The regeneration of the East Hills neighborhood in Pittsburgh began in 2002 when the then-owner of the apartments asked Telesis to become involved to organize new ownership, redesign, and rebuild. Telesis worked with the East Hills residents, the City of Pittsburgh, and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency to plan and finance the restoration. Until that time, the agency had not done a large scale redevelopment. The redevelopment proceeded in three phases over 4 years with more than $50 million of investment including LIHTC’s awarded by the agency.

During the planning process, over 120 individuals representing 58 government, social services, and law enforcement agencies came together to form the East Hills Restoration Initiative. The Initiative’s mission was to promote safety, youth development and employment, and economic development opportunities for all residents of East Hills, and contribute to the revitalization of the community. Since its inception, Telesis and the Initiative have successfully secured numerous grants, including $1.1 million in YouthBuild grants, a 5-year System of Care Initiative grant to bring mental health and family resources on-site to the community, and a Pittsburgh Gateways grant for job development in the community.