Pittsburgh council gripes about Gainey but passes his housing plan

Members of Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday renewed their complaints that Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration didn’t communicate with them about a plan to spend $8 million in federal funds meant to address homelessness and affordable housing.

Council ultimately approved the spending plan, despite pleas from exasperated council members for better communication with the mayor’s office about major issues such as this.

“I do have concerns that we’re working on two separate tracks, and we should not be,” said Councilwoman Deb Gross, D-Highland Park, who is on a council committee dedicated to addressing homelessness.

Councilman Anthony Coghill, D-Beechview, who headed the committee addressing homelessness, said his records indicated he had received only one email from the administration about the matter. It was a message inviting council members to participate in a public hearing, he said.

He was one of several council members who said this issue is indicative of a larger problem with the Gainey administration leaving council members in the dark and declining to collaborate with them.

“I have yet to be reached out to by the administration on anything,” said Councilman Bob Charland, D-South Side, who took his seat on council in early January. “I brought my concerns to them, but I have yet to have any productive conversations with the administration.”

Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith, D-West End, said there have even been times when the administration has provided “misinformation.”

Olga George, a spokeswoman for Gainey, last week responded to criticisms about the lack of communication by saying the administration had done its best to “over-communicate.”

Several council members said they felt their hands were tied on Tuesday’s vote regarding spending of the federal dollars. To revamp the plan to better align with council’s priorities would restart a lengthy process and require new approvals from federal housing authorities.

The mayor’s spending plan includes $5.5 million for developing affordable rental housing, about $2 million for shelter and support services and the remainder for administration and planning. Developing affordable housing will take years, officials have said.

The plan does not yet include specifics on which projects or entities will get the money.

“I very much disagree with the way they allocate this money,” Coghill said, arguing more of the cash should’ve been earmarked for more immediate needs facing people living on the streets.

Coghill and Gross — along with other members of the committee tasked with addressing homelessness — have brought forth a number of proposals that they believe could help the unhoused, including a community of tiny homes and a plan to convert unused Downtown buildings into temporary shelters.

“I have yet to see commonsense plan from the administration,” Coghill said. “It’s irresponsible and, quite frankly, it’s an insult.”

Coghill abstained from some of the bills related to the federal funding, and voted against another. All other council members voted in favor of the zoning package, though many of them had voiced frustrations over how it was presented to council.