Education and Outreach

The Strong Neighborhoods Initiative hosts an annual Neighborhoods Resource Fair, gathering Wilkinsburg residents to connect neighbors and community partners. The Resource Fairs provide community members with the chance to network, learn, and find opportunities to improve their homes and neighborhoods. Vendors at past Resource Fairs have included local government organizations, banks, non-profit organizations, contractors, local businesses, and educational partners.

Education sessions offered by the WCDC provide further opportunity for Wilkinsburg residents to learn about issues that concern their properties and neighborhoods. In 2026, a series of free classes informed community members about the importance of estate planning.

 

Click the links below to access additional online resources:

How to Acquire Vacant Property

One of the biggest issues facing Wilkinsburg is vacant property and blight. Nearly 20% – over 1000 parcels – of Wilkinsburg’s houses and commercial buildings are vacant and/or blighted along with another 600 vacant lots. There are several tools and resources for acquiring vacant property. Still, the process can be a bit daunting, but we’re here to help.

 

Acquisition of vacant property happens most commonly in Wilkinsburg through one of the five following methods:

  • Negotiating a fair sale price with the current owner. This is the most direct path to an acquisition of vacant property, if the owner can be found and contacted.
  • Applying through the Vacant Property Recovery Program. This option is only possible if the property is vacant and tax delinquent for at least three years and the prospective buyer can demonstrate the capacity to complete the work. For an easy step by step guide on the process click here.
  • Purchasing at a Sheriff’s Sale. If the property is not already listed for Sheriff’s Sale, there is an option to contract with the delinquent tax collector to have a property taken to sale. Check out our quick guide on the process or a more in-depth guide provided by MBM Collections.
  • Purchasing from the Wilkinsburg Land Bank. The Wilkinsburg Land Bank acquires and stabilizes neglected or abandoned properties, then sells them to new home buyers or local contractors. Check out the WLB website for more information and a list of properties for sale.
  • Petitioning for Conservatorship. Eligible parties can petition a judge to allow them to bring a blighted property into compliance. The process can also create a path to ownership as the conservator invests money into maintaining the property. For more information, see the Conservatorship Handbook from the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania.