A memorial service today will pay tribute to nine homeless people who lived on Pittsburgh's streets and died this year.

The total is the highest since 1996, when 10 deaths occurred, said Dr. James Withers, founder and director of Operation Safety Net, which organizes the annual memorial service. He noted that the people who died lived outside rather than in shelters.

A program of Pittsburgh Mercy Health System, Operation Safety Net provides health care and social services to local homeless people.

Each year, cities around the country hold memorial events to remember homeless people who have died and to call attention to the problem of homelessness.

The public is invited to the local event, which will be held at 7 p.m., Downtown, under the Monroeville ramp to the Parkway East, at the south end of Grant Street near Fort Pitt Boulevard. Plaques are mounted on a wall at the site to commemorate homeless people who have died.

Dr. Withers said the ninth death this year was a man found yesterday.

The 49-year-old was found in a park near Ridge Avenue on the North Side, the Allegheny County medical examiner's office said. The office declined to identify the man, saying it was attempting to notify relatives. The cause and manner of death were pending.

Dr. Withers said the other deaths resulted from a variety of health problems, including heart attack, drowning and drug overdose.

He called the increase in deaths disturbing and said more housing and drug treatment options are needed. An engagement center proposed by local homeless advocates also could help, he said.

The center, proposed in Allegheny County's 10-year plan to address issues affecting homeless people, would provide housing, social services and other assistance. Proponents believe it could attract homeless people who are reluctant to stay in conventional shelters.

The service is not the only memorial event occurring today among local agencies serving homeless people. Bethlehem Haven, which provides care for homeless women, is marking its 25th anniversary with a candlelight service for its supporters.

The center, now located in Uptown, opened on this date in 1981 as a collaborative project of several Downtown churches, said Executive Director Marilyn Sullivan. It now provides housing to about 500 women a year and also provides mental health treatment, employment assistance and other services.