Exec. Innamorato Announces Health Dept. Will Clean Up Health Hazards
Published on February 17, 2026
Updated housing code allows Health Department to intervene when safety issues threaten entire communities
PITTSBURGH – Building on the momentum of County Executive Innamorato’s “HOUSING For All” Executive Order which was signed on February 5, the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) has announced updated housing code to better serve neighborhoods when blighted houses are causing a public health hazard.
“HOUSING for All is about building an Allegheny County where every resident has access to a safe place to call home,” said County Executive Sara Innamorato. “These efforts from the Health Department embody that value and help protect our communities from widespread health risks. I applaud this much needed update to our housing code and the Housing Advisory Committee for their contributions. I am pleased that ACHD is taking a more proactive approach to managing the community health risks that come with blighted and abandoned properties.”
An update to Article VI of the Housing Code allows the health department to hire third-party contractors to remove nuisances like large-scale mosquito breeding sites, overgrown grass, trash piles, or rodent infestations which create widespread health risks for surrounding residents and visitors. Prior to the update, ACHD was only able to send citations and fines to the homeowners. Now they can act to clean the area.
“This update strengthens our ability to respond when one neglected property is harming an entire neighborhood,” said Tim Murphy, Manager of the Housing and Community Environment Program. “It’s about fairness, accountability, and public health.”
The cost of the work will be recovered by placing liens on the properties. The goal is to stop ongoing hazards that can contribute to the spread of disease, worsen environmental conditions, and negatively impact quality of life across a community.
“This process is designed for exceptional situations - when a serious health hazard has been allowed to persist despite repeated orders and enforcement,” Murphy added. “It gives us a way to protect entire neighborhoods when public health is clearly at risk.”
The nuisance abatement update which went into effect on December 22nd, 2025 represents the third revision to Article VI in recent years and was developed with significant input from ACHD’s Housing Advisory Committee.
“The Department is grateful for the time and expertise of our Housing Advisory Committee,” Murphy said. “Their work was instrumental in shaping this addition to Article VI.”
Residents can report a property creating a public health hazard by calling ACHD’s Housing and Community Environment Program at 412-350-4046 or submitting a request online at callcenter.alleghenycounty.us.
Media inquiries may be directed to Ronnie Das,
Public Information Officer for the Health Department,
at ronnie.das@alleghenycounty.us or by phone at 412-578-7991.