Policy priorities
Advancing Equity, Justice & Opportunity for Black Women & Families
Black women in Pennsylvania, particularly in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, continue to face systemic barriers that impact their economic security, health, and safety. Our 2025 policy agenda focuses on key issues that demand urgent attention and structural change. By advocating for policies that support fair wages, economic mobility, housing stability, and community safety, we are working to create a future where Black women and their families can thrive.
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RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE
Raising the minimum wage isn’t just about dollars—it’s about dignity, equity, and a pathway to economic justice for Black women.
Black women are in a virtual state of crisis—and poverty remains the most pressing challenge they face. Black women are more likely than any other racial group to be full-time minimum-wage workers. And with poverty comes a cascade of compounding barriers: limited access to affordable, high-quality housing and childcare, unreliable transportation, poor health outcomes, and increased mental health challenges like anxiety, stress, and depression. In the Pittsburgh region, data shows that Black women are actively seeking employment but are not getting hired. In 2020, we surveyed nearly 300 Black women. More than half of the respondents reported being employed full time, yet still struggled to make ends meet and provide for their families.
To stay afloat, 56% of respondents reported taking on additional jobs just to gain some level of financial security.
The ongoing devaluation of women’s work—especially Black women’s work—leads to lower wages, economic instability, and deepening inequality. Low-wage workers, many of whom are Black women, are often denied basic employee benefits such as paid family and medical leave, or even a living wage. As a result, they’re forced to spend a greater portion of their income just to keep their households running.
Half of our survey respondents reported earning less than their white coworkers—even when they had the same level of education and experience.
Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour would be a game-changer. It’s estimated that about 40% of Black women would receive a wage increase. Nationally, this change would lift the pay of more than 30% of Black workers, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The National Women’s Law Center estimates that 1 in 3 Black working women would receive a raise under this policy.
While exact numbers vary, the Urban Institute projects that raising the minimum wage to $15 could lift 7.6 million people out of poverty. Given that Black women make up a significant portion of the low-wage workforce, a substantial number would directly benefit—economically, emotionally, and generationally.
State Policy Landscape
The Family Care Act
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Pennsylvania has introduced the Family Care Act, a bipartisan proposal to create a state-run paid leave insurance program.
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Workers would contribute small payroll deductions to access paid leave for:
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Caring for a seriously ill family member
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Recovering from a serious health condition
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Bonding with a new child
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• In 2024, Senate Bill 580 advanced in the Senate Labor & Industry Committee, signaling momentum for PFML legislation in the state.
Policy Recommendations
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Enact the Family Care Act - Support and pass legislation to create a sustainable, inclusive PFML program.
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Promote Equity in Access - Ensure outreach and education about PFML benefits, particularly in Black and low-income communities
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Protect Jobs - Include job protection provisions to prevent retaliation or job loss due to leave.
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Address Structural Inequities - Tackle occupational segregation and increase access to benefits across all job sectors.
Paid Family and Medical Leave
A Necessity for Black Women in Pennsylvania
Black women in Pennsylvania experience systemic challenges that make access to comprehensive paid family and medical leave (PFML) essential. These challenges include health disparities, economic insecurity, caregiving responsibilities, and structural barriers in the workplace. Enacting robust PFML policies is not only a matter of economic justice but also of racial and gender equity.
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Key Issues
1. Health Disparities and Maternal Health
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Black women in the U.S. face disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality and pregnancy complications.
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Without access to paid leave, many are forced to return to work too soon after childbirth, impacting recovery and infant bonding.
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PFML allows for adequate postpartum care, improving maternal and child health outcomes.
2. Economic Insecurity
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About 80% of Black mothers in the U.S. are sole, primary, or co-breadwinners for their families.
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A lack of paid leave results in significant income loss. Black women lose an estimated $3.9 billion annually due to unpaid leave.
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PFML provides crucial income support during family or medical emergencies, reducing household financial strain.
3. Caregiving Responsibilities
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Black women often serve as primary caregivers for children and extended family.
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In Pennsylvania, many are unable to take leave when needed due to job insecurity or lack of paid options.
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PFML ensures time off for caregiving without sacrificing employment or income.
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4. Barriers to Access
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Black women are overrepresented in low-wage and part-time jobs that typically lack PFML benefits.
