Pa. county gets $350K grant to help with housing for the formerly incarcerated

The grant money will also go to evidence-based initiatives to help reduce recidivism in county jails, Allegheny County officials said

By Steve Bohnel
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Allegheny County has received roughly $350,000 in grant funds to help with programs to link those who have been in jail and prison to housing and other support networks, county Executive Sara Innamorato announced Thursday.

The funding, which comes from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Urban Institute, will go to the county’s Department of Human Services and its partners. It will be used “to develop and implement a housing investment action plan focused on the needs of individuals with criminal legal system-involvement,” according to a county news release.

County officials and partners will have nine months to plan and then 18 months to implement programs for the funding, ending in late summer 2026. Officials will also get the chance to apply for $2.5 to $5 million in a “program-related investment from the MacArthur Foundation, a low-interest loan that can applied to related housing investments.”

Community Care and Resistance in Pittsburgh, one of the project partners, will help in the efforts. Muhammad Ali Nasir, known as “MAN-E,” leads that organization and will be directly involved, the released stated.

“Our commitment to this cause stems from our understanding of the profound impact of stable housing on those seeking to reintegrate into society,” said Mr. Nasir, who is also a citizen member of the jail oversight board. “Without the stability and security that comes with a place to call home, individuals released from incarceration face significantly higher risks of recidivism, unemployment, and further marginalization.”

The grant money will also go to evidence-based initiatives to help reduce recidivism in county jails, county officials said. The Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania Criminal Division and other criminal legal system partners and affording housing and affordable housing funding partners also will be involved.

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