Nonprofit Housing Developer — Allegheny County, PA
Opossum Builds develops new, safe, energy-efficient affordable housing across Allegheny County. New construction and thoughtful rehab. Single-family homes, small multifamily, and large apartment communities. Built by engineers, shaped by community.
We believe every family in Allegheny County deserves a safe, well-built place to call home — and that community-focused nonprofits, not the market alone, can make that possible.
What We Build
From new single-family houses to rehabbed apartment buildings, we meet communities where the need is greatest. Every project is designed for long-term safety, energy efficiency, and dignity.
We develop 3-bedroom, single-story, slab-on-grade homes designed for accessibility, efficiency, and 50-year durability. Built from the ground up on vacant or donated lots in Allegheny County municipalities, these homes are priced for households earning 40–80% AMI — made possible through HOME, PHARE, and other public financing.
Pittsburgh's older housing stock is full of character — and often full of deferred maintenance. We acquire, remediate, and fully rehabilitate vacant or distressed single-family homes, bringing them up to current energy and safety standards while preserving what makes a neighborhood feel like home.
Small multifamily housing — duplexes, triplexes, and small apartment buildings — is one of the most efficient ways to add affordable units to established neighborhoods without disrupting their character. We develop and rehab 2–8 unit buildings as rentals, using a mix of public and private financing to keep rents genuinely affordable.
For communities with the greatest density of housing need, we pursue larger affordable apartment projects — both ground-up development and substantial rehabilitation of existing buildings. These projects typically involve LIHTC (Low Income Housing Tax Credits), PHFA financing, and strong municipal partnership. We approach these as long-term community assets, not one-time transactions.
Our Process
We don't pick sites on a spreadsheet and impose housing on neighborhoods. Every Opossum Builds project starts with a conversation and ends with a building that belongs.
We partner with municipal officials, neighborhood organizations, and residents to understand where housing is most needed, what type fits, and what the community wants to see built. We come with technical expertise; they come with knowledge we don't have.
We work with land banks, municipalities, private owners, and donation pipelines to identify sites. In parallel, we build a funding stack — HOME, PHARE, LIHTC, CDBG, foundations, and CDFIs — before a shovel breaks ground. No project starts until the financing is real.
Our engineering team leads design with durability, efficiency, and accessibility as non-negotiables. We value-engineer ruthlessly — not to cut corners, but to do more with what we have. Every material decision is weighed against a 50-year horizon.
We manage construction directly, with our own team on-site. After delivery, we remain connected to residents, municipal partners, and funders — publishing our results, costs, and lessons learned so the community can hold us to our word.
Inner-ring Pittsburgh neighborhoods — where we work
Rehab projects preserve neighborhood character
Why Nonprofit
A for-profit developer's job is to maximize returns. That's not a criticism — it's just a different mission. Ours is to produce the most housing at the lowest cost for the families that need it most. Our nonprofit structure makes that possible in four concrete ways:
Access to public funding
HOME, PHARE, CDBG, LIHTC, and most grant programs require or strongly prefer a nonprofit sponsor. Our 501(c)(3) status opens doors that for-profit developers can't enter.
No sales tax on construction materials
As a PA "purely public charity," our contractors can purchase building materials exempt from PA sales tax — a direct cost reduction that goes back into the project, not overhead.
Foundation and philanthropic capital
Foundations, CDFIs, and individual donors can contribute to our projects with tax benefits. This unlocks a layer of financing that purely market-rate developers simply cannot access.
Municipal trust and partnership
Municipalities are more willing to offer land, fee waivers, and cooperation to mission-driven nonprofits. Affordable housing is a community goal — our structure signals we share it.
Program types — new build and rehab
AMI range — working families
Max HOME subsidy per 3BR unit
Design horizon for every project
Our Values
These aren't aspirations. They're the constraints every decision gets measured against.
Every unit we build or rehab meets current code — not 1970s code. Lead, asbestos, structural deficiency, and weatherization are not "deferred maintenance" to us. They are the first line items.
Energy-efficient construction reduces utility bills for residents — often the biggest uncontrolled cost in a low-income household. We build tight envelopes and efficient systems as standard, not upgrades.
We are engineers. We cost-estimate, value-engineer, and verify. We do not overbuild or underbuild. Every specification is weighed against a 50-year performance horizon, not just a construction budget.
We build where we're invited and wanted. Municipalities and neighborhoods are co-creators of every project — not audiences for a development announcement. Speed is not our metric. Belonging is.
Public funds flow through our projects. We publish our actual costs, our lessons learned, and our outcomes. The community has every right to know how we performed — and we embrace that accountability.
Single-story, accessible design isn't a niche add-on — it's how homes should be built. Every new-construction unit we develop is accessible to residents regardless of age or mobility.
We're in formation — identifying our first sites, assembling our board, and building partnerships across Allegheny County. Whether you're looking for affordable housing, want to support the mission, or can bring land, funding, or expertise, we want to hear from you.
Prospective Residents
Income-qualified households at 40–80% AMI in Allegheny County. Join our interest list for upcoming projects.
Funders & Partners
Foundations, CDFIs, banks, county programs, and municipal partners are essential to how we finance every project.
Land & Property Owners
Have a vacant lot, distressed property, or building in Allegheny County? Let's talk about donation, acquisition, or partnership.
Board Candidates
We're recruiting board members with backgrounds in community development, law, finance, and affordable housing.