Pittsburgh councilman rips Gainey administration for poor communication

In an unusual display of frustration, Pittsburgh Councilman Anthony Coghill on Wednesday publicly lambasted Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration for what he called a lack of communication with council.

The Beechview councilman criticized the mayor and his staff for not consulting council before submitting a plan on how to spend $8 million in federal funds meant to address homelessness and a lack of affordable housing.

“I think the communication is terrible, the lack of it. There was none, none with me,” Coghill said during Wednesday’s sparsely attended council meeting, as representatives of the city’s Office of Management and Budget and the Urban Redevelopment Authority listened.

“I wish somebody would’ve communicated with council throughout this. I would’ve had suggestions.”

Coghill spearheaded a committee tasked with addressing the city’s homeless crisis. It has proposed a number of potential solutions, including a community of tiny houses.

But he said that when it came for the mayor’s office to put together its spending plan, they didn’t first consult him and other council members who have been vocal to remedy what many see as one of Pittsburgh’s most pressing issues.

At this point, officials said, revamping the spending plan to incorporate council’s feedback would restart a lengthy process that would require a new approval from federal housing authorities.

“It’s just simple communication,” an exasperated Coghill said. “What kills me is the city hired so many people for communication, and not one single person communicated with us.”

Gainey’s office this year budgeted more than $528,000 for a seven-person communications team.

Coghill wasn’t the only member of council complaining. Newcomer Bob Charland, D-South Side, who just took office this year, has already found communication lacking.

“It would be really helpful to have a partnership between the administration and council as we work through some of these things,” Charland said. “This isn’t just about this bill. It’s about a lot of other things. I continue to be frustrated.”

Gainey defends communication

Gainey, approached at a public event later in the day that was attended by Coghill, told TribLive said he wasn’t sure the complaints were credible.

“We were very transparent,” he said.

Olga George, a Gainey spokeswoman, noted that council initially passed legislation to approve the federal funding in December 2021. She said members have had “ample time to review the public record and engage in the public hearing.”

George also said that council was briefed on the bills last week in a closed-door meeting.

“We do our best to communicate and even over-communicate to the city and its residents,” George said. “We thank City Council for their feedback.”

The mayor’s plan would target $5.5 million for the development of affordable rental housing with the rest going to address homelessness and pay for administration and planning.

Coghill — who for the last two years has proposed a myriad of potential solutions to help homeless people — said he felt more of the federal money should be going to immediate needs, like temporary shelter. He questioned why the bulk was dedicated to developing affordable housing, which takes years to bring to fruition.

Officials said it has not been decided which projects or entities will get the money.

Quianna Wasler, the redevelopment authority’s chief housing officer, said the goal is to alleviate the burden on the city’s shelter system by moving people into permanent affordable housing, which would open more shelter beds for people living on the streets.

Councilwoman Barb Warwick, D-Greenfield, urged officials to present a more detailed plan with a timeline of when projects could be expected to move ahead.

Some council members, including Coghill, ripped the administration over a separate plan last month to pay consultants $6 million to develop what critics felt was a vague master plan for the city.

Council ultimately voted for that plan, overriding some members’ strenuous objections.

On Wednesday, members voted 7-0, with two abstentions, to advance the legislation for the housing funds. Coghill and Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith, D-West End, abstained.

Council is expected to take a final vote next week.