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LEVEL Celebrates Completion of Five Affordable, For-Sale Homes in McKees Rocks
LEVEL PRESS
AUG 06, 2026 | TRIB
Renovated McKees Rocks homes open doors to new buyers
“Today, the adage ‘it takes a village’ truly hits home. In this case, it takes more than a village,” said Jason Tigano, LEVEL’s founder and CEO. “Our housing stock is the oldest of any major metropolitan area in the country, and 90% of affordable housing is rental. LEVEL wants to change that.”
The nonprofit’s goal is to create 1,000 units of housing for sale.
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said homelessness continues to rise, impacting about 12,000 people across the region.
“Over one million households in Pennsylvania are spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing,” Davis said.
AUG 6, 2026 | WESA
Pittsburgh-area officials, residents celebrate newly renovated homes in McKees Rocks
“This home isn’t just about changing my address, it’s changing my family’s future,” said Chantel Perkins, who is purchasing one of the Woodward Avenue homes. “This home is our foundation, our safe place, and the beginning of a legacy that I pray continues for generations.”
AUG 05, 2026 | WPXI
5 renovated McKees Rocks houses ready to welcome new generation of home buyers
Officials are calling it an investment in the future.Five homes on Woodward Avenue in McKees Rocks are ready to welcome a new generation of home buyers.
“This project really shows that when we coordinate at every level and support amazing projects like Level, we can actually deliver on promises,” Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said.
AUG 5, 2026 | PG
‘It takes more than a village’ in McKees Rocks, where a nonprofit is making first-time homeowners’ dreams a reality
Government officials, community leaders and prospective homeowners gathered outside one of those homes Wednesday morning to celebrate the completion of the first five of 10 properties renovated by LEVEL: Equity Building
“These five buildings represent so much more than a place to live,” said Jason Tigano, LEVEL’s founder and CEO, during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “They are a product of what we can achieve when we work together towards a long-term solution to our region’s housing crisis when we focus and uplift our neighbors.“
JUL 25, 2026 | WPXI
Allegheny County executive announces $6M investment in housing initiatives
“The county’s $5 million contribution enables RAAC to formally establish the fund’s governance, nonprofit sponsor entity and legal infrastructure, moving the fund from concept to reality.
RAAC also recognized the completion of four newly rehabilitated homes on Woodward Avenue in McKees Rocks. These homes were completed by LEVEL Equity Building, Inc. as affordable housing for sale through the county’s Vacant Property Recovery Program. RAAC has invested $1.3 million in LEVEL’s homeownership work.
JUL 20, 2026 | 90.5 WESA
Selling affordable homes in Allegheny County? It’s harder than you’d think
Are you a family of four in Allegheny County making more than $50,000 annually (but less than $88,300 a year) and looking to purchase a home in McKees Rocks?
If so, Heather Jarrett and her colleagues want to talk to you. Jarrett is in charge of outreach for McKees Rocks-based nonprofit LEVEL: Equity Building, a group that is renovating and selling homes to low-to-moderate income buyers.
SEP 16, 2025 | PA SENATE
“As you know, quality affordable homeownership is one of our nation’s greatest challenges. Strong communities begin with stable residents who are invested in their neighborhoods,” said Tigano. “LEVEL is the long-term solution to creating a pathway for hardworking Pennsylvanians to attain the American Dream of owning their own home.” Tigano stated in his testimony.
NOV 14, 2024 | MRCDC
Work begins on 9 more McKees Rocks houses as LEVEL’s Rehab for Resale Project launches
“We are grateful to have been invited in and welcomed by this community and its leaders,” says Jason Tigano, LEVEL’s Founder and CEO. “Years of planning and dedication are coming to fruition, here, in McKees Rocks. We are setting the precedent with a dignified and ethical pathway to owning a home. The LEVEL team sees these first ten homes as strengthening our floor, not hitting our ceiling. And we couldn’t have piloted the Rehab for Resale program with a better, more dedicated group of people.”
SEP 25, 2023 | PUBLIC SOURCE
“There’s a multitude of studies that show wealth building comes through property ownership. That is how a family, through generations, starts to build wealth, especially communities of color where redlining has prevented that from happening,” said Taris Vrcek, executive director of the McKees Rocks Community Development Corporation. “We see the high poverty and transience rates in McKees Rocks. So being able to lay down roots and create a real hometown and a community presence, the community benefits from it.”
AUG 24, 2022 | NEXT PITTSBURGH
How to empower first-time homebuyers? It’s happening in McKees Rocks
“I’m tired of not seeing revitalization happening in our communities, and when it does, there’s displacement,” says Tigano. “People tell me their stories; they can’t get a mortgage. It doesn’t make sense. If you’re living in that neighborhood, you’re somehow invested. If you’re paying rent, it’s close to a mortgage.”
SEP 25, 2023 | CBS NEWS
Project set to bring affordable housing to McKees Rocks
“Access to quality existing homes that existing community residents can afford,” Tigano said. “Access to financing from banks and lending companies so that folks can get mortgages. Access to education and resources that our buyers will need so they can not only get into properties, but they can manage these assets.”
Jun 29, 2022 | PGH BUSINESS TIMES
LEVEL: Equity Buildings launches 100-unit residential project in McKees Rocks
Nonprofit with backing from Allegheny County, the Hillman Foundation and others to celebrate first new homes in McKees Rocks as part of a larger, ambitious plan.
Jul 19, 2022 | MRCDC
First of its kind project launches in McKees Rocks
LEVEL’s transformative work looks to provide a sustainable, long-term solution to address affordable housing.
The ongoing project is supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Allegheny County, Borough of McKees Rocks, MRCDC and the Hillman Foundation.
