County Council Poised to Vote on Emergency Housing Legislation
Published on October 15, 2026
PITTSBURGH – On Tuesday, October 20, Allegheny County Council will vote on a critical update to Article VI of the County Public Health Code to improve the County's ability to address the health and safety of tenants in rental housing. This update clarifies and strengthens existing powers for the County to hold negligent landlords accountable when emergency situations require temporary relocation of tenants. The Ordinance was voted out of the County Council Committee on Health unanimously on October 8th.
County Executive Sara Innamorato said, “Over the past two years Allegheny County has had to work in multiple instances to rehouse tenants when their housing became unsafe for them to continue living. These necessary interventions to protect the health and safety of our neighbors resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in costs borne by Allegheny County taxpayers. I’m thrilled we are advancing a bill that holds landlords accountable and protects residents from unsafe housing conditions. In particular, I would like to thank Council President Naccarati-Chapkis for her leadership on this critical issue.”
"Every resident deserves a safe place to call home, and when a rental property becomes unsafe, the health of the people living there has to come first,” said Dr. Iulia Vann, Director, Allegheny County Health Department. “Article VI gives us a clear, enforceable framework to act quickly when tenants must be temporarily relocated, so families are protected right away. Strong public health protections and landlord accountability work hand in hand to keep our neighbors safe. "
Under this update to Article VI, which was initially passed by the Allegheny County Board of Health on July 15, 2026. Allegheny County now has a clear mechanism to hold landlords financially accountable for these costs.
“This amendment shows why critical health and safety issues sometimes require a policy change. I saw firsthand how essential this revision to Article VI was after the fire at Midtown Plaza Apartments, when residents went without heat for several weeks and needed repairs lagged. Multiple county departments worked together to assist the residents and hold the building owner accountable for the resulting code violations,” said Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, President of County Council and Chair of the Housing Advisory Committee of the Allegheny County Board of Health. “Safe and healthy housing is a fundamental right for all. I also thank my colleagues on the Housing Advisory Committee for their feedback on this amendment.”
In the past two years, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) has helped relocate at least 50 residents during housing emergencies. During the periods when their rental apartments or houses were uninhabitable, the Department of Human Services temporarily helped house local residents in hotel rooms. Since 2025, DHS has spent more than $21,000 on 24 hotel rooms for 50 people who were temporarily displaced.
"Relocating tenants who need to be moved because of safety issues is a responsibility we take seriously, but the funds required could be better used on other critical initiatives,” said Alex Jutca, Director of the Department of Human Services. “Holding landlords accountable for these costs is a commonsense way to make sure we are able to use resources most effectively while still providing shelter for people who find themselves stranded through a property owner's negligence."
This update to Article VI is a direct outgrowth of County Executive Innamorato’s HOUSING For All Executive Order from February 5, 2026. In that Executive Order, the County Executive ordered the creation of an Emergency Housing Strike team, comprised of representatives from all County Departments that touch this critical issue, including Emergency Services, the Health Department, Human Services, and the Law Department. That team was directed to advance legislative updates such as this to ensure that problem landlords are identified and held accountable when the public must ask to protect the health and safety of tenants.
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