IN PITTSBURGH IS SOARING, UP 24% IN JUST THE LAST YEAR. AND OF THOSE PEOPLE, THE NUMBER OF UNSHELTERED HOMELESS, MEANING PEOPLE IN ENCAMPMENTS OR ON THE STREETS HAS INCREASED BY 50%. REPORTER SHELDON INGRAM EXPLORES THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MAY CAUSE A STATE OF DISTRESS SUCH AS ECONOMIC HARDSHIP. THE STRUGGLE OF REHABILITATION AFTER INCARCERATION, DRUG ADDICTION OR DOMESTIC ABUSE. PITTSBURGH’S HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS ARE GAINING A NUMBERS. THEY’RE JUST LIKE CITY NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY EACH HAVE THEIR OWN NAME. THIS PLACE HERE IS CALLED THE THE CHESTNUT STREET ENCAMPMENT. THIS USED TO BE THE STOCKHOLM OVER ON THE NORTH SIDE. BUT WHEN THE CITY SHUT THAT DOWN, EVERYBODY MOVED UP OVER HERE JUST OFF THE 16TH STREET BRIDGE. ANOTHER ONE IS CALLED THE SOUTHSIDE TRACKS ENCAMPMENT. THIS IS THE GRANT STREET ENCAMPMENT, MURDAUGH ARE SPREAD OUT ALONG THE NORTH SHORE. COUNTLESS CIRCUMSTANCES PUT PEOPLE IN THESE PLACES. THEY EXPLAIN HOW THEY ENDED UP ON THE STREETS. GLENN CIPARICK IS AT THE CASINO ENCAMPMENT ALONG THE OHIO RIVER ON THE NORTH SHORE. I MET A GIRL WHO WAS MY FIANCE. SHE WENT TO JAIL SADLY, AND SHE GOT OUT A LITTLE EARLY AND SHE DRAINED MY BANK ACCOUNT, CAUSED ME TO BE HOMELESS. MY LANDLORD SHOWED UP AND SAID MY CHECK HAD BOUNCED AND I SAID, MY CHECKS HAVE NEVER BOUNCED WITH YOU. I’VE BEEN YOUR TENANT FOR FOUR YEARS AND THAT’S HOW I FOUND OUT. PANHANDLERS ON GRANT STREET TELL ANOTHER STORY. I GOT INCARCERATE. I DID SOME THINGS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER. NOTHING BAD. STEALING TO SUPPORT MY ADDICTION. YOU SAY ADDICTION ENDS INCARCERATION? YES. SO YOUR SITUATION IS UNEMPLOYMENT THAT PUTS YOU HERE. EMPLOYMENT? YES, SIR. THERE’S STILL UNEMPLOYMENT AND YOU HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND A JOB? NO. AND FINALLY, THERE’S THE COUPLE’S ENCAMPMENT. IT’S NAMED AFTER COUPLE’S STADIUM ON THE SOUTH SIDE. THIS PLACE IS CALLED ONE OF THE MORE DANGEROUS ENCAMPMENTS. VERY SKY 4. VERY A LOT OF MOMENTS OF PEOPLE DYING. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF DEATH. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN WAKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. SOMEBODY COULD BE STABBING THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU. ALL KINDS OF THINGS GO ON DOWN HERE. IT’S DANGEROUS. IT’S SCARY. THIS IS 47 YEAR OLD BRANDON WISE, HOMELESS FOR SIX YEARS. HE OWNED A MAINTENANCE AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT BUSINESS CALLED SERENITY MAINTENANCE IN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT. BUT HE LOST THREE MAJOR CLIENTS WITHIN DAYS OF EACH OTHER. I LOST MONEY ON MATERIALS, MY PAYROLL, ALL ALL THE OTHER FINANCES AND MY RENT EVERYTHING. EVENTUALLY, AT SOME POINT, YEAH, I WENT UNDER. IT WENT UNDER PRETTY QUICK. MORE STORIES ARE INSIDE THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH DOWNTOWN. PEOPLE COME HERE FOR FOOD, PRAYER AND HOPE. THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, WE THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE HERE. SO LORD BLESS OUR TIME TOGETHER HERE TONIGHT AND BLESS THIS FOOD EVERY TUESDAY EVENING, MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, BLACK AND WHITE FELLOWSHIP OVER A MEAL AND HOPE THEY’RE DRIVEN INTO THE STREETS BY UNEMPLOYMENT RELEASE FROM INCARCERATION ADDICTION, MENTAL ILLNESS AND OTHER HARDSHIPS. ON THIS NIGHT, 120 PEOPLE ARE FED BY OUTREACH ARMS MINISTRY, HORRIBLE THINGS HAPPEN TO THEM. AND JUST TO BE ABLE TO KNOW THAT SOMEBODY IS THERE TO TO PICK THEM UP WHEN THEY FALL DOWN OR PROVIDE THEM HOPE. I NEED A TRAY. 21 TO 30. THANK YOU. THIS IS WHERE WE FIND 53 YEAR OLD ALBERT HELSLEY FROM ALTOONA. HE CAME TO PITTSBURGH AFTER LOSING HIS WAREHOUSE JOB DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC, WORKING IN AN ENVELOPE FACTORY. AND THEN HE ENDED UP CLOSING DOWN. THEY LEFT AND THEY MOVED TO ANOTHER STATE. AND THAT LEFT YOU? YEAH, I WAS OUT IN THE STREET. THEY LEFT US OUT. I DIDN’T HAVE NOWHERE TO GO IN ALTOONA. I LOST MY APARTMENT. HELSLEY THOUGHT PITTSBURGH WOULD PROVIDE A WAY OUT FROM HIS HARDSHIP IN ALTOONA IN. INSTEAD, HE WALKED INTO A CITY WITH AN EVEN DEEPER STATE OF HOMELESSNESS. S ARE YOU SURPRISED TO SEE SO MANY HOMELESS PEOPLE IN PITTSBURGH? YES, A LOT. THERE’S NOT A LOT IN ALTOONA. THERE’S A LOT HERE.