Allentown pauses plan to clear Fountain Park encampment following city council pushback | Allentown Area

ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A homeless camp in Allentown’s Fountain Park isn’t going anywhere, for now.

The City was originally requiring people to be out of there by Monday, but it extended the deadline after pushback from City Council last week. Anthony Orcrto told us he’s been living in Fountain Park since last year.

“It was a safe place, and quiet,” said Orcrto.

Over that time, he’s decorated, making it feel as much like home as possible.

“I don’t have a structure, but I have a tent. That’s home,” said Orcrto.

Orcrto said it wasn’t always like this. He lost his job during the COVID pandemic.

“I had a job, and then lost the job, and then lost the business. I was with Curio Electric for over, like 45 years. Boom, done. We couldn’t do nothing,” said Orcrto.

So now, Orcrto lives in Fountain Park rent free, but the City of Allentown wants him and his neighbors to move.

“With the talk about they’re going to put us someplace else. Where? Oh well we don’t know. Well, what sense does that make?” said Orcrto.

The sense, according to the City, is that the camp is in a flood plain and it’s not safe. As for where, at least during this cold stretch, they can sleep at the YMCA warming station.

“We will be open if it’s under 32 degrees at night. We’ll make that call a few days in advance, we’ll post it on our social media so individuals can look it up and see that we will be open,” said YMCA Branch Director Tami Unger.

But the warming station is only open until Tuesday night. Unger said there are still places people can go for help on Wednesday morning.

“Resources are out there at the local day centers. So, Ripple Community and Daybreak at the Conference of Churches are day centers. They have case management that is there for the individuals to go to and work through other options for housing,” said Unger.

Orcrto said he knows about those resources, but he doesn’t think they’ll help him find housing. He has a different idea of where he’ll end up if he has to move.

“Under a billboard someplace,” said Orcrto. “You have a basement? I’ll be quiet.”

The City of Allentown has not given a specific deadline for when people have to be out of Fountain Park, but in a letter it distributed, it said the camp is not a permanent solution and people should be looking for a different option. So, there’s no word on when the situation might be resolved.