Tiny homes as a solution to homelessness
By Caiti Kinnear and Kenny Konigsberg Eviction and homelessness have become major problems in Pennsylvania, and especially in Allentown–over 400,000 Pennsylvania households are currently at risk of eviction. They have left people living on the streets, in their cars, with little to no access to shelter, food, water, showers, haircuts and laundry. After many attempts […]
Will the Waterfront bring gentrification?
By Abigail Scheidel A $425 million waterfront investment in the first and sixth wards of Allentown is promising 12 new buildings, a 200 seat amphitheater, and a Riverwalk trail along the Lehigh riverfront. This is being developed by Jaindl Enterprises, a family business run by the Jaindls who have been in Allentown since 1904. Developments […]
Is rental assistance a permanent solution or just a bandage?
By Gabi Hirshfield Evictions are a familiar problem for Allentown, with the city having an eviction rate of 2.79%, the third highest of large cities in Pennsylvania, according to the Eviction Lab. The pandemic merely made the circumstances that lead to evictions more clear and visible to the public, and Americans are questioning whether housing […]
Renters rights
By Jenna Stockfeder In Allentown, landlords are leaving tenants in substandard living conditions and are driving rent through the roof as a result. It is being compared to a war between tenants and landlords over rent wages, and it has left a nagging relationship between them that is causing tension. According to the city council, […]
Preserving Allentown’s past
By Leila Pervizpour In 1927, the city of Allentown celebrated the opening of a high class hotel on Hamilton Street that soon became known as the Grand Lady of Hamilton Street. However,in the 1970s, the newly developed Lehigh Valley Mall quickly gained attraction from wealthy white residents of Allentown, who previously flocked to center city […]
The hidden homeless
How unstable housing leads to sex exploitation By Sarah Wedeking Trigger warning: Mentions of trauma and sex trafficking When most people think of sex trafficking, they probably think of the white van in the dark of night. What they don’t think about are the victims who are vulnerable on the streets. The ones who have […]
Is the NIZ improving Allentown?
By Carly Giacoio Every city has its Main Street, and for Allentown, that’s Hamilton Street. From the courthouse to the library as well as a host of shops, restaurants, and offices, Hamilton Street comprises the heart of downtown Allentown. This is why in 2009 the city decided to embark on an ambitious plan to revitalize […]
The challenge of seeking shelter in Allentown
The challenge of seeking shelter in Allentown Getting shelter starts with 211 By Tom Hiller Lehigh County is ranked first in Pennsylvania counties requesting housing & shelter services under PA 211. The city of Allentown is a major contributor to this ranking, data collected has shown an estimated 54.7 percent of renters in Allentown pay […]
Allentown’s Red Line
Allentown doesn’t have a redlining map, or at least not one that has survived to be examined today. Yet, even without an official red line on a map, investors seem to have drawn that line of their own when it comes to home sales in the city.
Finding hope for LGBTQIA+ youth
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.
