PITTSBURGH — Community leaders came together at Freedom Corner to demand Pittsburgh City Council use federal pandemic recovery funds to help those most in need.
The Black Political Empowerment Project, the Western Pennsylvania Black Political Assembly and a number of other organizations voiced their concerns about the spending of the American Recovery Act Funds.
The coalition wants the money prioritized for underserved communities. The city and Allegheny County will receive about $600 million in COVID-19 relief dollars.
“When money comes to Pittsburgh it should hit the ground in the neighbors there most needed. It should hit the ground in communities that have not seen money in a long time,” Cherylie Blair-Fuller, executive director of Homewood Concerned Citizens, said. “It should hit the ground running with cutting the grass. It should hit the ground running with education. It should hit the ground running with our young people being able to go to school.”
Community leaders want $200 million dollars of the city, county and state COVID relief money to go into rebuilding black and brown communities and improving the lives of black Pittsburghers.
The organizations all signed a letter that lays out their demands and sent it to council ahead of tomorrow’s meeting, where council is expected to vote on the expenditures.
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