🤞 It's Friday the 13th!

🌧️ Today's weather: Light rain likely, chance of snow with a high near 46.

🎧 Sounds like: "Ballad of the Opening Band," by Jeff Tweedy.

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Today’s newsletter is 947 words — a 3.5-minute read.

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 yesterday on a proposed overflow shelter at 3567 Bigelow Blvd. in Polish Hill, near the Bloomfield Bridge.

• Board chair Alice Mitinger said yesterday'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.

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 yesterday's hearing.

• The floors ACDHS wants to use aren't accessible to Bethoven Street.
• Shuttles will only use Bigelow Boulevard, not residential streets, officials said.

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.

What's next

Raising the minimum wage is at the top of Axios readers' wish list for Pennsylvania's new Democratic-led state government to address.

By the numbers: 40% of the more than 260 responses to our poll last week called for lawmakers to boost the floor for worker take-home pay. Other top agenda items were:

• 🚇 More funding for public transit — 20%
• 🌿 Legalizing recreational cannabis — 10%
• ❌ Data center moratorium — 6%

State of play: Pennsylvania Dems swept the governor's mansion, state House and Senate in this month's election, giving the party full control of state government starting next year.

Context: State Dems have been calling to increase the state's $7.25 minimum wage for a long time.

What else: A good chunk of respondents (15%) wrote in their own wish list item for Dems to tackle.

• ✅ Many called for Pennsylvania to have an open primary system, where voters of any affiliation can cast ballots in the primary of any party.
• As of now, Pennsylvania's primaries are closed, so only registered Democrats and Republicans can vote in their party's primary.

Read what people are saying

🐷 The U.S. Postal Service's 2027 Mythical Creatures stamps spotlight five legendary beasts, including Pennsylvania's Squonk, a famously sad, self-conscious cryptid. (USPS)

🍕 Driftwood Oven will open its second location in January or February at 917 Western Ave. on the North Side, taking over the former Alberta's Pizzeria space. (Post-Gazette)

🏥 Allegheny Health Network will use a record $25 million gift from Dow Inc. executive chairman James Fitterling to expand cancer research and clinical trials. The hospital system will rename its cancer center for Fitterling, who received treatment there nearly 20 years ago. (Press release)

🏠 Bank of America named Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh and Neighborhood Allies its 2026 Neighborhood Builders, awarding each nonprofit $200,000 over two years, leadership training and networking opportunities to support affordable housing and economic mobility. (Press release)

👋 Ryan here. Chrissy and I grabbed Sunday brunch with our colleague Sam Allard from Axios Cleveland and my sandwich was good enough to write home about.

The intrigue: The "spit in the eye of yesterday" sandwich ($14) at Nico's Recovery Room is a massive and delicious meal in an unassuming bar.

Dig in: Combining turkey, bacon, cheddar, Swiss and spinach with a sriracha mayo on toasted Italian bread.

• The cherry on top is an over-medium egg that drips yolk over the whole thing.
• It comes with home fries, which are perfect for dunking in the excess yolk.

The vibe: Wood panels, cheap bottles of IC Light and lots of locals. Dive-bar feel with quality brunch fare.

If you go: 178 Pearl St., Bloomfield.

• Brunch on Sunday: 9am-1pm.

Share with a hungover friend

🫓 Chrissy highly recommends Nico's baked feta.

🎞️ Ryan is upset about the false advertising of "Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan," because the movie is 90% set on a random boat, not the Big Apple.

Thanks to Chloe Gonzales for editing this newsletter.