THIS CLOSURE. EVERY TIME I COME TO SMITHFIELD, I FEEL LIKE I GET COMPASSION. I GET TREATED LIKE A HUMAN BEING. PEOPLE FIGHTING TO KEEP THE SMITHFIELD STREET SHELTER OPEN. IN A PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL. THE OVERNIGHT SHELTER RAN OUT OF THE SMITHFIELD UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE OPEN BEYOND THE WINTER MONTHS, BUT DUE TO AN INCREASE IN HOMELESSNESS IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY OPERATION OF THE NIGHTLY SHELTER WAS EXTENDED. YES. SMITHFIELD WAS A POP UP, ESSENTIALLY. IT WASN’T MEANT TO BE PERMANENT. IT WASN’T MEANT TO CAUSE THIS MUCH GRIEF OVER ITS CLOSURE. BUT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM RECOGNIZED THE NEED FOR A DRASTIC IMPROVEMENT IN OUR CAPACITY TO SERVE VULNERABLE PEOPLE. CHASE ARCHER EVANS SERVES ON THE COUNTY’S HOMELESS ADVISORY BOARD AND SAYS HE UNDERSTANDS HOMELESSNESS FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. EVERY DECISION WE MAKE IMPACTS THE ABILITY OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO NOT ONLY MAKE IT DAY TO DAY, BUT TO POSSIBLY SURVIVE. HOMELESS ILLNESS IS LIFE OR DEATH EVERY DAY. DANNY SCOTT, OWNER OF THE WIENERWORLD ON SMITHFIELD STREET, IS IN FAVOR OF THE CLOSURE, SAYING HIS BUSINESS HAS DECREASED BY 25% OVER THE PAST YEAR AS THERE’S OPEN AIR DRUG DEALING, OPEN AIR, DRUG USE, PUBLIC URINATION, DEFECATION, THEFT, ALL THESE ISSUES EXIST. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE LIGHT OF LIFE RESCUE MISSION, GERALD GILLIAM ADDRESSED COUNCIL, SAYING THE COUNTY HAS LOST AROUND 400 TRANSITIONAL BEDS OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS. THERE HAS BEEN A PARTICULAR INITIATIVE THAT WAS USED CALLED HOUSING FIRST, AND IT WAS GIVEN PRIORITY IN SPENDING. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, IT OTHER APPROACHES ENDED UP BEING DEFUNDED AND WE’VE LOST BEDS, MEANING FOR HUNDRED CHANCES FOR SOMEONE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO TRANSITION INTO STABLE HOUSING NEED MORE THAN JUST PLACING SOMEBODY IN HOUSING. THERE’S USUALLY A REASON WHY SOMEBODY IS IN HOMELESS STATE, SO YOU NEED TO COME AROUND THEM, HELP THEM TO REFORM AND TO TRANSFORM THEM AND THEN HELP THEM BECOME SUCCESSFUL. AND WHAT YOU HEARD THERE WAS JUST A SMALL PART OF WHAT THE PUBLIC HAD TO SAY TONIGHT, COUNCIL HEARING, HOURS OF PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON THIS TOPIC WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED AS WE FIGURE OUT WHAT THE ULTIMATE FATE OF TH
Allegheny County Council holds public hearing on closure of downtown Pittsburgh homeless shelter
The shelter at a church on Smithfield Street is scheduled to close next week.
