Former Hays Manor site in McKees Rocks will not be rebuilt as affordable housing

The Allegheny County Housing Authority has abandoned plans to redevelop McKees Rocks’ former Hays Manor site with 50 subsidized housing units, ending a proposal that would have created a new source of affordable homes in the borough.

The decision was reported June 16, 2026. Richard Stephenson, the authority’s executive director, said the project was scrapped as construction costs ballooned, opposition emerged in the community and federal funding connected to a public-housing redevelopment program remained uncertain.

Under the decision, the former site will not be redeveloped as subsidized housing through the prior proposal. The change removes 50 planned affordable units from the project and leaves the property awaiting a new direction.

What changed

The abandoned proposal called for 50 affordable-housing units at the former Hays Manor property. Earlier reporting described the project as having cleared a final approval hurdle before the authority ended the plan.

The proposed development would also have been substantially smaller than the public-housing complex that previously occupied the site. Hays Manor formerly contained 138 units, according to related local reporting.

The authority’s decision is limited to the prior redevelopment plan. It does not establish that the property can never be used for housing or that another proposal is impossible.

What comes next

Stephenson said the housing authority would work with the McKees Rocks community to determine the property’s best use. The authority has not announced a replacement project, financing plan, redevelopment schedule or future ownership arrangement for the site.

That leaves the next phase focused on deciding what should happen to the property rather than advancing the previously approved housing concept. Whether another housing proposal will be submitted has not been determined.

For residents seeking affordable housing, the immediate practical effect is that the 50 homes included in the abandoned plan will not be built under that proposal. For McKees Rocks, a prominent former public-housing site remains without a settled replacement use while the authority considers its options with the community.

Hays Manor was located in McKees Rocks, an Allegheny County municipality along the Ohio River. The borough provides municipal notices and meeting information through its official website as local discussions continue.