and Refill” full pantry restocks. This initiative recently came full circle at the very home where Giant Eagle volunteers worked to make repairs last year. Not only is that home now safer, but the pantry is full—providing the homeowner with true peace of mind.

Partners that Care

Reflecting on the impact of this collaboration, Giant Eagle Community Relations Specialist, Shannon Lynn had this to say,

“For us at Giant Eagle, teaming up with Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh has just felt really good. It’s given us a chance to show up for neighbors who could use a little extra help in a real, hands on way. Being out in the community, addressing direct needs —it’s the kind of support that feels personal, and RTP makes it easy for us to be part of that. They are so deserving of the Community Champion title.”

Partnerships like this are what make RTP’s mission possible. By combining home repairs with essential grocery support, Giant Eagle is helping us address the “whole home” needs of our neighbors.

When asked about the partnership, RTP’s Operation and Communication Coordinator, Lisa Fitchwell said,

“We were truly thrilled to have Giant Eagle select our organization as the 2025 Community Champions. Receiving this recognition was meaningful on its own, but Giant Eagle went above and beyond to make an even bigger impact. Giant Eagle volunteers went the extra mile with respect and smiles that truly made a positive impact. In addition, they also provided Giant Eagle gift cards as an extra benefit for our served homeowners. Many have reached out to express their gratitude, and the food was needed at a rough time.”

We are incredibly grateful to the entire Giant Eagle team for being true Community Champions. Together, we aren’t just rebuilding houses; we’re restoring hope and nourishing our community.

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To learn more about our 2025 Community Champion recognition, visit WQED’s Community Champions.

When Energize Pittsburgh launched, the goal was simple: help Pittsburgh homeowners lower their utility bills while making their homes safer, healthier, and more resilient. Over the past two years, this pilot program proved that we can tackle climate and housing challenges at the same time to create lasting change for local families.

A Powerful Partnership

Energize Pittsburgh was a collaboration between the City of Pittsburgh, Duquesne Light Company, ACTION-Housing, and Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh. Supported by local and national partners, we focused on neighbors facing the highest energy burdens (the percentage of income spent on utilities), especially those living in older homes that were never built to be efficient.

Rather than just fixing one thing, we took a “whole-home” approach. We paired energy upgrades like insulation and new appliances with critical home repairs. This ensured that investments would last, often fixing leaky roofs or outdated wiring before installing new, energy-saving technology.

By the end of 2025, we completed upgrades in 40 homes across 17 neighborhoods, helping families lower their bills, eliminate electrical hazards, and prepare their homes for future efficiency improvements for a cleaner energy future.

A Whole-Home Approach in Action

The true heart of the program is the homeowners we served. Dainna, a homeowner in East Hills, was navigating rising energy costs while welcoming a new baby and sending a daughter to college.

By combining Energize Pittsburgh with our broader repair programs, we completed nearly $70,000 in improvements at her home. This included a new roof, structural stabilization, and a 5.92 kW solar system. These changes didn’t just lower her bills; they made her home a stable, safe environment for her growing family.

Results Where They Matter Most

Most households we served live on limited incomes, with an average household income of $23,415. For these families, every dollar saved on utilities is a dollar that can go toward food, medicine, or education.

Who We Served

• 33 female heads of household
• 13 veterans
• 8 multi-generational households
• 4 individuals living with disabilities

Program Upgrades

• 19 high-efficiency heat pump systems
• 17 electrical service and panel upgrades
• 31 window replacements to keep heat in and cold out
• 8 heat pump dryers and water heaters installed

On average, we invested $11,310 per home. By layering our funding, we were able to bring in three additional dollars for every program dollar spent, allowing for deeper repairs that improved both safety and efficiency.

Building Local Capacity

We also used this pilot to grow Pittsburgh’s green economy. We worked with seven contractors, including three Minority and Women-Owned Business (MWBE) partners. Several of these professionals completed specialized training in heat pump installation, building the local workforce we need for a more sustainable future.

Looking Ahead

The Energize Pittsburgh pilot showed that reducing energy burden requires more than installing new equipment. Many homes in Pittsburgh are over a century old, and meaningful energy improvements often depend on addressing deferred maintenance first.

By pairing energy upgrades with critical repairs, we helped 40 families stabilize their homes and their budgets. These investments will continue to pay off through lower bills and better comfort for years to come.

We are thrilled to announce that Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh has been selected as this year’s WQED and Giant Eagle Community Champion! This prestigious award recognizes our ongoing commitment to preserving affordable homeownership and revitalizing communities throughout Allegheny County.

WQED produced a video that beautifully captures the heart of our mission. As highlighted in the video, we provide free, critical home repairs for low-income seniors, veterans, and disabled homeowners. Our dedicated volunteers, both skilled and unskilled, are the driving force behind our work, bringing their energy and teamwork to every project. Each year, we are able to make significant repairs to approximately 80+ homes, ensuring our neighbors can continue to live in safety and comfort.

The video also shines a spotlight on our innovative Rehab for Resale
(R4R) program. Through this initiative, we acquire and completely renovate dilapidated properties, transforming them into healthy, modern living spaces. These homes are then sold to first-time homebuyers, providing them with a stable foundation for the future.

We are incredibly grateful to WQED and Giant Eagle for this honor and for helping us share our story. We invite you to watch the video to see the impact of our work firsthand and to learn more about the families we serve.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/9JjWAT9ODlM?si=QofZP8B9Y3VGF2Cc

Social return on investment (SROI) is a metric adapted from the traditional return on investment (ROI). SROI is used to measure social, environmental and economic gains that result from an investment, as opposed to the strictly monetary gains measured by traditional ROI. This new, more inclusive measurement captures a broader set of impacts given that it identifies those impacts beyond simply financial or business ones, putting often intangible concepts into a more tangible form – the dollar.

Rebuilding Together recently collaborated with Ecotone on an SROI impact analysis, building upon previously conducted impact measurement, analysis and stakeholder surveying work, to monetize the overall social value of every dollar invested in Rebuilding Together and its affiliates across the country. The monetization process was done conservatively to avoid risk of overclaiming impact as well as giving consideration to impact that cannot be attributed to Rebuilding Together services.

To derive the SROI ratio, Ecotone combined evidence of impact with the estimated costs and monetized benefits of Rebuilding Together projects. Ecotone then identified the key stakeholder groups to whom those impact benefits accrued and utilized a benefit cost ratio to communicate social value creation.

They determined that each dollar spent in service to our mission can conservatively generate $2.84 worth of social value with the healthcare system and individual homeowners being the largest beneficiaries.

Click here to download the report and learn more.

Donate today to support safe and healthy housing in our community!