Why Pittsburgh Has 20K Vacant Homes AND a Housing Shortage

Pittsburgh lost more than half its population since peaking in the 1950s, and our city has more than 20,000 vacant homes. How do we also have a housing crisis? Public Source's Charlie Wolfson joins host Megan Harris to explain why so many houses are sitting empty, what (if anything) the city can do about it, and why our neighbors in Cleveland are doing a much better job turning abandoned houses into affordable homes. Notes and references from today’s show: How does Pittsburgh have 20,000 vacant homes — and a housing shortage? (Public Source) Where does Cleveland clobber Pittsburgh? Its land bank. (Public Source) 'A really steep lift': Pittsburghers in their 20s and 30s find home ownership less and less attainable (Public Source) Learn more about the sponsor of this Monday, July 6th episode: Woodward Summer Camps **This episode originally published on January 26, 2026.  Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm. Want more Pittsburgh news?  Sign up for our daily morning newsletter. We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh. Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.