![WTAE logo]()
Updated: 11:45 PM EDT Jun 15, 2023
Two blocks of Smithfield Street have turned into a much-talked-about corridor in the downtown district.People critical of the behavior of the homeless complain loudly about public defecation, urination, overdoses, loitering, and encampments in front of Smithfield United Church of Christ, where a longtime shelter is located.On Thursday evening, the Allegheny County Council held a special public hearing on the fate of the shelter that is scheduled to close next week.“Every time I come to Smithfield, I feel like I get compassion, I get treated like a human being,” someone said during public comment.The overnight shelter, run out of the Smithfield United Church of Christ, was never intended to be open beyond the winter months, but due to an increase in homelessness in Allegheny County, the operation of the nightly shelter was extended.“Yes, Smithfield was a pop-up. Essentially it wasn’t meant to be permanent. It wasn’t meant to cause this much grief over its closure, but the entire system recognized the need for a drastic improvement in our capacity to serve vulnerable people,” Chase Archer Evans said. Evans serves on the county’s Homeless Advisory Board. He said he understands homelessness from personal experience.“Every decision we make impacts the ability of thousands of people to not only make it day-to-day but to possibly survive. Homelessness is life or death every day,” Evans said.Denny Scott, owner of the Wiener World on Smithfield Street, favors the closure. He said his business has decreased by 25% over the past year.“There’s open-air drug dealing, open-air drug use, public urination, defecation, theft. All of these issues exist,” Scott said.Executive Director of Light of Life Rescue Mission, Jerrel Gilliam, addressed the council Thursday night. He said the county has lost around 400 transitional beds over the past four years.“There’s been a particular initiative used called ‘housing first,’ and it was given priority in spending. Because of that, other approaches ended up being defunded, and we lost beds,” Gilliam said.That means 400 chances for someone experiencing homelessness to transition into stable housing were lost.“You need more than just placing someone in housing? There’s usually a reason why someone is in a homeless state, so you need to come around them and help them to perform, to transform, and then help them become successful,” Gilliam said.Advocates for the homeless say they need daytime resource centers to identify and gain access to special services.Critics of the shelter say it should be shut down and moved to an area away from downtown after several businesses have either departed or are threatening to leave.Council members will determine the next course of action after the hearing.
PITTSBURGH — Two blocks of Smithfield Street have turned into a much-talked-about corridor in the downtown district.
People critical of the behavior of the homeless complain loudly about public defecation, urination, overdoses, loitering, and encampments in front of Smithfield United Church of Christ, where a longtime shelter is located.
On Thursday evening, the Allegheny County Council held a special public hearing on the fate of the shelter that is scheduled to close next week.
“Every time I come to Smithfield, I feel like I get compassion, I get treated like a human being,” someone said during public comment.
The overnight shelter, run out of the Smithfield United Church of Christ, was never intended to be open beyond the winter months, but due to an increase in homelessness in Allegheny County, the operation of the nightly shelter was extended.
“Yes, Smithfield was a pop-up. Essentially it wasn’t meant to be permanent. It wasn’t meant to cause this much grief over its closure, but the entire system recognized the need for a drastic improvement in our capacity to serve vulnerable people,” Chase Archer Evans said.
Evans serves on the county’s Homeless Advisory Board. He said he understands homelessness from personal experience.
“Every decision we make impacts the ability of thousands of people to not only make it day-to-day but to possibly survive. Homelessness is life or death every day,” Evans said.
Denny Scott, owner of the Wiener World on Smithfield Street, favors the closure. He said his business has decreased by 25% over the past year.
“There’s open-air drug dealing, open-air drug use, public urination, defecation, theft. All of these issues exist,” Scott said.
Executive Director of Light of Life Rescue Mission, Jerrel Gilliam, addressed the council Thursday night. He said the county has lost around 400 transitional beds over the past four years.
“There’s been a particular initiative used called ‘housing first,’ and it was given priority in spending. Because of that, other approaches ended up being defunded, and we lost beds,” Gilliam said.
That means 400 chances for someone experiencing homelessness to transition into stable housing were lost.
“You need more than just placing someone in housing? There’s usually a reason why someone is in a homeless state, so you need to come around them and help them to perform, to transform, and then help them become successful,” Gilliam said.
Advocates for the homeless say they need daytime resource centers to identify and gain access to special services.
Critics of the shelter say it should be shut down and moved to an area away from downtown after several businesses have either departed or are threatening to leave.
Council members will determine the next course of action after the hearing.
