Watch CBS News

Dozens Of Local Families Making High Salaries Living In Public Housing

PITTSBURGH (KDKA)- Public housing - handsome townhouses in Pittsburgh housing authority's Oak Hill community were built with tax dollars to help those down on their luck get back on their feet.

So, it might be surprising to learn that  families making more than $100,000 a year in Pittsburgh are still living in nice homes, subsidized by the taxpayer and stunned, perhaps, that they're welcome to stay as long as they please.

"There is no requirement for families to move. There is no maximum income," said David Weber, Pittsburgh Housing Authority.

To qualify for public housing, one can't make more than a certain income, but once somebody is in, there's no limit to the amount of money that can be made and still stay put in Pittsburgh. 64 families now exceed those income limits and the numbers are alarming.

Records show one family made $121,662 last year and is still living in a publicly-subsidized duplex. Another family made $114,694, another made $114,661 and yet another made $102,027.

Yet, none of those families are required to leave.

"We have policies that encourage that, but don't require it and I'm not sure that we should require it," Weber added.

It's not required nationally. The Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development came under fire in this recent inspector general's report, which found that HUD is providing public housing assistance to as many as 25,226 families, who now exceed income eligibility.\

Housing officials argue that these tenants are a good example to others in public housing and help stabilize communities, but Congressman Mike Doyle says it's wrong.

"Anyone making $121,000 shouldn't be in subsidized housing. The housing should be available for people who truly need it."

Doyle says hard-working taxpayers should be not be providing subsidized housing to people who may make more than they. With 2000 families currently sitting on a waiting list for public housing in Pittsburgh, Doyle says it's time for those exceeding income levels to move on.

"Transition people out of public housing once they get back on their feet, right?"

"Right, and make room for people who have fallen on hard times. When people are making income like that, there's no need for the taxpayers to be subsidizing that. When I get back to DC on Tuesday, I'm certainly going  got be asking HUD about that."

Once they exceed income levels, Doyle wants HUD to give them one year to find an un-subsidized place to live. For now, the policy is unchanged and there's no shortage of examples. The Allegheny County Housing Authority currently has 29 families exceeding income levels.

Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.