The city's proposed tax incentive for disabled housing -- billed as the first of its kind nationwide -- cannot be offered unless there are changes to state law, Pittsburgh City Council has learned.

Council approved the $2,500 tax incentive bill yesterday, but had to amend it to say it would not take effect until the tax breaks were approved by the Legislature.

Just last week, council members and advocates for the disabled were ecstatic about the plan. It would give property owners $2,500 breaks over five years on city property tax increases that arose from renovations or new construction that provided for disabled access to homes.

The improvements could include wide doors, wheelchair ramps and low doorknobs and light switches.

The plans were first introduced two years ago, but bogged down, because they required builders receiving public money to include the improvements. A task force of city officials and advocates devised the latest version, which switched to a tax incentive.

Other cities have adopted disabled-access housing requirements, but Pittsburgh was poised to be the first city to offer an incentive instead. Council tentatively approved the incentive last week, only to learn from Planning Director Susan Golomb that state legislation was needed.

"Apparently there is no existing state legislation that authorizes us to do a tax abatement. ... I can't imagine that the state Legislature wouldn't approve it, but who knows," Golomb wrote council in an e-mail.

Council approved the incentive 9-0, but added an amendment saying it would not take effect until the state allowed it.

Advocates for the disabled were crestfallen.

"We were fired up to get this done, and be the first in the nation, and beat Philadelphia out. Now it's ... who knows?" said John Tague, chairman of the City of Pittsburgh/Allegheny County Task Force on Disabilities.

Tague said advocates will lobby legislators the rest of the year to authorize the incentive.