Brackenridge zoning board considers request to provide temporary shelter for homeless

Converting a former personal care home in Brackenridge for use by homeless families would not be a burden to the neighborhood, several people told the Brackenridge Zoning Hearing Board on Tuesday night.

“It would be the solution to a burden in this community,” Misty Woody, a Harrison resident and past president of the Highlands School Board, said.

“There are people in this community sleeping in their cars. Do you know how hard it is to stay focused in school when you don’t know where you’re going to sleep at night?”

Woody was one of about 50 people who packed the borough building for a hearing to consider a variance request by the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches (AVAC).

The Harrison non-profit is seeking to use the former Applewood Personal Care Home in the 900 block of Morgan Street to provide temporary refuge for the homeless.

The zoning board has 45 days to rule on the request, Solicitor John Arch said. Their recommendation will go to Brackenridge Council, which has the final vote.

What they plan to do

Under the proposal from the church association, the property would be used to house families with children. No more than 30 people would live there at one time.

The building is configured for a group home setting, with 13 bedrooms, a kitchen and shared living spaces, said Alice Mitinger, the church association attorney.

There would be 24-hour supervision and security at night. During the day, parents would be at work or looking for work, and children would be in school.

“We don’t lock the doors and send them out into the streets,” AVAC Executive Director Karen Snair said.

Every tenant would commit to no illegal activities or drug use, Mitinger said. Curfew would be 9 p.m. unless work or other reasons required a later time.

Snair said the program has an 85% success rate of transitioning people to permanent housing.

The Allegheny Valley Association of Churches, founded in 1958, has been providing temporary housing and support programs for families for nearly 30 years, mostly within its member churches. But covid-19 halted most of those operations, Snair said.

Many people spoke passionately in favor of the proposal.

“If your family was in that position, would you want them in the streets?” asked Selena Foster, a borough resident for 40 years.

Mike Choma, long-time Highlands sports announcer, submitted a letter to be read during the meeting.

“I faced setbacks when I was young and if you’ve been fortunate enough not to need this type of help, here’s your chance to give back,” the letter said. “If you’ve received help, here’s your chance to pay it forward.”

Residents’ concerns

There were others who questioned traffic and safety concerns related to the project.

Snair assured resident Maureen Kolar that people staying there will have passed background checks.

“I’m all for helping local people, but I don’t think we need to bring everyone in from Pittsburgh,” resident Barbara Larkin said.

Zoning board member Ron Roth and a couple audience members questioned the parking, while others expressed concern that the busy intersection of Ninth Avenue and Morgan isn’t safe for children.

Resident Martha Wright lamented that as a non-profit, the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches could be excused by Allegheny County from paying borough taxes.

“I’m not against the program, but there’s better locations,” she said. “I hate to see us lose another business.”

Defending the plan

Building owner Leslie McKinney said she pays $1,600 a year in taxes to the borough and $6,500 to the school district.

Woody, a long-time community advocate, implored people to find compassion.

Homelessness does not equate to trouble, she said.

“It means they are struggling,” Woody said. “They just need help.”

Perhaps the most potent speakers were two people who received services from AVAC in past years.

Alphonsus Gibson told the board that his family of six was afforded temporary housing through the non-profit and that they’ve stayed in the community and now are homeowners and taxpayers.

“This is for people who need it, and there’s a lot who need it,” Gibson said. “Not everyone that comes through is a bad person.”

Highlands alum Jennifer Elliott told the crowd that at 13, she and her mother found themselves homeless. She wondered if she would graduate from high school.

“Here I am now at 27, a college graduate, all because of the love and compassion I received here,” she said. “I had no idea at the time what an impact the program would have on my life so many years later.”