COVID-19 Resources

Use the following Table of Contents to navigate our COVID-19 Resources page:

1. A Message from the HACP regarding COVID-19

2. What We’re Doing

3. Contact Us

4. Stay Informed

5. Masks and Tests

6. Vaccine Information

7. Resident Voices

8. Resources (including Rent Assistance, Utility Assistance, etc.)

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A message from the HACP regarding COVID-19

(Updated: February 10, 2022)
HACP has instituted a number of operational changes to help ensure the safety of residents, staff and the general public in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the interest of public safety, we are limiting in-person interactions. All regular services and staff are available via phone and email. HACP has also initiated a variety of measures to prevent spread of virus, including daily sanitization procedures of public offices and common spaces in our communities and requiring staff to wear masks in common areas.

Since the onset of the pandemic, we have worked to ensure that our core services are maintained during this period and responding to requests for information as quickly as possible. HACP will continue to process HAP payments, rent increases, move-ins, RFTAs, annual recertification, interim re-certifications and contracts for our landlords.

With more people receiving unemployment benefits and stimulus checks, we understand there are questions about housing eligibility. Individual stimulus checks and the $600 of unemployment benefits from the CARES Act are not counted when determining eligibility. Unemployment benefits received from the State of Pennsylvania are counted. For more information about eligibility, visit our Eligibility Requirements page.

We will also have staff available to address questions and concerns from residents of either HACP public housing or Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) clients. Please continue to read for additional information and contact information.

• For Updates During COVID-19, Resident Information Line: 412-643-2797
• For Emergency Maintenance: 412-456-5226
• For all other concerns, call the HACP Hotline: 412-456-5111
• For Site Management (public housing): LowIncomePublicHousing@hacp.org
• For the HCV/ Section 8 Program: housingchoicevouchers@hacp.org
• For Landlord Concerns: HCVLandlordsupport@hacp.org

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What We’re Doing

COVID-19 is an evolving situation. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) is monitoring the situation and following the guidelines outlined by the Allegheny Health Department, Center for Disease Control, PA Department of Health, as well as working closely with our City Officials.

In the interest of public safety, we are limiting in-person interactions and have made staff available via phone and email. Those able to work remotely are doing so to ensure we can continue to provide service to our residents, clients, and business partners. Appropriate measures have been taken to keep our staff safe while we continue our operations. These include: implementing temperature checks and providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for staff; moving meetings and trainings online; regular cleaning of office space and common areas, and posting public health signage.

To keep our residents safe and healthy, our RSS program has continued to provide service to our communities to the best of their ability, referring people to helpful resources and stabilizing emergency situations. Evictions have been paused excluding those with major public safety concerns.

Food access has been a major concern nationwide, and we have worked with partners like 412 Food Rescue, Pittsburgh Public Schools, the USDA, Citiparks, and food providers to deliver and distribute food to as many residents as possible. Tens of thousands of meals have been delivered to residents each month and we plan to continue those efforts.

The influx of funds from the CARES Act has allowed us to expedite long-standing goals when it comes to the digital divide. We have worked with Pittsburgh Public Schools to provide more than 800 students with laptops and wireless internet so their learning can continue remotely. As the situation continues, we will continue to work with community partners to bridge the digital divide for our residents and meet any other needs they may have.

Additionally, funds from the American Rescue Plan Act have allowed us to keep residents in their homes, prevent evictions, and combat homelessness. To date, we have disbursed over $450,000 in rental assistance and eviction prevention, and helped dozens of families find emergency housing. You can learn more about our efforts to help residents come current at hacp.org/come-current. You can learn more about our Emergency Housing Voucher program at hacp.org/emergency-housing-vouchers.

To minimize service disruptions to our business partners, we will continue to process operations like rent increases, move-ins, RFTAs, annual re-certifications, interim re-certifications, and contracts. For more information on business concerns, visit our Landlord Resources page.

As the situation continues and develops, we will evaluate our operations to ensure we are providing the best service possible while protecting the health of our staff, residents, clients, partners, and communities.

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Contact Us

Until further notice, our offices are closed. Please contact us over phone or email.

To contact us, call one of the following numbers:

   Facebook: @HACPgh

   Twitter: @HACP1

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Stay Informed

COVID-19 is a quickly changing situation and it’s important to get accurate and up-to-date information. The best place to get information is from health officials at the local, state, and federal level, including:

• The City of Pittsburgh
• Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD)
• Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

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Masks and Tests

The U.S. Government is now providing FREE N95 masks and at-home COVID-19 tests.

• Masks: You can obtain N95 masks at pharmacies like CVS, Health Mart, Rite-Aid, Walgreens, and Walmart, as well as community health centers. Each person is eligible to receive three (3) free masks.
• Tests: You can order your at-home COVID-19 tests by visiting COVIDtests.gov or calling 1-800-232-0233. Each household is eligible to receive four (4) free tests.

Curative is also working with Allegheny County to provide mobile walk-up testing sites. Check their website for locations and availability.

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Vaccine Information

The COVID-19 vaccine is now approved for anyone five (5) years or older, and boosters are approved for anyone 12 years or older. It can be challenging and confusing to navigate the process, so we’ve listed information and resources below to help. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is free of charge.

• The Pennsylvania Department of Health has a vaccine dashboard on their website, where you can learn about the vaccine and find local providers. You can also call the PA Health Hotline at 1-877-724-3258.
• Allegheny County has set up a helpful website to find and make an appointment at county vaccination sites.
• Allegheny Alerts allows you to sign up to receive alerts with vaccine information.
• Vaccinate PA has a tool on their website to help you search for vaccine appointments.
• The following providers are administering vaccines. Click on their names for more information or to sign up for a vaccine appointment:
  • Giant Eagle
  • Rite Aid
  • CVS
  • Pleasant Hills Pharmacy
  • Sam’s Club – membership not required, create a guest account

If you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines, Ask a Pharmacist from Duquesne University School of Pharmacy has a helpful Facts and Myths video, which you can watch below:

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Resident Voices

Part of our COVID-19 response has been listening to residents and centering their voices. Together with Gateway Health Plan and Dr. Rhonda Moore-Jackson, we talked with residents about their COVID-19 experiences and its impact on children. You can hear their stories below:

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Resources

The Pittsburgh Financial Empowerment Center has compiled an extensive list of resources for people who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with everything from resources for unemployment compensation to resources about insurance issues, You can find the full list of resources here. More resources are listed below. There is also more information and resources on the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website.