A brother, sister, 7 cats, and crisis Bethlehem solved
Seven cats and their owners recently vacated a condemned property in Bethlehem, right in the middle of the holiday season. Having pets is often a barrier to finding adequate housing or emergency sheltering, so this was a particularly devastating blow to this brother and sister.
They moved their household outside and lived for six weeks in the underbrush along various local trails and parks while staying hidden from view. Bethlehem’s Community Connections Team — social service staff who work closely with the police — counseled the couple to try to resolve issues with the landlord or find a new place entirely. Area nonprofits made offers to assist in any way they could by offering emergency shelter, a housing advocate, or a simple hot meal and shower.
But the couple politely refused services in fear of separating from their pets. They were at a stalemate. January rains fell and the family moved to Spring Street under cover of the Hill to Hill Bridge.
Families in America are facing many post-pandemic challenges: Homelessness rose nationally by 12% in 2023. SNAP (food stamp) emergency allotments ended 11 months ago. COVID-specific rental assistance dollars dried up in July. We can say that these supports were one-time health precautions, but these were also anti-poverty measures.
The poverty rate reached its lowest level in decades during the pandemic. But the support is now gone, the rate has again gone up, and we are witnessing some of the highest cost of living increases in decades. We try our best to get back to normal, for whatever “normal” may mean, and instead we are pushed to the edge.
Unhoused persons take residence at that edge, nearly doubling in number by early 2024 estimates. Rental availability rates are as low as 2% locally, allowing landlords to charge more for a room. The Bethlehem Housing Authority Section 8 voucher waiting list, which had 2,000 applicants in the fall, is at nearly a standstill. Even if a person is lucky enough to have a voucher in hand and find an eligible rental, the allowable subsidy on the voucher hasn’t kept up with housing costs, creating a gap in affordability.
So people who have public support in 2024 cannot make ends meet. One solution is to create housing, and developments are being proposed at a record pace. Yet few of these private housing projects across the Lehigh Valley offer anything close to affordable units.
I hate predicting that 2024 will make matters worse, but so far we see emergency shelters at full capacity and crowded soup kitchens. New Bethany alone has seen a 92% increase in our food pantry, serving just two ZIP codes. Neighboring Bethlehem kitchens and pantries — namely the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley and Northeast Community Center — are reporting similar increases. This is no different in Allentown, Easton, or our suburban and rural neighbors across the Lehigh Valley. We are all keenly aware this cannot change without a systemic and coordinated approach.
This brings us to our unhoused cats and loving owners. Their story has a good ending! Once our brother-and-sister pair took up residence under the Hill to Hill Bridge, they were discovered by an internet community of Bethlehem neighbors via the website Nextdoor.
These neighbors did a wonderful thing… rather than complain, they banded together. One by one, people stopped by the encampment and left blankets, meals, pet food, clothes and other requested supplies. An anonymous volunteer stepped up to foster all seven cats in the transition. New Bethany stored their belongings, provided a social worker, temporary mailing address, a hot lunch and groceries. Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering provided supper and overnight accommodations. Bethlehem police continually checked on the couple’s safety and cleaned the site after they left.
All these actions allowed the Community Connections Team to again reach out to the landlord for a resolution. Once the pieces were in place, the couple found housing in a matter of days.
This is but one example of how cities can work alongside nonprofit organizations and dedicated supportive neighbors to accomplish a goal. I would argue that success will only take place when coordinated efforts like this are in effect.
A police department could never function without linking to adequate social services. Social services could never find the right solution when private landlords or the neighbors next door are working against a common goal. If we are to get anywhere fast, this is the type of community love that will end homelessness, curb the housing crisis and solve hunger once and for all.
These sound like lofty goals, but we’ve proven we can do it.