April 2023 Full Network Meeting

Thanks to the approximately 80 people who joined our April meeting! We heard about and discussed recent violence, its impact on our communities, and what the county and its partners are doing about it. (Click here for notes!)

A special thanks to our speakers!

• Dina “Free” Blackwell, ED of House of Manna Faith Community, CEO of Homewood Renaissance Association, and BUGS Farm Manager

• Quinten Boose, Director of Violence Prevention, Neighborhood Resilience Project (qboose@neighborhoodresilienceproject.org)

• Nicholas Cotter, Data Analyst, Allegheny County Department of Human Services (Nicholas.Cotter@AlleghenyCounty.us)

• Tyra Townsend, COO, Neighborhood Resilience Project (ttownsend@neighborhoodresilienceproject.org)

   

One key takeaway from the meeting was that all of our work is important in violence reduction and community healing. Whether you’re working on food security, affordable housing, accessible transportation, healthy environments, good-paying jobs, quality education or something else - all of this helps build strong, secure, and safe communities. So as the county and others implement their violence prevention programs, connect with our speakers to see how you can support their efforts. For more information on the county and Neighborhood Resilience Project’s initiatives, click here.

For Allegheny County Department of Human Services’ 2022 report, Homicides in Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh, 2016 through 2021, click here.

Americorps Civic Engagement Grant

Over the last two months, our Advocacy and Organizer Training steering committee has been meeting regularly to plan out the training, which we anticipate taking place over the summer. We have a great steering committee!

Thanks to Khalif Ali (Common Cause PA / Hazelwood), Carla Arnold (Perry Hilltop/Fineview Citizens Councils), Nekeisha Carter (Homewood Children’s Village / Homewood), Cindy Haines (Focus on Renewal / McKees Rocks), Fawn Walker Montgomery (Take Action Advocacy Group / Mon Valley), Brittany Reno (Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization / Sharpsburg), Monica Ruiz (Casa San Jose / southern city neighborhoods), and Cheri Smith (Homewood) for being a part. One great thing about this group (beyond their brilliance!) is that they represent so many different parts of our county!

EJGP's Cross-Community Network

The Cross-Community Network (EJGP-CCN) is a network of community groups, community-based organizations, and residents who want transformational, people-centered change in their communities and across the Greater Pittsburgh region.

Two goals for this year are to expand the size this group and better support and serve more neighborhoods! Join us! Our next meetings will be:

Thursday, May 18th

Tuesday, July 11th

 All of our meetings will run from 6-7 p.m. The zoom doors will open at 5:45 for those who would like an EJGP refresher!

Next Full Network Meeting

Our next Full Network meeting will be Tuesday, June 6th from 9-10:30 a.m. on zoom! We hope to see you there!

Campaign Updates

Fair Fares for a Full Recovery

The Allegheny County Department of Human Services recently released data about the discounted fare pilot program, demographics of the people who are using it, and how they were using public transit before the program began. The Fair Fares Campaign is keeping an eye on this data and is continuing to advocate for a permanent discounted fare program for SNAP households.

Quick facts:

• Over 14,500 people enrolled (all receive SNAP benefits)

  • Almost 5,000 received a 100% discount (they ride for free!)

  • Almost 5,000 received a 50% discount (they pay half fares)

  • Almost 5,000 received no discount (they still pay full fares)

     

• Demographics:

  • Nearly 3/4 of adult enrollees reported their “legal sex” as "Female"

  • Nearly 60% of the enrollees are single heads of household

  • Children ages 6-17 (enrolled as part of households) made up the largest age group at 34%

  • Over 60% of the enrollees identify as “Black, African American, or African”

• Before the pilot began:

  • 43% of adult enrollees are working. Most of the enrollees who are working are working full-time and are making $11-16/hour

  • Over 80% of adult enrollees do not have access to a car

  • Over 40% of adult enrollees paid cash fares (Per ride, cash fares are more expensive than ConnectCard fares and they do not include transfers)

  • Over 50% paid more than $25/week for their transit rides, which is the cost of a weekly pass

Dig deeper into the data on the county dashboard here.

For more information about the Fair Fares campaign, contact Sam Applefield at sam@pittsburghfoodpolicy.org

If you or someone you know is participating in the pilot program and wants to share their story with the campaign, please contact Dan Yablonsky at dan@pittsburghforpublictransit.org

Level Up: Greater Pittsburgh Pay Equity Campaign

Spearheaded by the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh, the Black Women's Policy Center (BWPC), and the Women and Girls Foundation, the Level Up campaign: Greater Pittsburgh Pay Equity Campaign works to bring attention to the stark and compounding economic disparities felt by women of color hopes to grow support for equal pay for all.

The Level Up Campaign successfully pushed for an Equal Pay Day Proclamation in the City of Pittsburgh, and Mayor Ed Gainey's Administration delivered. Now, the Campaign is working on developing an Employer Guidebook to help those who sign onto the Pay Equity Pledge find local resources and stay up to date on the newest efforts and legislation. To find out more about upcoming events and the Campaign, please visit our website!

Get the Lead Out

Back in March, a Commonwealth Court judge struck down the City of Pittsburgh's rental-registry ordinance, which would have required landlords to register their properties and have them inspected for lead. The judge decided that the city did not have the authority to regulate the landlord business in the way the ordinance was written. The city may appeal this decision. Read more about this story from PublicSource and WESA.

 For more information about the campaign or if you’d like to get involved, please contact info@gettheleadout.org.

In the Community

We are excited to invite you to Fair Housing Connection Summit: a fair housing summit taking place on April 28-29, 2023. This event brings together experts and participants from diverse backgrounds to discuss ways to bridge gaps between people, policies, and programs.

At this year's summit, we will be exploring a range of topics related to fair housing and housing equality, including strategies for addressing housing discrimination in policy; fair housing best practices for practitioners in property management, real estate, and more; and individual rights to be free from discrimination based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, Language, and Survivor of Domestic Violence status. The summit will also provide a space for access to equitable housing resources. The event will feature keynote speakers, workshops, and networking opportunities, providing valuable insights and connections for all attendees.

The event will be a two-day hybrid event (in-person at the Homewood-Brushton YMCA) and virtual), the first day will be provider focused and the second day community focused. 

We would love for you to join us for this important event. To register, simply follow the link below and complete the registration form. We encourage you to register as soon as possible so as to ensure adequate preparation. 

Get Involved!

Join the Network and Share Your Neighborhood and Topic Area Updates and Information!

Want to share your upcoming initiatives and events with our network? It's as easy as 1-2-3!

1. Email your upcoming event, petition, report, survey, or job opportunity to info@ejgp.org

2. Be sure to include any vital information such as deadlines, registration links, and/or eligibility criteria

3. Follow us @ejgppgh on Facebook and Instagram and don't forget to like and share our #EJGPtopics post to grow the network!

 
Looking for information related to a specific topic? Search the hashtags #ejgpfood #ejgphousing #ejgplivelihoods #ejgpenvironment 
#ejgpeducation #ejgptransportation #ejgphealth #ejgpneighborhoods 
 
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