Pittsburgh councilperson sounds alarm over proposal to address homelessness
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — There's controversy at Pittsburgh City Hall over dueling plans to address homelessness.
One council member is sounding the alarm over a proposal heading to the City Planning Commission on Tuesday.
"We knew nothing about this," Ginny Hamer-Kropf, of Sheraden, said. "Again, the city of Pittsburgh, they are not transparent. The mayor's office is not transparent."
Concerned residents are speaking out about the controversial proposal in Pittsburgh. Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith said the proposed legislation would let the city turn buildings into homeless shelters with no public input.
"We work for the public," she said. "They deserve a conversation and the respect of having conversations."
"For me, it's concerns that the public is not having a say on what's happening in their neighborhood," she added.
Kail-Smith sent a letter to her constituents ahead of Tuesday's public hearing. It claims the City Planning Commission will be able to make decisions without notifying the community, things like changing a school or nursing home into a homeless shelter.
"My concern is not everything can be centered in the city of Pittsburgh," she said. "It has to be spread out across Allegheny County, and we have to make sure that the services from Allegheny County are being delivered."
Kail-Smith says the City Planning Commission has approved legislation to "allow residential group homes of up to 10 people without any community notification or public process," to "approve changing a school or nursing home into a large homeless shelter without any community notification or public process" and to "approve large homeless shelters and waive any zoning regulation it deems necessary."
Kail-Smith is introducing her own legislation, but a spokesperson with Mayor Ed Gainey's office says her plan will make this rezoning process longer and more expensive.
"I'm afraid what we've been fighting for for the past 30 years is home ownership," Hamer-Kropf said. "A neighborhood to be proud of. We won't have that if this goes through."
A spokesperson for Allegheny County Innamorato had no comment on Monday. Councilperson Anthony Coghill said in a statement in part that "it's absurd the Planning Commission would propose to bypass the public process and City Council to dictate where possible homeless shelters and alternative housing may be placed."
The City Planning Commission's meeting is at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. If you can't make it in person, you can call into the meeting or join on Zoom. You can also email corey.layman@pittsburghpa.gov and theresa.kail-smith@pittsburghpa.gov., or send a letter to:
Planning Commission
100 Ross Street, Suite 202
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
A public hearing on Kail-Smith's proposal is scheduled for next month. The city said Pittsburgh City Council can't take action on the City Planning Commission's recommendation until that bill is concluded.