Protests target Homewood development

Demonstrators want more input from public

Calling for neighborhood residents to have more input on development, a group of protesters on Thursday disrupted a groundbreaking in Homewood for 58 units of new housing.

Chanting “Not without the residents,” “This is not East Liberty, we will not be moved,” “Affordable for who? Not you” and “We won’t be silent no more,” about 20 demonstrators held signs as officials from the city and its housing authority spoke.

The new units are being developed by the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsbugh and its nonprofit development arm, Allies and Ross Management and Development Corp. and developer KBK Enterprises.

The plan calls for 16 market-rate units, 42 affordable units and a community center. The estimated rents would range from $900 to $1,475, according to housing authority officials.

“These places aren’t for us,” said Melvina Shank, who said she is a Homewood resident, adding she believes the new housing will not benefit people who have lived in the community.

Some demonstrators said they were neighborhood residents and not affiliated with a particular group, others said they were part of the Homewood Concerned Citizen Council. Many said they felt they had not had input into the process or their concerns were ignored.

“Talk to us,” Cherylie Fuller said. “Sit down with us. We don’t want what they’re ramming down our throat.”

Another demonstrator said she did not object to the portion of the

project being built on Kelly Street, the site of a the former Kelly Street High Rise apartments, but she objected to the portion of the project that would be located on Hamilton Avenue.

Residents in that area who own their homes want privately owned homes there, not rental properties, said Judith Ginyard.

Housing Authority executive director Caster Binion said he had met with the residents multiple times.

“We always have partnerships with community leaders,” he said. “Sometimes people disagree.”

Timothy McNulty, a spokesman for Mayor Bill Peduto, said the mayor’s office had had multiple meetings with the organizer of the demonstration. “Doors of the mayor’s office and the Housing Authority have been completely open to the community,” he said.

Construction is expected to start later this year and be completed next year.

Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette Homewood resident Sandra Xandirani King continues to shout her protest over the groundbreaking for the Kelly Hamilton housing project in Homewood while Pittsburgh police move a barrier and the protesters farther from the event Thursday.