After years of absentee ownership and widespread neglect, nearly 100 properties in Pittsburgh's Homewood neighborhood are now in the hands of a non-profit organization.

For two decades, residents in Homewood have lived alongside rows of vacant, blighted properties and homes that not only posed safety hazards but also reinforced negative stereotypes about the community.

"Everybody thinks of Homewood as these properties," said Kendall Pelling, executive director of Rising Tide Partners.

But not anymore. Pelling says Rising Tide Partners, working with the Homewood Collaborative and Pittsburgh, now has full legal ownership of 93 abandoned properties and a plan to renovate them.

The road to ownership took four years of court proceedings with previous owners. With legal hurdles behind them, Pelling says the real work begins stabilizing structures, securing developers and planning for long-term growth.

"A strong neighborhood is one for everybody," Pelling said. "Anywhere from low-income families and their children to teachers to doctors and lawyers. A healthy community has room for everybody."

The goal isn't just housing. It's about restoring dignity.

"How can our kids feel like they are cared about or loved if we can't even care about the environment that they're living in?" said Donta Green, football coach at Pittsburgh Westinghouse Academy 6-12. 

Many in Homewood are cautiously optimistic as they've seen promises before. But residents like Alvin Dean, who has called Homewood home for over 60 years, say they're still holding onto hope.

"I've seen the great parts of it. I've seen the mediocre, ugly parts. And then the true ugliness of it," Dean said. "Now it's time for this community to come back."

Pelling says they aim to lock in developers by this summer, with affordable housing plans already in motion. Full renovations, however, could take several years before the vision is fully realized.

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