PITTSBURGH — East Liberty residents are filling the streets of downtown Pittsburgh to protest, and some are even pitching tents.
They say those tens will be their only option if their affordable housing disappears.
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Channel 11's Aaron Martin was downtown Friday and learned this is a response to a developer's plan to change East Liberty's Penn Plaza.
The Penn Plaza residents are asking Mayor Bill Peduto to stop a private developer from tearing down the apartment building.
Gail Williams was one of more than 100 residents who will be forced to relocate.
“They want us all to vacate, but vacate to where? We are East Liberty, we live in East Liberty and we want to maintain. Our doctors are there and our hospitals are there,” Williams said.
Last month, Peduto and the owners of Penn Plaza agreed to delay the forced relocation by 60 days while a long-term solution is found.
The hope is that this afternoon’s meeting will be a step in the right direction.
Residents say they’ll continue to fight until they get answers as to why this is happening and where they have to go.
“A lot of people feel like they will be homeless because they can’t afford to move out at the rent they’re paying right now,” Williams said.
If an extension isn’t reached, the first round of relocations will begin next month.