Pittsburgh City Council president calls for removal of homeless encampments
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Homeless encampments have sprung up around the waterfronts and throughout the city.
City residents are concerned for their own safety and the people experiencing homelessness. Some city council members said both deserve immediate action.
Underneath the Warhol Bridge, a homeless encampment seems to have sprung up overnight. By day, many of the people experiencing homelessness congregate on the Duquesne Boulevard promenade.
The city and county say they're working with these people, trying to provide for their needs while attempting to get them into some kind of permanent housing.
Since the pace is slow, some organizations have even provided tents. But Pittsburgh City Council President Theresa Kail-Smith calls this misguided and wants immediate action.
"We're not helping people. We're creating more victims. And that's not the answer," she said. "We need some immediate response from both the county and the city to come together and work this out immediately."
Kail-Smith is joined by Councilwoman Deb Gross and Councilman Bobby Wilson in asking both the city and county to address the crisis in the short term, like finding an empty hotel or assembling tiny house villages in which to place these people.
"We need to give the people that are homeless, that are without housing and people that are living in and around this some relief," Kail-Smith said. "We need some relief immediately."
The city believes relief will come when the under-construction shelter opens downtown, providing at least temporary shelter for many. But while Kail-Smith and others say more housing is needed, Mayor Ed Gainey said removing the tents is not an option.
"I'm not going to remove them by force," Gainey said. "We're going to do something that is a little bit more humane."
"I would like to see the tents removed," Kail-Smith said. "There's a way to do it with some compassion. I'd like to see the tents removed. But more importantly, I'd like to see the people get into safe housing."
Finding that housing in the short term could be a tall order, but Smith and other calls this a crisis and say bold and immediate action is needed.