🏡 How to get nebby inside luxe Pittsburgh homes

Chatham’s Massive Budget Deficit Leads to Layoffs

The Squirrel Hill university is facing a budget hole between $8 and $12 million as enrollment drops, federal pandemic relief money dwindles, and costs of maintenance have increased since the pandemic — leading to the following changes and cuts:

• The new president, Rhonda Phillips, is restructuring Chatham’s leadership team
• 20 staff members were laid off in August
• Employee retirement benefits went from a 8% match by the university to a 3% match
• Spouses of employees will no longer be eligible for health coverage in January
• Leadership salaries have been cut 10%, and a 5% reduction is planned for faculty with salaries more than $100,000 [PublicSource]

Pittsburgh Protects Gender-Affirming Care

As states across the country are introducing legislation restricting trans health care, Pittsburgh City Council is establishing Pittsburgh as a “sanctuary city” by passing legislation to protect gender-affirming care from out-of-state investigations. The bill claims to limit the enforcement of any potential Pennsylvania bans on gender-affirming care. TransYOUniting executive director Dena Stanley says the city still needs to do more to protect trans individuals — especially in critical areas such as housing and employment — as the city could see an influx of trans patients similar to the surge of folks seeking abortion care in Western Pennsylvania last year. [90.5 WESA / PublicSource]

North Side Trail Gets an Upgrade

Work began on trail improvement connecting the Three Rivers Heritage Trail and Riverview Park through the Mairdale Neighborway in Marshall-Shadeland and Brighton Heights. Keep an eye out for construction along Woods Run and McClure avenues from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the end of the week. [TribLIVE]

So What’s Going in the Former Irish Center?

A proposal to build a 162-apartment complex at the site of the former Irish Centre at the edge of Frick Park received a ton of backlash from the community. Now, there’s a new proposal that neighbors might be more interested in: Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens wants to create an outreach center to expand its Homegrown program — an effort that builds raised-bed vegetable gardens in underserved communities. [Pittsburgh Magazine]

• 🎧 Here’s what to know about the Irish Center development drama. [City Cast Pittsburgh]

🪴 Plant Pop-Up | Thursday | 6-10 p.m.

Grab a free beer while you browse books, records, and houseplants at Amazing Books and Records. [free, Squirrel Hill]

📚 Used Book Sale | Friday | 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Shop for secondhand books, games, puzzles, and more at Bridgeville Public Library. [free, Bridgeville]

🎷 International Jazz Festival | Friday - Sunday | Various Times

Hear performances pay homage to “jazz as the embodiment of freedom, improvisation, discovery, liberation, and promise” at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. [$55, Downtown]

🧀 80s Takeover | Friday | 6-9 p.m.

Shop for goodies from The Cheese Queen while listening to 80s bops and sipping on Inner Groove Brewing beer. [free, Mt. Oliver]

🎶 Sound of the Organ Trio | Friday | 7 p.m.

Hear “Rust Belt Funk” music from Norside and John Shannon Trio at Thunderbird Café & Music Hall. [$15-25, Lawrenceville]

Get Nebby with @HousesofPittsburgh

Pittsburgh homes are a mixed bag — some are lavish and others very lived in. Sisters Hope Perri and Annie Perri Cole have made a study of neighborly nebbiness with their hyper-popular Instagram account @HousesofPittsburgh, and they’re taking us behind the scenes on how they take a neighborhood home tour, their approach to content creation, and tips and tricks for making the most of any home-scouting trip in the Burgh.