Allegheny County recently announced the closure of the Smithfield Street homeless shelter by the end of June without a clear plan to relocate its clients. This is a mistake. Closing this shelter will harm hundreds of our neighbors.
There has been an estimated 24% increase in people experiencing homelessness in Allegheny County in 2023, filling all beds at the downtown shelters — the new Second Avenue Commons and the normally temporary Smithfield Street shelter. Proponents of the closure argue that the Smithfield Street shelter should not replace permanent housing and that its facilities are inadequate. Both of these points are true.
However, some shelter is better than none in the face of severe climate. Unhoused people deserve shelter from the health hazards of the summer, including severe heat that causes heat stroke and exposure to air pollutants that can damage the lungs.
As resident physicians, we know that removing a social safety net without replacement results in neighbors falling through the cracks, leading to poor health and increased hospitalizations. By closing the Smithfield Street shelter, Allegheny County suggests that this is acceptable. We ask you, the reader, to remind our leaders that it is not.
Dr. Emily Min
Bloomfield
Dr. Valerie Gobao
Oakland