New apartment complex in Uptown to aid homeless

Pittsburgh-based nonprofit Bethlehem Haven on Wednesday broke ground on an Uptown site that will provide affordable housing to the homeless.

Dubbed Uptown Flats, the four-story building will include 34 apartments, various services to support residents and administrative offices for Bethlehem Haven, which offers housing and other support to homeless people.

Annette Fetchko, the nonprofit’s executive director, said the nearly $23 million project will provide stability for its residents.

“By integrating housing with health care and extensive supportive services, this project will improve lives by empowering residents on the path to self-sufficiency,” Fetchko said.

Amenities will include a community room and an outdoor courtyard. The location will offer convenient access to Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s Bus Rapid Transit lines. The new building also will include bike parking and laundry.

Officials on Wednesday officially marked the start of work on the Fifth Avenue site. Four vacant buildings on the property will be demolished before construction of the new facility starts in January.

Bethlehem Haven anticipates the 36,000-square-foot building will be completed in 2026.

Uptown Flats will offer housing for individuals or families making less than 30% of the area median income. That ranges from $21,240 for an individual to just over $40,000 for a family of eight.

Residents won’t pay more than 30% of their income on rent, including utilities.

Four units will be designated for people with mobility problems, and two more will be designed for people with impaired hearing or vision.

“Given the increasing need for affordable and supportive housing in Pittsburgh, this is exactly the type of project we should be building to support residents in a holistic way,” said Lena Andrews, CEO of ACTION-Housing, the city’s largest nonprofit affordable housing developer, which partnered with Bethlehem Haven for the project.

This comes after Bethlehem Haven in March completed a $4.2 million renovation of its existing Fifth Avenue location, which provides supportive housing for 26 women and non-gender conforming individuals.