Strong Neighborhoods Initiative

At the WCDC Strong Neighborhoods Initiative, we work directly with Wilkinsburg residents to increase capacity and encourage participation in improving the community. We do this through technical assistance, direct assistance, neighborhood planning, and more.

The WCDC invited 350 Wilkinsburg stakeholders to participate in a visioning process from June to August 2020. Through this process, high property taxes were identified as a root cause of increasing numbers of people abandoning their properties, families moving from Wilkinsburg, lack of investment and improvement in the business district, and the perception of crime and resistance to change. As a result, the Strong Neighborhoods Committee (later renamed Strong Neighborhoods Initiative) was launched in October 2020 in order to dive deeply into the issues related to property management and viability.

Through virtual meetings, the committee shared available tools and resources and provided a platform for residents to voice concerns, ask questions, and share lessons learned. In May 2021, the monthly committee meetings transitioned into individual neighborhood conversations, and 23 conversations were held across the 19 neighborhoods.

A full report on the WCDC Strong Neighborhoods work around vacant property is available for review. Officially completed in January of 2022, Seeking Solutions: Blight & Vacancy in Wilkinsburg, is a comprehensive report on the status of vacancy across the borough and has become the basis for several new efforts to support Wilkinsburg based on the needs and ideas shared by residents.