PITTSBURGH \u2014 Catholic Charities officially purchased the property at 1635 Bedford Avenue in Pittsburgh on Monday, securing the permanent home of St. Joseph House of Hospitality. <\/p>\n
The purchase transfers ownership of the Hill District facility from the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, concluding a 32-year leasing agreement.<\/p>\n
The 60-bed facility operates as the only year-round residential program in Southwestern Pennsylvania dedicated to men age 50 and older experiencing or at risk of homelessness. <\/p>\n
Catholic Charities began operating the program in 1992, following a decade of management by the Diocese of Pittsburgh that started in 1982.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis milestone marks more than the acquisition of a building \u2014 it represents a renewed commitment to providing hope, stability and dignity for older men in our community who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless,\u201d Catholic Charities CEO Susan Rauscher said. <\/p>\n
St. Joseph House of Hospitality offers private furnished rooms, meals and case management services, including housing placement, job coaching, veterans\u2019 services and coordination for medical, dental and mental health care. <\/p>\n
The program places no fixed limit on a resident\u2019s length of stay, allowing men to remain until they achieve independence or require higher levels of care. Among residents who complete the program, approximately 75% meet key benchmarks for housing stability, income, health care and life skills.<\/p>\n
The Bedford Avenue building has housed community support services in the Hill District for more than a century, originating in 1891 as the Roselia Foundling Asylum and Maternity Hospital established by the Sisters of Charity. <\/p>\n
The Rev. Charles O. Rice founded St. Joseph House of Hospitality in 1937 to serve people in need and the program moved into the renovated Bedford Avenue facility in 1974.<\/p>\n
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