Uptown Flats is opening on Fifth Avenue this spring. The $22.8 million development will add 34 units of permanently affordable housing to Oakland, with rents set for households earning 30 to 60 percent of the area median income. The building is connected directly to the Bus Rapid Transit corridor, making it one of the most transit-accessible affordable housing projects in the city.
The project took years to develop. Land was secured, financing was complicated, and the city planning process moved at its typical pace. But the result is housing that answers a real need in Pittsburgh: apartments that working people can afford in neighborhoods with jobs and transit.
Affordability by Design
Oakland is Pittsburgh's knowledge economy center. It is home to universities, hospitals, and research institutions. It is also home to many workers who cannot afford the neighborhood's escalating rents. Uptown Flats is designed for them: people who work in Oakland but live elsewhere because housing is unaffordable.
"Affordable housing needs to be in neighborhoods where people can access jobs. This is where it belongs."
Housing Developer
The BRT connection is critical. Uptown Flats residents will not need a car to access employment across the city. The building itself becomes a node in the transit network, making affordability even more valuable.
Openings are expected to begin in April 2026, with full occupancy by June.