ROOTS outreach center, formerly on North Side, to continue operations at Second Avenue Commons

A North Side outreach center that closed at the start of the month will continue operating out of Second Avenue Commons near Downtown.

The Reaching Out On The Streets Program (ROOTS) was operating as a drop-in center at 519 East Ohio St. until Oct. 2, providing supportive programs and outreach to unhoused individuals and others in need of aid.

Last month, the city announced it would not be renewing the center’s lease.

The closure followed complaints from businesses on East Ohio Street about the center.

“The current location’s lease is up and the city decided to not renew it,” said Laura Drogowski, assistant director of the Office of Community Health and Safety.

Robert McAlister, a nurse at Central Outreach Wellness Center in Pittsburgh, said he and his staff had heard about complaints from nearby businesses, and believe they may have played a role in the center’s closure.

“It’s disheartening to see the needs of people experiencing homelessness treated as an inconvenience, especially when they already face so many barriers to accessing care and support,” McAlister said.

The ROOTS program was created in 2021 out of the Office of Community Health and Safety, which had been established just a year earlier. In 2022, the program received nearly $10 million in funding from a contract with Allegheny Health Network to expand the program.

Drogowski said ROOTS will continue operating out of Second Avenue Commons, an emergency shelter beside the Allegheny County Jail near Downtown.

“ROOTS is the largest program in the Office of Community Health & Safety,” Drogowski said. “Staff will continue to work in the community, at partner sites, at Second Avenue Commons and East End Cooperative Ministry, and at new sites as they are confirmed.”

Drogowski did not disclose where these additional hubs would be, but said when they are re-established people will be able to walk in during business hours.

ROOTS staffers retained their positions despite the drop-in center’s closure, and they continue to do community outreach, which includes directing people to their new headquarters, Drogowski said.

McAlister is part of a team that worked with ROOTS to help patients access housing referrals, ID vouchers, benefits paperwork, specialized services and basic necessities like Wi-Fi and phone charging. ROOTS was also a place where patients could take shelter from harsh elements, McAlister said.

“Since the closure, our interactions with ROOTS have been less frequent, and connecting patients to services has become more difficult,” McAlister said. “We can still direct people to Second Avenue Commons or provide contact information to the ROOTS team, but we’ve lost the ability for patients to directly access those resources on the North Side.”

McAlister added the distance to Second Avenue Commons can be a “significant obstacle” for people who have to walk or who lack access to a phone.

“Tasks like getting paperwork for medical or SNAP benefits now may require traveling across the city, and upcoming Medicaid changes could add further challenges,” McAlister said.

In June, the ROOTS program received an $800,000 grant to expand its outreach.

Drogowski said the majority of funds — approximately $650,000 — will be dedicated to staffing, while $100,000 will provide for the purchase of two vehicles.

The remaining money has been split between operational supplies and transportation assistance.

“ROOTS works to find a way,” Drogowski said.

McAlister said a solution would have to involve reinstating drop-in centers on the North Side, South Side and the Hill District.

“If the city wants to improve access for people experiencing homelessness, more neighborhood locations are needed,” McAlister said.