As part of the county's 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness, and in reaction to newly proposed restrictions on panhandling, leaders are modeling strategies after the successful efforts used in Philadelphia.

Pittsburgh is home to about 150 homeless people, half of whom have substance abuse problems and 30 percent of whom have major mental illnesses, according to Dr. James Withers of Operation Safety Net, which provides medical care to the homeless.

Existing resources, leaders say, are not adequate to meet the needs of the homeless. Half of Pittsburgh's 150 homeless people struggle with substance abuse, but many shelters require residents to abstain from drugs and alcohol. A severe-weather shelter in Allegheny County has fewer rules, but is only open during the winter months.

Proponents of the engagement center hope it would reach those currently unaddressed by existing programs by offering 25 to 50 beds, medical and dental care, support groups, employment assistance, food, showers, and laundry facilities.

"An engagement center "will bring people inside [who] would not normally come in," said Michael Stoops, acting executive director for the National Coalition for the Homeless.

In Philadelphia, millions of dollars went to outreach programs for the homeless that did not require sobriety. This strategy lowered the homeless population in the city from 800 to 150 in four years, according to Rob Hess, deputy managing director for special needs housing in Philadelphia.

"The good news in Pittsburgh is that there aren't that many people on the streets," said Hess. "A focused effort would go a long way toward eliminating homelessness."