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Hallam reports there are fewer people sleeping outdoors than last year.

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.

Written by Amy Whipple

After spending the night of Feb. 3 helping with the census of unhoused residents of Allegheny County, Allegheny County Council Member Bethany Hallam of Ross said there are fewer people living outdoors than there were last year.

Hallam, council's liaison to the Housing and Homelessness Committee, said approximately 300 volunteers participated in the effort this year. She walked the South Side River Trail from Hot Metal Bridge to Station Square where they counted only three structures and saw no individuals. According to Hallam, between 60 and 70 people lived along that stretch of the river last year.

The county's public Encampment Dashboard notes 25 structures along the river on Jan. 18, 2025. The point-in-time count for Jan. 28 of that year was 281 unsheltered individuals; that data isn't broken down into location, however.

Community Counts is part of a HUD-mandated census of the unhoused population that determines federal funding for housing and homelessness programs. It takes place overnight every winter. Hallam did not provide the total census figures for 2026.

She attributed the apparent decrease to coordinated outreach efforts between former Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey's administration, Innamorato's county administration and local homeless service organizations. She praised the use of the Housing First approach, which prioritizes shelter before addressing other needs.

"I know how much effort we have put into helping connect folks with housing and not just removing tents," said Hallam.

She noted that the county's extended winter shelter system is currently open. So, while this year's count seems to be an improvement over last for the county's unhoused population, it doesn't reflect how many people might be living outdoors when the weather is warmer.

Connections to this story

Elected officials:
Bethany Hallam
Local issues:
Shelter and outreach for unhoused residents
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Public HealthHousing & Land UseHousing & Land UsePublic Health
Governments:
County Council

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