A month after the shelter fire, unhoused people ‘strive for another day’ as advocates look ahead

From left, Marvell Stillwell, 39, Tara Springer, 34, Anita Green, 43, and Timothy Maloni, 42, photographed throughout Pittsburgh in June 2024. The four have recent experience with homelessness and housing instability. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource) Damage to the Second Avenue Commons shelter displaced nearly 200 people on June 4, and some have faced more dislocation since. We spoke with former shelter users and those who work with them about the month that followed, and the challenges ahead. “PublicSource is an independent nonprofit newsroom serving the Pittsburgh region.& Sign up for our free newsletters.” by Eric Jankiewicz, Stephanie Strasburg and Laura Turbay, PublicSource July 2, 2024 It’s been nearly a month since a fire shut down Allegheny County’s low-barrier shelter Second Avenue Commons, suddenly displacing 188 people. As homelessness continues to rise in the county, unhoused people and the people and agencies helping them considered the immediate response to the temporary shelter closure and the persistent challenges that the blaze only heightened. Before the smoke had even cleared from the June 4 fire, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center was transformed into an 11-day temporary shelter for up to 150 people. When that closed, Pittsburgh Mercy opened an emergency shelter in...