After reviewing its flood plan maps, the City of Allentown has determined the area along Jordan Creek to be an active flood zone. Due to the “significant danger” it poses to the unhoused individuals living there, they plan to remove the encampment composed of over 100 people.
The City announced their plan to post formal notices beginning on Thursday, August 7, informing those living along the Jordan Creek that they must vacate the area by August 25.
In June, Allentown developer Nat Hyman threatened to sue the city for failing to address the encampment. Hyman claimed the encampment is causing pollution and violating environmental laws, and that the city’s failure to maintain its property was causing damage to his neighboring properties.
Several community members, including some residents of the encampment, spoke out at Allentown City Council’s meeting on Wednesday night, accusing the city of dehumanizing the inhabitants. Multiple called for citywide solutions to housing insecurity, including a year-round emergency shelter, homelessness prevention funding, and safe camping sites.
State Representative Josh Siegel released a statement sharing that he’s “sickened” by the eviction, and saying that the Lehigh Valley often fails to “compassionately and emphatically address the challenges of the unsheltered.”
Siegel emphasized that removing the encampment will not solve the problem of housing insecurity. The people living along Jordan Creek will merely relocate to another location, he said, or return shortly after being chased out.
Allentown City Council intends to discuss the issue at a Committee of the Whole meeting on Wednesday, August 13. In the evacuation announcement, the City said it’s “supporting community partners in their efforts to connect individuals with services, while also exploring both short and long-term solutions.”
