Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday introduced legislation in an attempt to find immediate solutions to Pittsburgh’s homelessness issues, including a proposal to build tiny houses on city-owned land.

The measure, sponsored by Council President Theresa Kail-Smith and Councilwoman Deb Gross, classified homelessness in the city as a “public health emergency” as homeless individuals are left to contend with extreme weather without adequate shelter.

The legislation asks that the mayor, the housing authority and several city departments present council with proposals to address homelessness and temporary, immediate solutions to the issue. Those ideas are to be sent to council within two weeks of the legislation’s approval.

The measure also directs the Departments of Innovation and Performance and Finance to find 10 parcels of city-owned land with water and sewer connections in place that could be used for tiny home development; 10 parcels of city-owned land with water and sewer connections that can be developed into affordable housing for rent or ownership; 10 parcels of city-owned that could be used as heating or cooling shelters and 10 parcels of land under the Department of Finance’s control that have structures that could be used for affordable housing or temporary shelter.

The goal, Gross said, is to find a temporary solution for homelessness that can be put into effect in the near-term while leaders seek permanent fixes.

“It won’t be easy. It won’t be immediate,” she said. “But we can do it sooner and faster than permanent housing.”

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Gross said individuals experiencing homelessness should have a more permanent housing option than shelters that typically let someone stay for only hours at a time.

“Shelters are not really housing,” she said. “Having a bed for just a few hours — not even for 24 hours — that’s not housing. There’s a real gap while we work on more permanent housing.”

Kail-Smith said she feels the way the homeless are treated now is “disgusting.”

“People should not be homeless in the city of Pittsburgh when we have so many resources coming in here,” she said.

This comes after Kail-Smith last week said she was looking to find solutions to the homeless issues that benefit residents, businesses and those who are experiencing homelessness.

“This is done out of compassion,” said Councilman Anthony Coghill, who signed on as a co-sponsor along with Councilman Bobby Wilson. “The status quo is not good enough.”

Maria Montaño, spokeswoman for Mayor Ed Gainey, last week said that the city has been “doing ongoing outreach to the majority of unhoused residents” in an effort to connect them with needed resources. The “vast majority” of the city’s homeless, she said, are on waiting lists for housing.

“We are exploring several immediate solutions at this time while also focusing on building out long-term sustainable housing options for our residents and are eager to work with council to make that happen,” Montaño said Tuesday.

Though the city continues to struggle to meet demand for affordable housing, Gross said officials have been investing in solutions to the issue for years. Council has moved $56 million in the last five years or so, she said, to fund affordable housing and rental assistance initiatives. About $40 million in American Rescue Plan funding has been directed to housing projects and assistance, she said.

The legislation introduced Tuesday could be ready for a preliminary vote as soon as next week, with a final vote as early as next week.

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