Officials seek beds for people displaced from Smithfield Shelter in Pittsburgh

Allegheny County officials on Wednesday said they are working to provide additional resources and alternate shelter spaces for the people who have been using the Smithfield United Church of Christ temporary overnight shelter, which will close by the end of June.

The shelter typically is open only during the winter months, but officials in March announced it would remain open longer this year. Last week, officials said the shelter would be closed in the coming weeks.

The Allegheny County Department of Human Services and other partners have been working to find vacancies in the shelter system, expand capacity at existing facilities and identify new shelter locations. Officials said they also may use overflow in other facilities.

There are between 100 and 125 people who stay at the Smithfield Street shelter more than a few nights per month, officials said.

So far, they have identified over 100 beds in existing facilities that can expand capacity, including East End Cooperative Ministries, Light of Life, Second Avenue Commons and Unity Recovery. DHS staff are meeting with other sites that could potentially serve as additional shelter options.

DHS and partner organizations have engaged with people experiencing homelessness and staying at the Smithfield St. site to connect them with other shelter vacancies, as well as services like health care, mental health resources and substance abuse help.

DHS is partnering with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and foundations to launch a van service so that homeless individuals can have transportation to and from shelter locations and other supports, including locations serving meals and offering showers or where people go for health care, mental health and substance abuse care.

Officials said details on the van service will be released in the coming weeks.

The department said its first priority is to “continue to develop housing solutions” for people experiencing homelessness. In the last year, the county has created more shelter and seen an increase in unsheltered homeless, officials said.

Over the last year, DHS said, over 400 households have enrolled in DHS-funded permanent housing programs, and over 900 people moved into permanent housing.

Such programs will be expanded as the department received a total of $23.9 million in United States Department of Housing and Urban Development funding, up $1 million from prior years.

DHS also partners with the City of Pittsburgh Housing Authority and the Housing Authority of Allegheny County for the Emergency Housing Voucher Program.

The department touted the work of Second Avenue Commons, a new shelter that opened Downtown in November. The year-round shelter has about 90 beds and 43 single-occupancy apartment-style rooms. The shelter, which opened in partnership between the city, county and several local businesses and nonprofits, also offers various programs and a primary care clinic operated by UPMC.

Since its November opening, Second Avenue Commons has seen 18 people move into permanent housing, 22 people secure employment, 450 people connect to benefits, 176 people connect to treatment for substance use disorder, 115 individuals connect to behavioral health services and 75 people obtain identification cards, county officials said.

The UPMC health center there has completed 643 visits with 213 patients, ordered 40 prescription glasses in partnership with OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation and dispensed 169 free prescriptions from the centers on-site medication supply.

One-on-one assistance is available at Second Avenue Commons, and people can call Allegheny Link at 1-866-730-2368 for support.