Pittston housing initiative earns national praise

PITTSTON - The City of Pittston is getting national praise over one of its housing initiatives.

The International City/County Management Association recently awarded the city its "Community Partnership Award" for its modular home initiative.

"This Pittston-area story is a great story," Pittston Mayor Mike Lombardo said.

The Northeastern Pennsylvania Land Bank Authority recently helped develop several blighted properties in the Greater Pittston area into affordable modular homes.

One of them is the former Paddy's Pub at 385 N. Main St. in Pittston, a longtime eyesore that city officials condemned and demolished. Another is in Dupont on Coolidge Street, and more are on the way, the mayor said.

"Our goal is to create affordable housing," Lombardo said.

Lombardo sits on the city's housing authority board, the local Habitat for Humanity board and the Housing Supply Accelerator Board of the National League of Cities,

"For a city our size, receiving national recognition alongside communities from across the country is an incredible honor. It demonstrates that innovative ideas, strong partnerships, and a shared commitment to improving the lives of our residents can have an impact far beyond our city limits," city officials wrote in a social media post.

Lombardo said he is devoted to those boards because housing is important to him - whether it be high-end units in Pittston or affordable units around the city..

"Housing is a priority for me and it always will be," Lombardo said. "We are doing some things that I think are really good case studies that could be applied in every place across the Commonwealth and maybe this country."

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