Pittsburgh Residents Still Trying To Get Relief After Last Year's Landslides

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – With all the rain and warmer weather, landslides are a big concern this week.

Some homeowners are still cleaning up after last year's landslides.

Most of the evacuated are still paying their mortgages -- even though they can't go home and they say they're getting no help from the local government.

It's been a solid year since parts of a cliff slid down onto Goehring Street in the Spring Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. And still, Randal Miller's house and those of his neighbors remained condemned and the city says they can't come back.

"All they've done is say were not allowed to fix it and we can't live here," Miller said.

Goehring Street isn't alone. Throughout the county, some 60 landslide-impacted houses have been condemned and folks like miller have had to find other places to live while continuing to make mortgage payments on houses they can't inhabit.

The city -- like the county and the state -- have told the homeowners, they're not liable and have little or no money to help.

"We can't let our citizens fill this disaster and ruin their future lives. We can't do that."

The city declined comment, citing the potential of Miller and his neighbors suing -- but state Senator Wayne Fontana says he's asking Governor Tom Wolf to establish a fund in this year's budget to help past and future victims of landslides.

"We can't let our citizens fill this disaster and ruin their future lives. We can't do that," Fontana said.

Folks on Goehring Street have hired an engineer, who says it's safe to go back into their homes -- but say the city hasn't responded to the report. Adding insult to injury, the city is hauling Miller into court, citing him for the landslide debris in his backyard but prohibiting him from going onto his own property to clean it up.