Pittsburgh to close homeless camp on North Side

While the city plans to close the homeless camp along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, local organizations serving the homeless are also preparing to increase their operations.

Ben Talik, program manager for the Pittsburgh Office of Community Health and Safety’s Reaching the Streets (ROOTS) program, confirmed that signs were posted last week announcing the closure of the North Side facility. Signs inform camp residents that they must leave by December 15, taking their belongings with them.

“I think our goal will be to try to get everyone out of there before the city comes in and cleans it up,” Talik said. He said his team has already helped place “a few people in shelter” and that they are “hoping to move people to a safer spot that hasn’t been placed before or try to place them in shelter, so they’re hoping there won’t be any work.” for the city to do on December 15.”

A joint statement from Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration, the Department of Public Safety and the Allegheny County Department of Human Services confirmed that the letters were sent on Nov. 21.

“Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh have launched a joint effort to work with all those living outdoors along the river trails to ensure they are provided with shelter and permanent housing options, starting with the Three Rivers Heritage Trail,” the statement said. The statement was included. Credited with the recent addition of more than 200 shelter spaces and Early wins from the county’s “500 in 500” affordable housing initiative To provide alternative housing.

Kelsey Ripper, executive director of Friends of the Riverside.
He said there were concerns about security and cleanliness in the area.

“We understand this action is in response to safety concerns. There have been reports of drug activity, violence and unsanitary conditions affecting both homeless residents and other road users,” Ripper said. “Safety is a top priority for Friends of the Riverfront, so we appreciate the city’s efforts.”

City Councilman Dan Lavelle confirmed that his office, which represents the area where the encampment is located, has been receiving an increasing number of calls recently from people concerned about deteriorating conditions and dangerous activities. He said new accommodations, such as winter overflow beds at a former North Side school, made the move possible.

“The city has been preparing for some time to slowly decommission a number of camps, including itself, as well as others along the North Shore trail,” he said. “We can do this now because we have enough beds to support the decommissioning of the camps, so they actually have somewhere to go.”

He said he sees the camp’s closure as a sign of progress and collaboration between the city and Allegheny County’s homelessness initiatives.

The county Department of Human Services “has been working extensively with those staying near the Three Rivers Heritage Trail for several weeks,” according to Mark Bertolet, spokesman for the Allegheny County Office of Equity and Inclusion.

“We have a personalized individualized plan and we use that to match people with family support, housing and other social services, and permanent housing options,” he said. “Currently, nearly 20 people have received shelter support and we will continue to support the efforts until the camp is closed.”

Anne Cairns, a spokeswoman for the Light of Life Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter on Voeghtly Street on the North Side, said her organization supports people living in the encampment by providing outreach and referral services to food, clothing and services. such as housing, addiction recovery programs and counseling.

He said Light of Life will continue to engage with people at the camp in the weeks leading up to Dec. 15. Shelter officials are working along the way to warn people about the closure and offer resources. The shelter expanded its winter capacity by adding 25 additional beds, 20 for men and 5 for women.

“If our emergency shelter reaches capacity, we want to ensure no one is left without options, so we connect individuals to other shelters and provide transportation to those locations when necessary,” Cairns said in a statement. he said. “Our goal is to provide a safe and warm place for everyone during the harsh winter months.”

Ripper, of Friends of the Riverfront, says that although his organization doesn’t work in active areas, it does help clean up abandoned camps.

“The city will take the lead on cleanup, and we will provide support to move people into housing and shelter,” Ripper said. “If people are leaving communities before December 15, we can help you a little bit with that.”

Items left behind may be stored by the city: Talik says ROOTS often helps owners pack up their belongings in such cases.

Ripper says his group worked with ROOTS to determine which items the camp’s residents wanted to keep and cleared out the rest.

“What we’re cleaning up is obviously things that are being disposed of; nothing that is currently used or identified as people’s personal belongings,” he said.