Former tenants of Downtown Pittsburgh's Roosevelt Building can return following fire

Residents displaced by a fire at Downtown Pittsburgh’s Roosevelt Building nearly a year ago can now return to the large apartment building.

A fire struck the 180-unit building in December 2022, leading to nine floors being condemned and hundreds of residents being displaced. The Penn Avenue building had a mix of market-rate apartments and low-income residents living in the building with the help of housing vouchers.

There were 106 people in the building at the time of the fire, according to Pittsburgh police.

Many of the residents, particularly those on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development assistance, had trouble finding replacement housing after the fire. Pittsburgh has long struggled with a shortage of subsidized, affordable housing units.

Kevin Quisenberry, a lawyer for the low-income tenants, said everyone who was on housing assistance at the Roosevelt can now return to the building.

“All former residents of the Roosevelt Building who lived in a HUD-assisted unit at the time of the fire are invited to return to a HUD-assisted unit in the building at this time,” he said, adding that returning residents must still be income-eligible to return to those subsidized units.

Quisenberry said vacancies at the Roosevelt don’t figure to last long. He urged all former residents wishing to return to contact management as soon as possible.

“As we all know, demand for this vital Downtown affordable housing resource will be high,” he said.

On Dec. 12, 2022, a five-alarm fire hit the 12th floor of the Roosevelt, resulting in the death of one woman and critically injuring another person. Two emergency responders also suffered injuries responding to the fire.

Former residents with questions are asked to call the Community Justice Project at 412-434-6002 or Neighborhood Legal Services at 412-255-6700.