The Allegheny County Housing Authority will use $4.4 million to help make the Prospect Terrace development in East Pittsburgh a bit greener. The money will be used to add geothermal heat pumps to each of the 94 units. The heat pumps and other renovations including new “cool-roofs” are expected to cut heating and cooling bills by at least 50%. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan was in town to award the grant that comes from the federal stimulus package. He says heat pumps are a cutting edge technology that several other housing authorities are investigating and he says the Allegheny County Housing Authority is setting the pace. A similar project funded by the housing authority and private investors at the Dalton’s Edge senior housing facility in Brackenridge has lowered energy consumption by two thirds since it was installed in 2007. Special plantings, downspouts and other renovations are expected to help lower the amount of water consumption and runoff at the development.
Sec. Donovan also announced that the authority won grants of $750,000 to do work on G.W. Carver Hall in Clairton and West View Towers in West View through the same round of competitive stimulus funding. Donovan says it is remarkable that an authority the size of Allegheny County’s would win three competitive awards in one round of funding. Donovan says the work at Prospect Terrace will create 175 jobs for about a year and a half.
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