Issue
Shelters, tiny house communities, street outreach, and counts of people without housing.
City Council
North Side unhoused residents have lost a drop-in spot that helped with housing and paperwork. The ROOTS drop-in location closed for good on Oct. 2 after the city didn't renew its lease. The mayor's proposed 2027 budget adds money for ROOTS staff but none for rent. For now, council can approve a new lease only if the administration presents one.
City Council
ROOTS, a city outreach team, connects homeless residents with shelters and medical and mental health care. On June 17, council advanced an $800,000, one-year county contract to expand it. Currently, it runs weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with 16 staff. The money would add 10 staff and extend hours to 11 p.m. on weeknights, plus some weekend daytime coverage.
County Council
Fewer people are living outdoors in Allegheny County than last year, a county council member said. Counting on Feb. 3, she saw no one on a South Side trail where she said 60 to 70 lived last year. She credited coordinated outreach and the Housing First approach. Still, winter shelters are open, she noted, so warmer months may look different.
City Council
Pittsburgh would allow tiny house communities for unhoused residents under legislation council affirmed. It covers tiny houses only in managed temporary communities, not ones built for private use. For now, the city has no plans to build any, since recent county efforts are serving those needs. Still, council wanted the option in place in case the need arises.
City Council
A $1.5 million shelter services contract with Auberle has sat in committee since July 2024. It's fully funded by a federal program meant to reduce homelessness. Now, a council member said a federal housing official has reviewed an updated proposal giving preference to homeless families. Still, the amendment process includes a public hearing that hasn't been scheduled.
City Council
In 2024, the county and its partners helped house about 1,700 people, including some couch surfing or living in cars. Efforts to address camps along riverfront trails and in the Business District have moved 75 people into shelters. The county expects to hit its goal of 500 affordable units in 500 days this October, the human services director said.
City Council
People in need could get private, individual shelter spaces instead of group settings under a city bill. It would accept $1.5 million from a federal housing program to build them with Auberle. For now, council has put a four-week hold on the bill. No reason was given for the hold.