Housing Acquisition, Repair & Preservation (HARP) Program

The HARP Program is a direct result of the 2021 Strong Neighborhoods Planning process. As a result of extensive community input, the WCDC is committed to supporting residents of Wilkinsburg around vacant property, stabilization, and preservation needs. Since 2022, we have worked with dozens of residents in their application to acquire vacant properties for rehab or to expand their property by adding a sideyard, nearly 40 homeowners to improve their properties through stabilizing repairs, as well as partnering with a local attorney to draft wills and correctly record deeds in order to preserve home-ownership and plan for the future of their property. This is all thanks to two previous awards of funding from PA Housing Finance Agency (PHFA). Currently, we are awaiting news of newest funding request to continue the program.

We anticipate having additional information in the fall of 2025 for work to be done in the 2026 season. For those who are interested in this program, please submit your contact information in our link below and we will inform you as soon as we have updates. Please note this is not a guarantee that funding will be available or awarded to all who are interested as there will be an application process when a new round of the program launches.

HARP Interest Form

For more questions, please email evaine@wilkinsburgcdc.org with “HARP” in the subject line.

Looking to acquire vacant property?

If you are interested in acquiring a blighted and vacant property in Wilkinsburg we can advise you on the options available. For eligible VPRP applications, the WCDC may be able to contribute to the acquisition costs. Please note that many avenues for acquiring vacant property may take up to 18 months.

Have you made plans for your property?

One of the biggest contributors to blight and vacancy is the lack of long-term planning for property after an owner passes away, making it difficult for someone in the future to take over and take care of the property over time. As a result, the WCDC is partnering with local attorneys, Kalmeyer & Kalmeyer, to provide residents with free estate planning.