Debate between McKees Rocks officials and advocates over the role of public housing in the borough’s future and an impending application deadline for up to $50 million in federal aid was on display during a late January public meeting, spurring last-minute meetings between stakeholders and public housing officials.
At the center of the discussion are differing visions of what should replace the aging Hays Manor, a 138-unit public housing complex built in the 1950s, that is slated for demolition. The Allegheny County Housing Authority [ACHA], which operates Hays Manor, is applying for a Choice Neighborhoods grant – a multi-million dollar U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] infusion aimed at diluting concentrated poverty by introducing market-rate units into rebuilt public housing communities. As of late last week, officials and community representatives were working to hammer out an agreement in time for the Feb. 13 deadline.
Some see the grant as a chance to help revitalize the borough by creating conditions that would attract new businesses and residents. McKees Rocks once boasted a population of 18,000 but has dwindled to less than 6,000 .