The Gold Rush

Over the past year, the Commission on Homelessness has seen lower attendance rates at each monthly meeting. As Allentown’s city officials struggle to find a clear path towards ending homelessness, we look at the now defunct Commission to End Chronic Homelessness to help understand where we might go next.

With more people struggling to find housing in Allentown, we revisit the tiny homes proposal.

As the waterfront redevelopment takes shape, residents are left wondering how the investment will impact them.

"“The goal in Allentown is to educate renters about their rights, and to continue to advocate for better rental conditions as well as push for action to be taken against absentee landlords and slumlords who are exploiting renters."

The complicated journey to get funding for restoration of the historic Americus Hotel property located in the heart of the city's Neighborhood Improvement Zone.

As government rental assistance runs out, can we work on solving the eviction crisis instead of relying on quick and temporary solutions?

"For us, the most important thing is for people to feel safe, for people to feel supported and connected because it’s through those relationships that they can start to heal. We all have things we need to heal from.”

"We are all in the same community. So, I think bringing awareness to what we're doing, bringing awareness to what is trauma and how impactful trauma is, how important relationships can be, and just giving people dignity and respect.”

I lived in New York City for most of my life after coming to the United States from Jamaica. I moved to Allentown in order to be closer to my dad. I instantly fell in love with the city and it was a nice change in pace from where I

"I was asked the other day if I could have any superpower what it would be, mine would be to end homelessness."

While roughly 7% of youth in the U.S. identify as LGBTQ+ they comprise 40% of unhoused youth. Why LGBTQ+ experience higher rates of homelssness often comes down to acceptance at home.

"It’s not always the drama that you see on TV, sometimes it's just as simple as you thought you were coming here to get a good job. You started off at a job, things look right. And then all of a sudden things change."

The Neighborhood Improvement Zone, or NIZ, was marketed as a revitalization of Allentown, to reshape the landscape of the city, bring new people in and create a better area for its residents.