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Even when benefits exist, awareness and employer support are limited.
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Addressing occupational segregation and ensuring equitable policy implementation are key.
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​Conclusion
Paid family and medical leave is a critical policy for advancing racial, gender, and economic justice in Pennsylvania. For Black women, who are foundational to the workforce and their families, PFML is not a luxury—it is a necessity. Enacting the Family Care Act would mark a significant step toward a more equitable and healthier Pennsylvania for all.
Black Women and Pay Equity in Pittsburgh
Addressing pay equity for Black women in Pittsburgh isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s an economic one.
Black women in Pittsburgh face some of the most severe economic disparities in the country, with pay inequity at the root of systemic poverty. Despite high workforce participation, Black women are consistently underpaid compared to white men—and even white women—across sectors. This wage gap has deep and lasting effects on economic mobility, family stability, and community well-being.
Addressing pay equity for Black women in Pittsburgh isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s an economic one. Eliminating these disparities will uplift families, strengthen communities, and build a more just and inclusive city for everyone.
The Pay Gap & Its Impact
In Pennsylvania, men earn on average $14,300 more than women annually, placing the state among the worst for gender pay disparities. For Black women, the gap is even wider. The compounded effect of racism and sexism means Black women are paid less for the same work, limiting access to housing, healthcare, childcare, and retirement savings. Over a lifetime, these disparities cost Black women hundreds of thousands of dollars, reinforcing cycles of poverty.
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Poverty as a Direct Outcome
Because of this inequity, Black women in Pittsburgh experience disproportionately high rates of poverty. Low wages force many into working multiple jobs or relying on public assistance despite full-time employment. This undermines generational wealth-building and leaves families vulnerable to economic shocks. Pay inequity is not just about fairness—it is a key driver of poverty.
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Local Action & Advocacy
Pittsburgh is home to several grassroots and institutional efforts aimed at reversing these inequities:
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Level Up Greater Pittsburgh is a coalition campaign led by the Black Women’s Policy Center (BWPC), YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, and the Women and Girls Foundation. It pushes employers to commit to pay transparency and equity across race and gender.
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The Black Women’s Equity Initiative (BWEI), launched by Mayor Ed Gainey’s office, brings together over 50 Black women to inform city-level policies that advance equity and justice.
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The YWCA’s Center for Race & Gender Equity offers advocacy, training, and public education to challenge structural barriers and create equitable workplaces.
Policy in Motion
Efforts are also underway at the state level, such as House Bill 630, which would prohibit wage discrimination based on gender, race, or ethnicity and ban the use of pay history in salary decisions—tactics that often reinforce historic inequities.
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Black Women and Housing Justice in Pittsburgh
Black women in Pittsburgh face some of the most severe housing disparities in the country
Black women in Pittsburgh face some of the most severe housing disparities in the country, with systemic barriers in access, affordability, and stability. Despite being central to their families and communities, Black women are disproportionately impacted by housing insecurity and eviction, driven by broader racial and gender-based economic inequality.
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Eviction & Housing Disparities
Evictions are not just a housing issue—they are a racial and gender justice issue. Black women are disproportionately targeted by eviction filings, even when rent is paid or disputes are minor. These filings often stay on record, making it harder to secure safe housing in the future, regardless of the case’s outcome.
Eviction histories can follow Black women for years, compounding instability, limiting access to quality housing, and perpetuating cycles of poverty. Many are forced to live in substandard housing, move frequently, or rely on overcrowded or unsafe arrangements—despite working full-time or caring for families.
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​Legislative Solutions: House Bill 1095
Pennsylvania House Bill 1095 offers a pathway to housing justice by proposing limited access to eviction records, particularly in cases where the eviction was no-fault or resolved. This bill would prevent minor or resolved disputes from becoming permanent roadblocks to housing opportunities.
By sealing certain eviction records, HB 1095 would:
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Reduce housing discrimination in rental screenings
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Protect tenants from being punished for circumstances beyond their control
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Provide a fair chance at stable housing, especially for Black women and other marginalized renters
Local Action & Advocacy
Across Pittsburgh, local organizations and leaders are pushing for change:
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The Black Women’s Policy Center (BWPC) is committed to advocating for fair housing policies that directly address the eviction crisis and broader barriers to housing justice.
