Swept out of encampments by municipal decree and carrying what they can of the jumbled belongings of a nomadic life, the homeless people of Allentown and Bethlehem move onward, but where they end up is \u2014 as with so many things in their lives \u2014 largely out of their control.<\/p>\n
Some, with the help of community advocates, settle temporarily in shelters or motels. Others strike out for neighboring communities and set up camp again \u2014 but their chances of being tolerated in those places are growing slimmer.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because some Lehigh Valley townships and boroughs, and the state itself, are considering legislation to ban camping on public property as a way to discourage encampments of the sort being dismantled in recent weeks in Allentown and Bethlehem.<\/a><\/p>\n Such laws have been widely proposed and adopted since the U.S. Supreme Court, in the 2024 City of Grants Pass vs. Johnson ruling, declared that penalties for camping on public land do not qualify as cruel and unusual punishment of homeless people, even if there are no safe sheltering alternatives.<\/a><\/p>\n Catasauqua is among the municipalities with a no-camping ordinance under review. Borough Manager Glenn Eckhart said the measure aims to prevent encampments like the one near the wastewater treatment plant of Race Street. It was a growing problem even before the cities started clearing encampments, he said.<\/p>\n Whitehall Township already has an ordinance banning overnight stays in parks. Mayor Joseph Marx said police and public works employees are usually the ones to come across encampments.<\/p>\n \u201cWe give them a reasonable time period to vacate and indicate whatever belongings they don\u2019t take we\u2019ll dispose of,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re very civil. We\u2019ll give them a reference to [the Lehigh Conference of Churches] and I\u2019ll reach out to the county or to social service agencies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a Valley-wide problem,\u201d Marx added. \u201cWhen Allentown began cleaning up the encampments, I knew they would be coming north.\u201d<\/p>\n Telling people without homes to move along is a difficult task, the mayor said. Many say they don\u2019t want help.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very compassionate,\u201d he said. \u201cI know there are people who are challenged with mental health issues. Unfortunately the state and federal government have dropped the ball when it comes to mental health.\u201d<\/p>\n Allentown announced its intention to clear an encampment along the Jordan Creek in August,<\/a> citing the danger of flooding to the 80 to 100 people who typically congregated there.<\/p>\n The site was also the subject of a lawsuit by developer Nat Hyman, who said trespassing, garbage and nuisance behaviors by the residents were affecting his properties.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n The city gave residents several weeks to vacate the area. It has since started clearing other encampments found along the creek.<\/a><\/p>\n Bethlehem is also clearing them. In August, Norfolk Southern Railroad asked the city to remove homeless people living on its property along the Lehigh River. <\/a>An encampment on the grounds of the Burnside Plantation is also scheduled to be cleared.<\/p>\n Homeless people and advocates for the community have criticized the municipalities for essentially steamrolling the makeshift homes without finding sufficient alternatives for the residents.<\/p>\n Emergency shelters \u2014 including the warming shelter at the Allentown YMCA branch, which opened early this year in response to the clearances \u2014 are temporary solutions, and many homeless people are reluctant to stay in them in the first place.<\/p>\n Still, officials say they have to balance the lack of permanent solutions against the hazards of outdoor life.<\/p>\n Marx said flooding of encampments, so often set up near creeks and rivers, is not only a danger to the residents but to the first responders who might have to rescue them. Other problems include poor sanitation and fire hazards. These are the same reasons cited by Allentown.<\/p>\n In May, a half-dozen state senators, including Lehigh Valley Republican Jarrett Coleman, introduced Senate Bill 780. The measure would generally prohibit encampments unless they are authorized by a property owner, who would have to prevent nuisance conditions and adhere to health and safety regulations adopted by the municipality where the encampment is located.<\/p>\n It also empowers residents or property owners within 1,600 feet of encampments to petition municipalities to declare them a public nuisance.<\/p>\n The bill, which was referred to a House committee, also lays out regulations for clearing encampments: posting a written seven-day notice at the site, allowing reasonable opportunities for the residents to retrieve their belongings and referring the residents to programs that can help them.<\/p>\n All three senators from the Lehigh Valley \u2014 Coleman, and Democrats Lisa Boscola and Nick Miller \u2014 voted for the measure.<\/p>\n Christina DiPierro, co-chair of the Allentown Commission on Homelessness, said the bill is just one of many across the nation that lays the blame for encampments on homeless people instead of on the piecemeal system that pushes them from one place to another rather than creating solid sheltering and housing policies.<\/p>\n \u201cFlorida has a complete no-camp ban in the entire state,\u201d DiPierro said after a commission meeting last week, when members debated how much budget money should be earmarked for dozens of urgent needs. \u201cIf you get caught sleeping outside, you can go to jail.\u201d<\/p>\n