Proposed Polish Hill shelter sparks debate about homelessness
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
A proposed year-round overflow homeless shelter in Polish Hill has divided residents over exactly how to accommodate people experiencing homelessness.
Why it matters: Allegheny County's push to ensure everyone has access to shelter faces a major obstacle in figuring out where to place some homeless shelters.
- "It would be an understatement to say that the community has been divided on this," Polish Hill Civic Association board of directors president Colleen Shuda said.
Driving the news: The city's Zoning Board of Adjustment heard testimony Thursday on a proposed overflow shelter at 3567 Bigelow Blvd. in Polish Hill, near the Bloomfield Bridge.
- Board chair Alice Mitinger said Thursday's meeting was the most contentious since a housing proposal for the former Irish Centre site near Frick Park was taken up three years ago.
Context: The Allegheny County Department of Human Services (ACDHS) is looking to replace an emergency winter shelter in Perry South in the North Side.
- The proposed Polish Hill shelter would operate year-round.
Zoom in: The building is vacant and has been used previously to host events.
- Standard operating hours would run 7pm-9am daily.
- It would hold 80-100 beds, with the option to expand to 150 during emergencies.
- 25 employees would work during operating hours.
- Shuttles would move occupants to Polish Hill when other permanent shelters are at capacity.
Zoom out: A point-in-time count in February found 1,108 unhoused people in Allegheny County. Of those, 178 were unsheltered.
How it works: The Polish Hill location is more centrally located, has access to more public transit and has a good layout for sleeping arrangements, ACDHS said at the Thursday hearing.
- The floors ACDHS wants to use aren't accessible to Bethoven Street.
- Shuttles will only use Bigelow Boulevard, not residential streets, said officials.
What they're saying: Pittsburgh City Councilperson Deb Gross (D-Highland Park), who represents Polish Hill, said she opposes the proposal because it provides temporary beds rather than permanent housing.
Friction point: Over two dozen Polish Hill residents and business owners spoke in opposition to the shelter, citing traffic concerns and potential crime.
- Vanessa Mizrahi, 37, lives on Bethoven Street near the proposed shelter with her husband and two young children.
- She told Axios she is worried that adding up to 150 nightly residents will cause disruption in the adjoining neighborhood, especially in evenings and mornings when people will be arriving at and leaving the shelter.
The other side: A dozen residents spoke in favor of the proposal, saying it's needed to serve people experiencing homelessness and noting the neighborhood already serves low-income seniors with a large tower at John Paul Plaza.
Between the lines: Shelter proposals usually come with some local pushback.
- In 2023, the county sought proposals for a small shelter in Carrick that was eventually dropped after neighbors' opposition.
- Since the winter shelter at Downtown's Smithfield United Church of Christ closed in 2023, the county has struggled to find a permanent replacement.
What's next: ACDHS has six weeks to submit further findings before the zoning board addresses the application again, per Mitinger.