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BWPC is partnering with Catapult Greater Pittsburgh to tackle the housing crisis through collaborative solutions that center the experiences and needs of Black women and their families.
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The BWPC’s CEO serves on the advisory committee of the Black Women’s Equity Initiative (BWEI), a city-backed effort bringing together Black women leaders to inform equitable policies across Pittsburgh—including in housing.
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Housing justice is essential for economic security, family stability, and community wellbeing.
Fighting for policies like HB 1095—and supporting community-led solutions—is a critical step toward ensuring that Black women in Pittsburgh have the safe, stable, and dignified housing they deserve.
Conclusion
Community safety begins with those most impacted—and in Allegheny County, that means centering Black women. By investing in care, prevention, and Black women’s leadership, we can move from crisis response to real, lasting safety. The time to act is now.
Reimagining Community Safety in Allegheny Co.
Ending Gun Violence Against Black Women
In Allegheny County, Black women are disproportionately impacted by gun violence—yet they are too often overlooked in public safety strategies. Whether as survivors of intimate partner violence, bystanders to neighborhood shootings, or leaders in grassroots responses, Black women are central to the safety and well-being of their communities. Yet systemic neglect, underinvestment, and harmful policies have left their needs unmet. To build real safety, Allegheny County must adopt a public health approach to gun violence that centers Black women, invests in care over criminalization, and uplifts community-led solutions.
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Local Context: Gun Violence & Black Women in Allegheny County
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Black women and girls in Pittsburgh and Mon Valley communities experience high rates of firearm-related injuries, often due to domestic violence or community shootings.
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In recent years, over 60% of female homicide victims in Pittsburgh were Black, though Black women make up less than 15% of the city’s population.
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Neighborhoods such as Homewood, the Hill District, Wilkinsburg, and McKeesport experience overlapping crises of gun violence, poverty, and disinvestment—conditions where Black women are both most vulnerable and most active in creating change.
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Pittsburgh has been cited as one of the worst cities in the country for Black women, with wide racial disparities in health, safety, housing, and income.​
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Policy Recommendations for Allegheny County
1. Invest in Community-Led Safety Solutions
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Provide long-term funding for grassroots organizations led by Black women that address violence prevention, community healing, and crisis response.
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Establish community safety hubs in high-impact neighborhoods to serve as resources for de-escalation, support services, and safety planning.
2. Support Black Women Survivors
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Create a county-wide trauma recovery and housing initiative for survivors of gun violence and intimate partner violence.
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Ensure culturally specific, accessible mental health and legal services are available through community-based providers.
3. Reduce Harmful Policing Practices
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Shift public safety resources toward non-police first responder models for domestic violence and mental health crises.
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Decriminalize behaviors linked to survival—such as sex work or substance use—that disproportionately affect Black women.
4. Strengthen Gun Safety and Accountability
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Enforce and educate residents about Pennsylvania’s laws regarding firearm surrender in domestic violence cases.
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Fund gun buyback programs and community-based firearm safety education in neighborhoods with high rates of violence.
5. Establish a County-Wide Black Women’s Safety Task Force
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Create an Allegheny County Black Women’s Safety Task Force made up of survivors, community organizers, advocates, and policy experts.
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Empower the task force to shape county policy, funding priorities, and data collection practices related to gun violence and public safety.
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Require the county to collect disaggregated data on gender, race, and geography in all violence prevention and response efforts.
TANF
Cash Assistance Grant
WHAT IS TANF?
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a federally-funded block grant that provides cash assistance to Pennsylvania families with the lowest incomes. Recipients of TANF are required to actively look for work or participate in a job training program.
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TANF is a critical program for families who are trying to escape poverty. Families spend TANF benefits in local communities and businesses on basic needs such as housing, clothing, transportation, and toiletries like toothpaste and soap. TANF recipients have to comply with work requirements, and also must file for child support against any absent parent.
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Advocacy & ACTION
THE PROBLEM
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance grant – which provides the only source of income for about 50,000 Pennsylvania children –has not been increased since 1990.
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THE ask
Contact your PA Representatives and Senators to co-sponsor the bills. The House bill is HB 2015 and the Senate bill is SB 918. The bill will increase the TANF cash grant to 50% of the Federal Poverty Level, currently the cash grant is only 22% of the FPL (extreme poverty).
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