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History

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Since July 2020, RentHelpPGH has assisted more than 8,500 Allegheny County households, more than 23,800 of our neighbors, obtain legal and financial assistance to avoid eviction. We help residents understand the eviction process and access pre- and post-eviction-filing resources to stabilize their households and create an environment in which they can thrive.

Did you know no one in Pennsylvania tracks who is evicted? It’s true. Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services recently launched a groundbreaking interactive database that shows how many evictions are filed and their outcomes—but not the stories behind them. That’s a key reason RentHelpPGH was founded: to create transparent understanding of who is being evicted, why, and what they need to stay safely housed.

 

We’re committed to transforming housing stabilization in Allegheny County through compassionate resource navigation, robust data collection, and a deep understanding of the barriers our clients face. We use that knowledge to help build systems that reflect and respond to the real needs of families in our region.

RentHelpPGH believes in the power, importance, and money-saving efficiency of collaboration with all stakeholders and partners when developing programs. We work closely with other eviction prevention and housing stabilization organizations, government funders and service providers, and rely on the experiences and feedback of both tenants and landlords to inform our programming, processes, and advocacy. 
 

Many of our team members have experienced housing instability, including eviction and homelessness. That lived experience shapes how both our colleagues and our organization show up for the community. That’s why we prioritize paying our staff a true living wage, offering generous paid time off, and striving to provide a full suite of benefits—including health, dental, retirement, flexible and responsive scheduling, and professional development. We believe in caring for the people who care for our neighbors—and ensuring that those working every day to promote housing stability are also able to experience it in their own lives.

You can find RentHelpPGH Resource Navigators in select Magisterial District Courts through the Lawyer of the Day program, supporting landlord-tenant mediations, and assisting hundreds of visitors to the Housing Stabilization Center every month. Additionally, we do outreach to nearly every household in Allegheny County with an eviction filing against them, ensuring that people who might not otherwise know about their court date have the information and support they need to show up and access services. 

Access to services should be universal. Our clients get better access to services and achieve better outcomes through our work and advocacy. To fulfill our mission, RentHelpPGH uses our experience to inform funders and programs, ensuring that our energies are not just creating a better life for our clients, but for thousands of others who do not find us in their pursuit of services.

After three years of fiscal sponsorship by ACTION-Housing, Inc. (thank you!), we received our 501c3 in July 2023. As soon as we receive the reports from our first audit, they will be shared here.