Allentown Homeless Commission 2025 Annual Report Presentation to City Council

On April 15, 2026, the Allentown Homeless Commission (formally the Commission on Homelessness) presented its 2025 annual report to the Allentown City Council. Co-chairs Christina and Abby Goldfarb outlined the commission's accomplishments, challenges, and priorities for the coming year, highlighting the all-volunteer nature of the commission and the need for stronger collaboration between the city, county, and service providers.

Discussion Items

• Lived Experience Advisory Group: Abby Goldfarb described the formation of a new advisory group of 8–10 individuals with current or recent lived experience of homelessness. The group will undergo orientation, receive compensation from city funds, and provide expertise on projects such as affordable housing design. The group is expected to begin in May 2026, and its meetings will eventually be open to the public.
• Strategic Planning Committee: The commission formed a planning committee that developed a $100,000 funding ask with specific line items, including compensation for the lived experience council. The committee focused on short-term solutions.
• Communication Efforts: The commission launched an Instagram account (@ACHAllentown) on April 14, 2026, to post agendas, minutes, and public events, as the city does not allow the commission to host its own website or use city email addresses. Council member Bender noted that the city recently spent significant funds on its website and offered to explore a link from the city site to an external platform.
• Encampment Mitigation and Evictions: The commission organized cleanups with the city's public works department before the Jordan Creek encampment eviction, but the eviction proceeded. Co-chair Abby Goldfarb expressed frustration that providers were only notified on a Friday afternoon about a pending eviction with only five working days to respond, calling the process inhumane and lacking collaboration.
• Multidisciplinary Team (MDT): Originating from the commission but now housed at the county, the MDT meets quarterly to address complex cases of unsheltered individuals at risk of death. Since inception, 19 individuals have been presented, all connected to services, and 11 have been housed or moved to long-term care (nursing home or CRR).
• Sunday Drop-In Center: Through the commission's connection with the faith community, Christ Church (Christ Lutheran) began offering Sunday breakfast and fellowship. By the end of winter, they were serving nearly 75 people each Sunday. The all-volunteer program relies on donations and would like to stay open year-round but needs more volunteers.
• Services Alert System: A text message system was created to provide real-time information on agency closures, weather, and other updates to providers and people experiencing homelessness.
• Advocacy Initiatives: The education committee hosted three public awareness events in 2025, including a presentation to the business community at Capitol Blue. The commission also addressed Senate Bill 780 (criminalizing encampments) and noted a counter bill has been introduced.
• Long-Term Priorities: The commission identified the urgent need for a year-round, low-barrier emergency shelter—the third-largest city in Pennsylvania lacks one. Co-chairs clarified that existing shelters (e.g., YMCA, Bethlehem Emergency Shelter, Rescue Mission) have barriers such as warrant checks, sexual offense exclusions, and voucher requirements, and do not accept families with children. The commission stressed the need for regional collaboration and a continuum of housing options (permanent supportive, transitional, longer stays).
• Strategic Priorities: The commission called for stronger collaboration with the Allentown Housing Authority (no participation) and the standing shelters (6th Street Shelter, Salvation Army, Rescue Mission—none attend meetings or share data). Comprehensive data collection remains a challenge due to differing definitions of homelessness (HUD vs. McKinney-Vento) and disparate data systems. Only about 30% of providers use the same HMIS system.
• Service Hubs: Formed after the Jordan Creek evictions, the service hubs at the YMCA coordinated by the city's unsheltered coordinator have helped house 20 people (including three veterans), placed four into inpatient treatment, and two into transitional housing, out of approximately 103 individuals along Jordan Creek. The hubs are a work in progress and will continue through April 2026.

Key Outcomes

• The commission's report, submitted to the mayor and city council in early April 2026, was formally received by the council.
• Council member Bender committed to investigating the technical barriers preventing the commission from posting agendas, minutes, and contact information on the city website, and to exploring a link from the city site to an external page.
• Council member Bender also noted that the city is working to schedule a meeting with the Allentown Housing Authority executive director, Julio Guridy, to discuss collaboration; two dates are being considered.
• Council members expressed appreciation for the commission's volunteer work and acknowledged the challenges of maintaining quorum and addressing homelessness in the city.
• No formal votes were taken; the presentation was informational and included a question-and-answer session.