Affordable Housing Concerns Dominate Community Development Block Grant Meeting
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A meeting regarding funding from the Community Development Block Grant took on a different tone Tuesday night as people wanted to talk about affordable housing options in Pittsburgh.
"Where am I supposed to go?" one man said.
"I want to see the money put in the right place and I want to see people not be inconvenienced to say the least," another man said.
A lot of frustrated people are asking for help when it comes to finding affordable housing in Pittsburgh.
"As senior residents of the City of Pittsburgh, we rely on our doctors, hospitals, grocery stores, public transportation, and the need for low income one bedroom units in East Liberty," Pamela Hopkins said.
"It's hard to stay in the City of Pittsburgh. They have watched their neighborhoods -- they have watched themselves get priced out of their neighborhoods. They have watched themselves have to move from places like Homewood and East Liberty," Sam Williamson, of the SEIU Local 32BJ, said.
The meeting was designed as a public forum to make suggestions to the Community Development Block Grant on how funds for 2016 should be spent.
"The purpose of this money is basically to create housing, economic development and the CDBG's program's primary function is to ensure the - to increase the quality of life of low-mod income people living in the City of Pittsburgh," Michael Petrucci, of the Community Development Block Grant, said.
Many people are still upset about what the future holds for the Penn Plaza Apartments.
"Most of them are customers at my store and I see how hard they work, and I think that they deserve to keep their homes no matter what. They have been in those homes since the 70's, the 60's, the 80's. They deserve to keep their homes," Stormie Miramontez said.
The deadline for applications for Community Development Block Grants is Sept. 30. For more information, click here.
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