PITTSBURGH —
Residents and visitors in Squirrel Hill are sharing their struggles with rising housing costs and financial challenges, reflecting a growing issue across the country.
Dan Muessig, a longtime resident of the neighborhood, said the cost of living in major cities has become unaffordable.
“I honestly, I don’t know how we do it, and I don’t know how anyone else is doing it right now,” Muessig said.
He added that housing prices have increased dramatically over the years, while wages have failed to keep up with inflation.
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“I mean, from when I was a kid, the real price of homes has multiplied tenfold in some of these neighborhoods, and wages have not kept pace with inflation at all,” Muessig said.
Ian Ehrlich, visiting from Salt Lake City, Utah, said he has noticed similar trends with rent, which he said has nearly doubled over the past two decades.
“And now I think about young guys on my team at work who work for me, and it’s like $1,700 for the same apartment that I paid $300 for. It’s just, yeah, it’s tough,” Ehrlich said.
Not Just Residents Being Impacted
Aiyanna Batey, visiting from Ohio, said she had to move money around to afford her trip to Squirrel Hill.
“Yeah, I definitely had to, like, move my money around to make this trip happen. And, like, I’m glad I made it happen, but like, I had to dig in my savings to make this happen. I didn’t really want to do that, but like, I just had to because, like, I had to put money up, like, for the house,” Batey said.
She is not alone in relying on savings to cover expenses. According to Payroll Integrations’ 2025 Employee Financial Wellness Report, 38% of employees have tapped into their retirement savings, including 46% of Gen Z workers. A third of employees plan to do so again within the next year to cover emergencies or everyday expenses.
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