Closing of Smithfield United Church of Christ shelter leaves some without low barrier options

On today’s episode of The Confluence:

On June 21, Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services closed the emergency shelter in the basement of the Smithfield United Church of Christ in downtown Pittsburgh. Stephanie Strasburg, a photojournalist with PublicSource, and Eric Jankiewicz, economic development reporter for PublicSource, have been talking to people staying at the shelter since the beginning of the year, and reported on the impact of the shelter’s closure. (0:00 -11:18)

A Kaiser Health News investigation from 2022 found 100 million people in America suffer from medical debt, and some of them are even denied health care services because of it. On June 26, the Pennsylvania House approved a measure by a 114-89 vote to help low income families pay off their debt. Jessy Foster is the deputy director of policy and partnerships with the Pennsylvania Health Access Network, which works with those families and is advocating for the passage of this bill. (11:23 - 17:16)

A live-performance series in Pittsburgh is profiling local residents deemed “extraordinary ordinary Pittsburghers.” The latest installment, debuting this week, is all about a woman critical in the fabric of the Braddock community. Her name is Mary Carey. 90.5 WESA’s Bill O’Driscoll has more. (17:19 - 22:30)