This week both the City of Pittsburgh and the state took steps to invest in affordable housing. At the state level that meant five Pittsburgh low-income housing developments were awarded tax credits. On the city’s part, the Urban Redevelopment Authority approved several Housing Opportunity Fund’s initiatives for implementation around the city on Thursday.

Over the past few years, as Pittsburgh has become a more attractive location for redevelopment, in neighborhoods like East Liberty and Lawrenceville older and less affluent residents have found themselves unable to afford the places they’d long called home. 

Parx Casino and Rivers Casino launched their online sports books Thursday, following testing during the week.  
 
Joining PlaySugarHouse.com which launched at the end of May, this brings the total of digital sports betting options in the state to three. Pennsylvania has featured only brick-and-mortar books since the first one opened at Hollywood Park in November 2018. 

After a four-month legal struggle a commonwealth judge ruled on Friday that the consent decree holding the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Highmark together will expire as planned on June 30.

The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority announced it will enter into a new cooperation agreement with the City of Pittsburgh when its current one expires in July. That is, if Pittsburgh City Council signs off. 

Much to the relief of many concerned Pittsburgh residents who expressed their distaste for the possibility of privatization at protests and public hearings, the new agreement holds language mandating that the water authority remains public-owned. According to the announcement’s press release many aspects of the agreement reflect recommendations from the mayor’s Blue Ribbon Panel and requirements handed down from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. 

After much discussion Pittsburgh City Council authorized the acceptance of a $410,000 grant geared at educating citizens on autonomous vehicles by a 7-1 vote on Tuesday.

This comes after council opted to delay the grant’s authorization when environmental, disability rights, and labor union organizers voiced considerable concerns over the possibility of autonomous vehicles in Pittsburgh.