City of Pittsburgh to close ‘ROOTS’ center in Northside

PITTSBURGH — There are a lot of questions about the future of the City of Pittsburgh’s Reaching Out On The Streets program, or ROOTS. The program’s drop-in center along East Ohio Street on the Northside will be closing its doors Friday, Oct. 2.

The city took over the ROOTS program from Allegheny Health Network when it was in the middle of a five-year lease for the center. But now, the city has decided not to renew that lease, as they review all options.

People can get IDs or a copy of their birth certificate, and many have had mail sent there. Those resources and services will no longer be available. For military veteran Edward Hetrick, it’s discouraging news.

“I currently find myself homeless right now on the North Side of Pittsburgh, and they’ve helped me,” Hetrick said. “I’ve seen this place help so many people. I go there to get my water every day. They give us five bottles of water, free.”

Medical vans from Central Outreach and the AIMS Program park outside, offering substance abuse treatment, medical tests, and prescriptions. They said they’ll continue to offer services at Central’s location on Brighton Road.

“It’s sad because now where are they going to go?” said Tonya Holt, a certified recovery specialist with the AIMS program

Many people we spoke with questioned if this decision has anything to do with the recent $600,000 investment to improve several façades and bring new business to Deutschtown.

“I love that the city is investing in East Ohio Street. A lot of these buildings are in deep need of repair, and what’s happening right now shows the priorities of our city and who belongs and who doesn’t,” said Callie DiSabato, who lives on the North Side. “Any disruption in services has a huge impact.”

Channel 11 took those concerns to the Mayor’s office. A spokesperson sent this statement:

“The ROOTS program is a city program that is going to continue under the Office of Community Health and Safety. We are currently looking at options.”

Councilman Bobby Wilson, whose district includes the Northside, sent this statement:

“I understand why neighbors are concerned. The services provided by ROOTS and OCHS are important, which is why Council recently voted to approve an $800K increase for OCHS to expand outreach services. There have been many discussions about the location of ROOTS in the Northside, and plans to relocate started under the previous Mayoral administration. The lease expires at the end of this month, and the program will continue through OCHS and its partners. I will continue to work with the Mayor’s administration to help people find services during the transition as options for a new location are explored.”

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