Homelessness in Allentown, or any other city, is nothing new... That's why the Rescue Mission has been in business for over 100 years, and I mean in business, but more on that later.
Before having a winter weather shelter at the Y, we used the former pool house at Fountain Park. The Salvation Army has facilities for women and children. Back during Pawlowski's reign, his wife was in charge of the homeless situation.
We always have had homeless encampments. They're usually displaced because of some commercial reason. In recent years, they were under the 8th St. Bridge, by the former incinerator plant, and now in the news, along the Jordan Creek. There have always been the lone wolf homeless. Whether in Lehigh Parkway or even by the Giant shopping center.
When the siren goes off every few years, people form committees and fork over money. About twenty years ago, the Rescue Mission was so flush that they operated an apartment house on 8th Street. When I reported that they were evicting people for non-payment of rent, my disclosure was resented. There has always been lone wolf homeless, and lone wolf bloggers.
While people are blaming current high rents, of course mental health is the long term reason for homelessness. Needless to say, I have no solution. However, I have observed that outreach workers hooking up the homeless with whatever assistance they're willing to accept, has been useful.
I agree that there have always been homeless. What has changed is an increased acceptance of their appearance and living in public places. This does society no good, and also causes great harm to the homeless.
ReplyDeleteThere is almost always an underlying cause to homelessness, such as mental health issues (as you noted) or addiction. The way to help the homeless is to quickly get them help for their underlying issues, not allow them to accept their condition and prolong it. Otherwise, you will just get an ever-increasing homeless population that overwhelm’s society’s ability to fix it.
As usual, Allentown City Hall is taking the wrong path that has failed elsewhere. Their approach is not compassion, it is incompetence.
There is a lot of campaigning going on in recent comments. It is my policy to avoid censoring comments, but I do not contribute the homeless problem to the former, current or any future mayor. Closing the state hospitals may well have been a contributing cause.
ReplyDeleteMM - 7:02 here.
DeleteThere is no campaigning in my last comment, just an observation.
We’ve seen “homeless rights” become a thing nationally over the last decade, and have seen the resulting explosion of homeless encampments on public sidewalks and parks in many of our major cities. Not surprisingly, this has resulted in more crime and more public urination and defecation, making those cities less desirable and less safe.
My recollection is that an ordinance protecting the homeless was passed in Allentown over the last few years, which has resulted in more homeless people being left alone in Allentown’s public spaces. This has made Allentown less desirable, and is NOT helping the homeless either. It is not compassion.
While I don’t remember the vote count on City Council when the ordinance was passed, I also don’t remember the current mayor or anyone on council speaking out strongly against the measure.
Therefore I don’t know that the policy favors either of the mayoral candidates, but it SHOULD be an issue in the upcoming city campaigns.
- Political Comment Below -
There is no magic bullet to fix Allentown given the candidates running for mayor and council, but even those who supported the ordinance should realize that it’s actually making the problem worse and needs to be changed.
The Allentown Library has become the daytime homeless shelter. About 18 were at the door for its opening on Friday. I suspect it makes for a unique environment.
ReplyDeleteAs a regular Saturday morning visitor to the APL, I notice upwards of 30 or more homeless waiting to get in at 9:00 am. They seem to not create a problem and their is a security guard present. I'll say that APL is an excellent facility and has amazing staff and the new "drop-in center" role for APL does not seem to be an issue based on the 30 minutes per week that I'm there.
DeleteMike, both parties are responsible for closing state run mental institutions. Shame on them. However, one party's solution is to allow the homeless to live in public places, legalize open air drug use, and facilitate all this with drop in centers, free meals, clothing...Locally Ce-Ce Gerlach, Josh Seigel and others tried to pass legislation to allow the homeless to camp in city parks. Many local churches have become homeless magnets by offering free food and clothing. In short Allentown is fast becoming a homeless magnet, and the public here is getting very nervous. Especailly those in places such as West Park who are presently on the front line of this.Those with eyes that see recongize Allentown could become just another Kensington Philadelphia, Portland Oregon, or Seattle. These municipalities have seen their streets, downtowns, and parks populated by the homeless who, according to experts are very often mentally ill, substance abusers, and both. Concentrating the homeless in our urban streets and parks therefore is not just a question or altruistic or esthetics. It's about public safety and the real danger the homeless pose to urban homeowners, renters, and visitors in town for events, dining, concerts...Clearly a solution to the country's homeless problem needs to be found, just as clearly, what is happening now isn't it. In fact, their solutions merely facilitate homelessness while destroying any possibility of viable urban living, and pose a significant risk to business and enterprise.
