ALLENTOWN, Pa. – During a special meeting Wednesday night, Allentown City Council voted unanimously to approve a motion that would halt any removals of homeless encampments until an ordinance and a policy to address the issue are in place.
The city administration recently came under fire when it attempted to evict a homeless encampment behind the wall in Allentown’s Fountain Park and had originally given the residents 10 days to vacate.
Last August, the city was also criticized for clearing a Jordan Creek homeless encampment, deeming it to be a flood hazard.
On the agenda for Wednesday night was a proposed ordinance to address city responses to people who are homeless and living outdoors.
The proposed bill also included standards and procedures for remedying unsafe conditions and protecting the rights and the property of the homeless population living on public property.
However, Councilmember Ce-Ce Gerlach — the principal sponsor of the bill — withdrew it from the table to allow one month for the administration to work with council to come up with a comprehensive ordinance that also incorporates and is consistent with a city policy.
Gerlach said she has been working on the ordinance since October and pushing the administration to develop internal policies.
The administration put forth an internal policy after council addressed the encampment evacuation notice two weeks ago.
“Now here we are, and it’s almost May of 2026 and we’ve got an internal policy,” Gerlach said. “We all probably have some thoughts on how this internal policy could be strengthened, changed, what-have-you.”
“I went and I did some cross-referencing between this internal policy as it is right now and this ordinance as it is right now,” Gerlach said. “And I have to say, I thought I was going to have to change a lot in the ordinance — not really. They are both working towards the same goal, which is better communication, clear timelines and clear expectations.”
Gerlach said she is encouraged by the fact the administration is now willing to meet with councilmembers to strengthen the policy and develop an ordinance to be consistent with it and city laws.
City Managing Director Frank Kane said Mayor Matt Tuerk has agreed to move forward and be a part of the solution.
Council President Santo Napoli said the issue has been challenging because of a lack of communication since last fall.
“I’m confident and optimistic that with the addition of a managing director that we’re going to get better communication and better coordination, and I’m optimistic and anxious to see more [of that],” Napoli said.
Councilmember Candida Affa thanked Gerlach for moving the conversation in a meaningful direction.
“I had the opportunity to visit the encampment along with my colleagues, and that experience was important and gave me a better understanding of the conditions that the people are living in and the challenges they face day by day,” Affa said. “These are members of our community, and it’s clear that any approach we take needs to be thoughtful and compassionate.”
But Affa said she understands there are some legal concerns which have been raised around conflicts with existing city codes.
“Those are not small issues, and we have to make sure that what we adopt is both efficient and legally sound,” she added. “We need to work in partnership with the mayor and the administration and our community partners to develop a good policy that is clear and centered on both safety and dignity.”