Constancetein Evans lived in subsidized housing in Pittsburgh but left the city to find a better environment for her children. She now lives in Wilmerding, which is affordable but has fewer transit options. (Photo by Ryan Loew/PublicSource)
by Matt Petras, Public Source
For Constancetein Evans, a recent move to Wilmerding brought both obstacles and benefits.
She’s able to afford her own apartment in the borough southeast of Pittsburgh. She sees that as a better environment for her children than subsidized housing on North Side.
But she’s limited by transit. Getting to a food bank is more difficult. And she relies on a network of bus routes to get to work as a home health caregiver.
“I still struggle,” said Evans, 39. “I don’t live in the city of Pittsburgh. I’m not in Homewood, I’m not in East Liberty, I’m not in Garfield, I’m not in Point Breeze or any of the areas where you can get help.”
Distance is a barrier for her children, too, with fewer activities for them outside the city.
“It would be great if there were areas that have places for kids to do stuff,” said Evans, who’s lived in her current apartment since 2018.
As Pittsburghers move to the Monongahela River Valley for affordable rents, transit activists describe the need for more robust options to help them stay connected to neighbors and services in their old communities.
Read entire article at:
https://www.publicsource.org/in-the-mon-valley-public-transit-limitations-are-felt-by-residents-whove-left-pittsburghs-core/
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