URA Announces Free Housing Legal Services for City of Pittsburgh Renters and Homeowners

PITTSBURGH, PA (May 10, 2021) The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) announced today that the Housing Opportunity Fund’s (HOF) Legal Assistance Program (LAP) is officially up and running just in time to meet the legal needs of City residents as the national eviction moratorium is set to expire in June 2021. The $1 million program is expected to serve over 1,300 households.   

LAP is the first legal assistance program in the City of Pittsburgh to offer a slate of five different free legal services to income-qualifying households. The services include:   

Tenant Services  

• Mediation: Third party trained mediators facilitate a resolution between landlord and tenant issues.  
   
• Limited Legal Consultation: Attorneys provide limited and brief legal advice related to tenant issues and provide information on options, rights and responsibilities.  
  
  
• Full Legal Representation: Attorneys provide representation through court proceedings to help prevent evictions and stabilize housing.   
  
  

Homeowner Services  

• Tangled Title: Legal assistance to help transfer the home’s record title to the current occupant.  
  
  
• Foreclosure Prevention: Assistance to help prevent foreclosure by helping to explore options such as repayment plans, forbearance and deferrals, mortgage modifications, refinancing and/or bankruptcy.