Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato’s 500-in-500 program to house people staying in shelters has activated 191 housing units in 250 days, officials said this week. That puts the push past the one-third mark in unit count at halftime.
Along the Eliza Furnace Trail Monday, county and City of Pittsburgh officials celebrated the closing of a longstanding trailside encampment, which they said had been the last cluster of tents remaining in the city’s Golden Triangle.
Innamorato, Mayor Ed Gainey, county Department of Human Services Director Erin Dalton and community organizer Muhammad Ali Nasir, known as MAN-E, all spoke at the press conference to the synergy between local government departments and community organizers like MAN-E’s Community Care and Resistance in Pittsburgh and Bridge to the Mountains that offered supplies and support to people living along the Eliza Furnace Trail.
Dalton praised the efficacy of the program, highlighting how the encampments were cleared without signage or threats, and noting that some other cities have not had the same success.
Is the program on track, or behind schedule? Here’s what they’re saying as the effort hits the midpoint of its calendar.
The executive: Hundreds housed, tent numbers down
Innamorato reported that by the end of January, 278 people were housed, and in addition to the 191 units created there were 50 more “in the pipeline.” She added that the number of tents is the “lowest that they have been in years,” crediting the program.
County data shows that roughly 50 fewer people are experiencing unsheltered homelessness compared to mid-December.
“We have to find moments of celebration,” Innamorato said.
The mayor: Empty space reflects shared ‘home’
Gainey said the “empty space” of the former encampment symbolizes “that we are very close to ending unsheltered homelessness in the City of Pittsburgh,” and that the program is a demonstration of their commitment to extending prosperity to every Pittsburgher.
“Keep Pittsburgh Home” is not just a phrase, but a shared commitment, Gainey said, citing renter protections, eviction defense and affordability.
The community organizer: Voices heard, needs met
MAN-E said the 500-in-500 program gives unsheltered people agency and restores their dignity, “making sure their voices remain central in this process.”
“This was about ensuring that they had real, stable, sheltering housing that met their needs. This was about making sure they had a say in their future and that they were given support necessary to transition into safe, long-term housing,” he said.
The activist: The system is still a barrier
In an interview Tuesday, Sam Schmidt of Our Streets Collective noted some positive traction, saying that the program has allowed agencies to offer “longer-term shelter and housing options” to unhoused people, though it might not be “as robust as the county executive anticipated.”
Schmidt confirmed that people are being placed in housing through the 500-in-500 program, but added that “the only way to eradicate homelessness in the long term is by decommodifying housing and providing robust wraparound services from DHS, like all forms of health care access, transportation support and case management for the most vulnerable.”
Jake Vasilias is an editorial intern at PublicSource and can be reached at jake@publicsource.org.
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