Sharpsburg Home Repair Fund
We are excited to announce a new fund for low-income households in Sharpsburg to access up to $250 each for qualified home repairs or upgrades that improve energy efficiency in their homes. Examples include small improvements like LED light bulbs and weather stripping to larger projects like new insulation, door and window upgrades, and high-efficiency water heaters, furnaces, and appliances. These improvements can reduce your utility bills, lower your carbon footprint, and save you money. This program is open to both renter’s (with your landlord's permission) and homeowners. The fund was created through a community impact grant from Duquesne Light Company. Learn more and apply here.
Not sure what upgrade/repair to make? Utilize our free home energy audit service with Rebuilding together Pittsburgh and receive a project recommendation + up to an additional $100!
Free Home Energy Audits + Repairs
We are partnering with Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh to offer free professional energy assessments of homes in Sharpsburg and up to $100 in targeted repairs. This program is open to both renters and homeowners. Households with an income of 50% or less than the area median income are prioritized. Learn more about the program and apply here
Triboro Paid Career Training Program
Are you looking to start a career in the trades or expand your education? We are offering $100 per week stipends (for up to ten weeks) for Sharpsburg, Etna, and Millvale residents attending the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh, Bidwell Training Center, CCAC, or other qualifying career training programs or colleges/universities. Our goal is to help local folks find a good-paying, in-demand career that they enjoy.
Interested? Start here.
Riverfront Development Community Meetings
SNO has hosted 3 community listening & feedback sessions with the riverfront development team in late 2021 and early 2022. These meetings gave the Sharpsburg community an opportunity to see and hear development plans, provide feedback, and share ideas for what they would like to see in the project. You can view the January virtual meeting and learn more about the project here.
Triboro Civic Leadership Academy
Each year, SNO offers free workshops for community members to learn about local leadership, community volunteer opportunities, and how to organize + lead projects. Do you have a great idea for a community project and need some support to make it happen? Is there and issue you are passionate about and want to build your knowledge on local organizing and leadership? Keep an eye out for this year's Civic Leadership Academy!
FEMA's Community Rating System
Since Sharpsburg is a river town that lies within a floodplain, it has a long history of flooding and related issues like combined sewer overflows and basement backups. As a result, many property owners are required to pay for flood insurance through FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program. In an effort to offset these costs and improve flood mitigation activities in the community, we are working to enter Sharpsburg into the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System. This program gives communities a classification based on their level of flood mitigation and preparedness activities which results in discounts applied to flood insurance premiums for all property owners in the community. Both Etna and Shaler are part of the Community Rating System and we hope to join them soon!
The Sharpsburg Sustainability & Civic Engagement Center at 511 S. Main St.
Home to SNO's day-to-day operations as well as workshops and community organizing around local and regional issues, the Sharpsburg Sustainability & Civic Engagement serves as a civic hub and welcoming space for residents and other Sharpsburg stakeholders to share information, learn about topics that interest them and affect their quality of life, and work together to advance community priorities.
Centered on social equity and community resilience, the Sharpsburg Sustainability & Civic Engagement hosts workshops on topics ranging from stormwater management to getting involved with your local government, first-time homebuying, bike/pedestrian infrastructure, green space, community gardening, and more. Got an idea for a community project and want to figure out how to make it happen? Have some questions about life in Sharpsburg or want to share feedback or get involved in issue you care about? Make an appointment or request to use our space for your community project by contacting us.
The building was made possible by a catalytic grant from the Hillman Foundation to the Triboro Ecodistrict. Funding also came from UPMC Health Plan and First National Bank through a Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Neighborhood Assistance Program grant.
Sharpsburg Main & Canal Walking Route
In partnership with PA WalkWorks and the American Heart Association, and thanks to funding from Giant Eagle, in 2018 we cut the ribbon on a new 1.83-mile sidewalk walking route that highlights many of the historic and recreational assets of our borough. Today, the Sharpsburg Walkers team tracks its steps through the Walker Tracker app, competing with teams across Pennsylvania, and we're always looking for people interested in leading walking group outings around the route. For more information and to sign up, contact Brittany@sharpsburgneighborhood.org or visit the PA WalkWorks site.
Sharpsburg Blight Reduction Recommendations Report
In November 2016, SNO kicked off its first resident working group, dedicated to addressing resident concerns about vacant blighted properties and improving property conditions throughout Sharpsburg, in partnership with Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group. The volunteer group analyzed Sharpsburg blight and property survey data, studied best practices in blight remediation from across the country, and in spring 2017 developed a five-year resident-driven blight reduction plan to be implemented by SNO and supporting partners.