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Residents press council on homelessness, youth policing and developer transparency
Summary
Multiple public speakers at the July 21 council meeting urged alternatives to policing young people, criticized cuts to food and housing programs, and called for transparency around URA developer deals; speakers included sheltered residents and long-time community advocates.
Several residents used the public-comment period at the July 21 Pittsburgh City Council meeting to press the council on homelessness, youth policing and what they described as preferential treatment of developers.
Rosalind, a Carnegie Mellon University student and Bloomfield resident, criticized restrictions on young people’s use of Market Square and said policing had been used against teenagers who seek public space. "The solution is not policing," she said, urging restorative approaches over enforcement.
Unique Brown, who identified herself as living in a shelter, told council the city is failing people without homes. She said the Housing Opportunity Fund receives $10,000,000 a year and that last year it supported 129 units, arguing the pace is insufficient. "At that rate, my children will be senior citizens before the city houses the people sleeping on the streets today," she said, and accused council of making people "invisible" by clearing encampments rather than building housing.
An unidentified commenter urged the council to postpone a vote scheduled the following day and alleged that the Urban Redevelopment Authority and developers receive giveaways and long-term tax advantages; the speaker asked for a public database of developer LLC names to improve transparency.
Jevon F. Brown, a longtime public commenter, recounted the death of his son following an encounter with police and said he continued to attend meetings to seek accountability. The session included a registered speaker, Dr. Ronald Lynn Miller, who questioned whether certain conduct met the Home Rule Charter's standards for impeachment and singled out Councilmember Deborah Gross for attendance concerns; Miller said he would pursue the matter unless contacted by the council. No response or formal action to Miller’s assertions was recorded in the meeting minutes.
Council did not take action on the public comments during the meeting; several items later on the agenda advanced through committee readings and votes.
