Congressman Doyle, Community Leaders Convene Homelessness Forum: September 3 Event at CMU to Focus on the Increasing Rate of Homelessness

August 19, 2009

by Pennsylvania RealEstateRama

Pittsburgh, PA – August 19, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Congressman Mike Doyle (PA-14) will be the keynote speaker at a September 3 community forum, which has been called to address the increasing incidence of homelessness in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. FHLBank Pittsburgh is a cosponsor of this event.

The forum, entitled “One Paycheck Away: the Reality of Homelessness in Pennsylvania,” is being convened to increase public awareness about the changing face of homelessness in the region. It will be held on Thursday, September 3 from 11 a.m. to noon at University Center on the Carnegie Mellon University campus, 5000 Forbes Avenue.

The forum marks the first of several events being held as a prelude to the 2009 Sleep-In for the Homeless, scheduled for October 9 at the City-County Building downtown. That event is designed to support more than 1,500 homeless children, seniors, veterans and other adults through the programs of Community Human Services, a nearly 40-year-old nonprofit that makes available affordable housing, health care, eviction prevention programs and a variety of services for youth, families, seniors and disabled adults as well as those facing homelessness.

“The last two years have proved to America that adversity can touch anyone,” said Congressman Doyle in announcing his support for the homelessness forum. “Poverty and the relative scarcity of affordable housing are the two most common reasons for the rise in homelessness, but there are other significant causes including the loss of jobs, homes, and health insurance, as well as the rise in single-parent and teen-parent households, to name just a few,” Doyle said.

“On any given evening, there are approximately 2,400 individuals in Pittsburgh who are homeless,” added the Congressman, who serves on the Board of Advisors of the local Homeless Children’s Education Fund. “It’s time for our community to take a renewed look at this issue and roll up our sleeves to stop this number from moving even higher.”

During the September 3 forum at CMU, Doyle will speak to recent changes in federal legislation affecting outreach to the homeless, including a homelessness prevention fund that was part of this year’s economic stimulus legislation passed by Congress. Other speakers at the event include Sarah Kahn, director of field mobilization with the National Alliance to End Homelessness in Washington, DC; Michael Lindsay of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services; Adrienne Walnoha, executive director of Community Human Services; and the Rev. Mike Wurschmidt, rector of Shepherd’s Heart Ministries, a program for homeless veterans.

“Across the country and in our own area, homelessness is increasing while the availability of shelter and basic social services is being strained,” observed Walnoha. “We must make ‘America’s Most Livable City’ just that for all its citizens and ensure that both in the city and county, the homeless receive the support they need so they can stop sleeping in streets and cars and avoid becoming a permanent statistic. Our forum is designed to explore ways to accomplish this goal,” Walnoha said.

The September 3 forum on homelessness will be held in Rangos 1 on the second floor of CMU’s University Center. Parking is available in the East Campus Garage on Forbes Avenue adjacent to the center. To register for the forum, call Diane McMahon of Community Human Services at 412-246-1608, or email her at: ">.

Planning continues for the Friday, Oct. 9 Sleep-in for the Homeless, an awareness and fundraising event to be held in the portico and lobby of the City-County Building. Current details about the Sleep-in can be found by visiting http://sleepinforthehomeless.blogspot.com.

Current sponsors of the 2009 Sleep-in for the Homeless include the University of Pittsburgh, Carlow University, Carnegie Mellon University, Robert Morris University, LaRoche College, Point Park University, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (FHLBank), J.P. Phillips Inc., PNC Bank and The Bank of New York Mellon.

Comments

Comment by Debra Foster on March 30, 2010 @ 7:02 pm

I would like to know if philadelphia homeless prevention received 787 billion dollars to prevent homelessness, why did the office of supportive housing office staff put us up for thirty days then kicked us out on th street. we provided them with the letter from the landlord, how much the rent would be per month and the date expected to move in. My family was told that they didn’t have enough funds to keep us there for (2) two more weeks. Not to mention that one of my son’s is a veteran who served in Iraqi freedom and Iraqi Enduring Freedom. We have complied with all that they requested. The place we found was inspected. it wasn’t approved for minor things like the stove wasn’t clean, the floor appeared to look dirty, an outlet loose and so on. I understand they have guidelines, but there are places that was approved for families to more in that may have looked terrible and not to mention housed for months. It appears to be a form of retailiation because I made a complaint when me and my family was sent away when we did in fact have a housing emergency. we provided the information from L&I. We have been trying our best to comply and we was not evicted. The landlord neglected to fix things and went into default. We did not expect to be released by the agency and told to go to a homeless shelter and all of my family to be separated. We have family values and did not want to be separated and so close to rapping this process up to move in and be stabled. The Rent and security deposit payment to the landlord is pending another inspection and now asking for documents we already provided. This is absolutely a horrible experience. There is no need to receive forms of retailiation. If the staff had handled this matter a little more professionally and understands what it is to be in a crisis of homelessness, maybe we wouldn’t be homeless and preventive measures appliied..what would happen to people here if we was as bad off as haiti???

Comment by Debra Foster on March 30, 2010 @ 7:31 pm

If in fact 1.5 billion is for prevention and re-housing for a homeless prevention fund (ESA) Emergency Grant Shelter program, why is my family homeless when we was processed and released to be homeless and no place to go. no referrals or anything. Although they had all the information in advance about the new place to be re-housed, March 15th, 2010, we was basicly kicked out or we can pay for our stay ourselves. we already spent alot on food since we had no cooking facilties, gas, clothes, application fees to find housing on our own. Not one time was we privided with transportation. We also requested help with moving expenses and some furniture items , and clothing voucher. we was told that they can only send us to a ware house where a sofa could only be provided.Most of our items was ruined. So if we can’t get assistance, who is?

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