Many of Allegheny County's housing units are empty, despite homeless people on wait lists, audit finds

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A new audit says hundreds of homeless people are on waiting lists for housing but many vacant units are going unused. The Allegheny County Controller's Office calls the situation unacceptable and is demanding change. 

Many people in encampments are waiting for subsidized housing to get them off the street, but the audit by County Controller Corey O'Connor finds that units are available but have gone unfilled. 

In between the county jail and the Parkway East, a sprawling encampment lines the Eliza Furnace Trail. There Antonio has spent the past year on a county waiting list, waiting for housing. 

"Honestly I haven't heard anything back yet. Like I said, it's probably been almost a year, still haven't heard anything back from them. The wait time is honestly ridiculous," he said. 

"For somebody to be laying the street when there's a vacant bed is absolutely wrong," O'Connor said. 

An audit released Thursday by County Controller Corey O'Connor finds that some housing meant for people like Antonio has been going unused. The report targets the county Department of Human Services' bridge housing program -- so named because the units are transitional and meant to be a bridge from temporary shelter to more permanent housing. 

But of about 140 available bridge housing units reviewed, there was an average of 50 vacancies through the course of last year. At the YMCA on the North Side, the county has contracted for 10 bridge housing units but the audit showed only two or three were occupied at any one time.

"It is unacceptable. There are people that need help," O'Connor said.

For the county's part, DHS Director Erin Dalton largely agreed with the findings, saying the county has since stepped up its monitoring of bridge housing providers to speed up the turnover of units, doing the necessary clearing and repairs in a more timely manner. 

But both Dalton and O'Connor agreed that more bridge housing and more permanent affordable housing is needed to move people out of encampments and emergency shelters. The report found most people spend an average of 47 days in emergency shelters  -- far in excess of the county's goal of 30 days -- but there is nowhere for them to go. 

"One person stayed 1,500 days in an emergency shelter. That's unacceptable to them. They get demoralized but also the entire system is failing," O'Connor said.

And people like Antonio say they're stuck. 

KDKA-TV's Andy Sheehan asked him what he thinks will happen when the cold weather comes. 

"Hopefully by that time, I'll have some shelter. If not, I don't know what I'm going to do," Antonio replied. 

The broader problem is a lack of supply -- of shelter, bridge housing and permanent affordable housing. Until that housing comes online, encampments will remain.