Just before snow began to fall across the region Tuesday, Allegheny County announced it would reopen a winter shelter Tuesday night for people experiencing homelessness.
The shelter at the Smithfield United Church of Christ, located at 620 Smithfield Street in Downtown Pittsburgh, has beds for up to 50 men and 20 women starting at 7 p.m. The church hosts the Severe Weather Emergency Shelter in partnership with Pittsburgh Mercy’s Operation Safety Net and Community Human Services Corporation as part of a contract with Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services.
The county initially announced it would not open the Smithfield shelter this winter, despite keeping other cold-weather shelters run by the county in operation.
According to a county spokesperson, since Smithfield UCC had been a winter shelter in the past, the facilities were already in place to temporarily house people in the event of an emergency.
The church will continue to host people overnight seven days a week until the long-awaited Second Avenue Commons shelter opens, which a DHS spokesperson said is completing its final inspections. Once open, the 24-hour facility will have 95 bunkbeds year-round, and 135 beds for people to access in the winter.
The private corporations managing the facility had previously stated it would be open on or before Tuesday, Nov. 15 — the traditional date winter shelters in the county open each year.
According to a recent count done by Allegheny County, 650 people were experiencing homelessness in September, and 200 of those people had no shelter. Addressing homelessness has become a top priority for city officials after tent camps received increased media attention over the summer.
Last week, the city’s public works department cleared a small homeless encampment after giving notice to residents there. According to city officials, the move came as part of the city’s preparations in advance of the Second Avenue Commons opening. When asked about a new timeline and the additional delays, a city spokesperson said they had no further updates at this time.
In the meantime, anyone seeking overnight shelter can access services at Smithfield UCC from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. The staff there will help people relocate to Second Avenue Commons once its permits are in place by beginning the intake process ahead of time.
Meals will also be provided, as well as access to showers and laundry.
