Allegheny County to close Smithfield Shelter in summer

The temporary overnight homeless shelter at Smithfield United Church of Christ will close by the end of June, officials from Allegheny County Department of Human Services said Monday.

The shelter typically is open only during the winter months, but officials in March announced it would remain open longer this year. As of March, more than 100 people were staying there nightly, according to DHS.

The department and other partners are seeking vacancies in other shelters, expanding capacity at existing facilities and identifying new shelter locations, DHS spokesperson Mark Bertolet said in a statement. Officials also may use overflow in other facilities, he said.

Bertolet said officials’ engagement with landlords “has resulted in additional housing being made available, which means more people can exit the homelessness system to permanent housing.”

DHS also is working to address other needs homeless individuals face beyond housing, including health care, mental health care and substance use, he said.

The Smithfield Shelter has always been a temporary shelter used only in colder months, Bertolet said.

“The facility, however, is not a permanent solution and is not equipped to handle a population during the warm or hot weather months for a number of reasons, including the lack of a central cooling system,” he said.

Over the last year, he said, the county has created additional shelter and seen an increase in unsheltered homeless. The county, in partnership with Pittsburgh and various other organizations, opened Second Avenue Commons, a new homeless shelter in Downtown Pittsburgh that quickly filled to capacity.

“It’s DHS’ top priority to continue to develop housing solutions for those experiencing sheltered and unsheltered (homelessness),” Bertolet said.