Hazelwood Initiative, Inc.

Building a stronger Hazelwood through inclusive community development

Hazelwood Initiative, Inc. (HI) is a growing community-based organization committed to economic and social development of Greater Hazelwood. It was the collapse of the steel industry that caused Hazelwood's decline. The community lost 65% of its population and, currently, 60% of the residents live at or near poverty level. The majority of the housing stock is classified as poor, the median housing value is 25% below the City average, and 20% of the housing units are vacant. Foreclosure rates in 2010 were 1/3 higher than the City as a whole, and 61% of households are headed by single parents.

But Hazelwood is also a place of great potential: a truly diverse neighborhood, proximate to downtown and Oakland, and home to the 178-acre Hazelwood Green brownfield where development has begun after 30 years of dormancy, positioning Hazelwood for an urban renaissance.

Today, HI stands at the brink of transformative community development. HI is working in conjunction with community partners to ensures Hazelwood becomes the first Pittsburgh neighborhood to get it right --- to balance the revitalization equation by welcoming reinvestment without displacing low/mod-income (LMI) families. As an integral focus of our mission to build a stronger Hazelwood through inclusive community development, HI is pursuing an aggressive strategy of "development without displacement," by pursuing an agenda to (1) help 200 existing homeowners stay in their homes, (2) help 100 Hazelwood renters become homeowners, (3) facilitate the development & retention of up to 500 units of permanently affordable rental housing, and (4) spark the revival of the business district -- so that Hazelwood will become the city's most diverse and vibrant neighborhood.

HI is led by a board that reflects the diversity of Greater Hazelwood, with a staff dedicated to engaging the community and implementing a shared vision of equitable development. Guided by the Greater Hazelwood Neighborhood Plan, our development principles, and our mission of "building a stronger Hazelwood through inclusive community development," HI is committed to an approach that avoids displacement and creates opportunities for residents and small businesses to benefit from the neighborhood's future growth.