This talk will explore the dynamics of residential housing in Pittsburgh and will focus on the development of affordable units and the challenge of vacant properties faced by a City that has dealt with heavy industrial decline. Through the lens of Henry George, split rate tax policy, gentrification, and abandoned properties are discussed with the intent of better understanding how the history of the City and its housing policies impact current residents.

Matthew Colantonio is a graduate of the Peter J. Tobin College of Business with a BS in Business. After graduation, he worked as an AmeriCorps Volunteer in local economic development in his hometown of Pittsburgh. He then earned a MS in Applied Economics from Boston College. Matthew currently works as a Statistician for the Pennsylvania Department of Health in the Bureau of Informatics and Information Technology.