The Erie City Mission has visited nearly 400 homeless encampments in the past year, highlighting the growing issue of homelessness in the area.
The outreach ministry of the Erie City Mission conducts visits to encampments three times a week, aiming to connect with individuals in need and offer assistance.
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Rob O’Connell, Outreach Coordinator at the Erie City Mission, emphasized the importance of making personal connections with the homeless community, stating, “I want them to know that they matter. That they matter to God, that they matter to us, they’re important, they’re not forgotten and they’re cared for.”
O’Connell has been involved in helping the homeless community for nearly 20 years and noted that the severity of the issue continues to increase each year. The mission’s teams encourage those in need to accept assistance, including shelter and resources for mental health, addiction, and poverty.
Aaron Snippert, Executive Director of the Redevelopment Authority in Erie, highlighted the need for supportive housing, referencing a new project at 21st and Sassafras that will convert a former school into 22 apartments for permanent supportive housing.
Construction for the supportive housing project, led by the Hamot Health Foundation, is set to begin in January. Charles Boo Hagerty, President of the foundation, expressed the urgency of addressing chronic homelessness, stating, “We have so many people chronically unhoused in our community… and we just think that’s too long.”
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Encampments are common across the city, including areas along the railroad tracks and behind businesses on Upper Peach Street. Efforts to clear these areas are ongoing, as noted by Jade Leah Burns during her report.
With ongoing efforts from the Erie City Mission and upcoming supportive housing projects, the community is taking steps to address the rising issue of homelessness. The Hamot Health Foundation plans to have the new apartments open by next fall, offering hope for those in need of stable housing.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WJET/WFXP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WJET/WFXP staff before being published.