ReplyDeleteSadly homeless needs to be addressed further in Allentown. Magic money appeared at the YMCA a few years ago and it remodeled to service the needs of the homeless, which is really beyond their mission. It ruined the nature of the family Y, but it got the homeless folks away from the NIZ restaurants on Hamilton Street and into a quiet residential area, out of sight. The Allentown Y has gone through further problems that have left most of the building unused and most of the members have scattered or aged out. No magic money has appeared to fix the Y building.
ReplyDeleteAs Mr. Armstrong pointed out, facilitating homeless living has gone much too far. It does create even more homeless people failing into that existence.
ReplyDeleteNo one wants any homeless person to suffer or die out in the gutter. Seems to me, providing some roof over everyone’s head is the right thing to do. Might that be an empty warehouse with concrete floors? Anything beyond that is for church or social welfare agencies. Just find a way to get them the he*l off of bare ground and out of the rain.
Supposedly, some of these unfortunates will still reject any kind of group living space. The tents will still appear, etc. At that point, I say shut them down and drive them to the nearest drop off point, whether they like it or not.
The mayor and City Council have been talking about addressing the homelessness problem in the City for at least 3 years. They will never do anything about the problems because it requires compassion, commitment, and agreement on a policy that helps the homeless. All three are not traits of anyone in the mayor’s office, City Council, or his cabinet. You can’t expect much compassion from people who have only focused on creating a toxic city and workplace.
ReplyDeleteWeren’t the mayor and his CED and Finance Director instrumental in selling the land with the homeless camp to one of his political donors?
Actually they have been working on the problem and have erred on the side of compassion at the expense of existing stable communities. My fear is they will continue to do so and destroy stable communities and further harm the downtown/NIZ. This said, the homeless problem is too big to be adequately addressed by any single city or municipality. In the past this was understood and the state stepped in with state homes/institutions for those with mental issues. Clearly, these need to be recreated. Now substance issues need also to be addressed by the state and state remedies provided that provide shelter and provide treatment. These two steps would cost far less to the taxpayers than allowing the destruction and flight caused by the current policy to continue.
DeleteAgree. They city has been working on the homeless problem for a while and all we have gotten is more homeless.
DeleteHermano Tuérk should consider to utilizing the log cabin in the parkway to serve as a homeless shelter the inhabitants could serve as custodians and ambassadors for the Greenway earning their keep with an earnest contribution to society. The solution to homelessness is housing, not forced relocation.
ReplyDeleteDue to mental illness and/or substance abuse most of the homeless are unable to live independently in any type of housing. That is why supervised housing is the correct answer to this problem.
Delete10:35 - It’s funny you mention the land near the Parkettes building. I noticed it was being cleared out last week.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time when the area on the banks of the Little Lehigh was sacred and no politician would allow it to be touched. Sadly, that is no longer the case.
What should have been for everyone - not the homeless - was given to the politically connected. We would have been better off had it remained with the homeless
Moving part of the Neiborhood Improvement Zone to create a temporary shelter village as a transitional solution for homelessness cpuld be part of a practical and compassionate approach—if it’s done thoughtfully, with the right framework. It’s already been tested in places like Austin, Texas (Community First! Village)
ReplyDeleteSad story to follow... At one time we were big supporters of the Rescue Mission... for years, mind you! Unfortunately, there was a fire in one of our neighbor's apartment building. So, one of our neighbors and myself (BOTH Mission supporters...) thought they could be accommodated at the Rescue Mission, since homelessness is their calling, so to speak. These were working brothers that lived together. The Mission turned them down flat. Needless to say, our regular donations were withheld since that time.
ReplyDelete7:30 here again with an addendum... forgot to add my neighbor housed the two brothers until they could find another apartment that would "accept" them... yes it was difficult and we helped them move, too. It amazed me that were deemed unacceptable to many landlords in spite of paying rent on time for almost 20 years, which begs the question, why are there so many problem tenants in this city??? I know, I live near them.
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