A Tale of Two Priorities in Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania, is at a crossroads. On one hand, the city is looking to invest heavily in infrastructure, including plans for new fire stations designed by Alloy5, a Bethlehem-based architecture firm with project management by Butz Construction. Imagine that.
I guess JB Reilly cannot soak up all of the city's taxpayer funds and is throwing a few breadcrumbs at Butz. On the other hand, the city’s homeless population is being displaced from encampments with little to no long-term solutions in place. The mayor has been tone deaf in his approach to handling the homeless in our city. In one breath he says that he is looking to support the homeless, but my sources tell me secretly he has waged his own war against the homeless because he has no sympathy for their situation at all. He wants them off the streets and out of Allentown.
Alloy5 was contracted to design a new fire station with budgets reaching in excess of sixty million dollars. The city engaged Alloy5 to search for a viable location for the new fire station.
They explored nine 9 potential locations for the new fire station and homed in a parking lot on Fourth and Turner streets owned by Lehigh County.
This project is being framed as essential for public safety and modernization, ensuring firefighters have state-of-the-art facilities to serve the community. Uhm ok. My post today does not focus on the vanity reasons that the Fire Administration and the Mayor are looking to have a new station. The lies around the condition of central fire and the need for a new structure vice complete renovation will surely show up in a separate future post if this building ever becomes a reality. There is no use spending time on a dream.
The Homeless Crisis
Meanwhile, homeless encampments along Jordan Creek have been repeatedly cleared by city crews, often during bitterly cold weather. Mayor Matt Tuerk acknowledged that about twenty residents living in floodplain encampments will be forced out, but efforts to establish a “safe camping” site for displaced individuals have stalled.
The juxtaposition is stark: millions of taxpayer dollars are being allocated to fire station construction while homeless residents are left without shelter or support.
The Commission on Homelessness exists to advise the mayor and council, but its recommendations have not translated into meaningful action. Clearing camps without providing alternatives has left many residents vulnerable, especially during winter months.
Mayor Tuerk and his administration spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a study for a "Life, Health and Wellness" center and a $10 million parking deck but continues to ignore the homeless issue because his actions and attention to this matter show that the "homeless just don't matter".
Public safety is undeniably important, but so is human dignity. Fire stations protect property and lives, but ignoring the plight of the homeless undermines the very fabric of community safety. When taxpayer dollars are spent on infrastructure while basic humanitarian needs are neglected, residents are right to question the city’s priorities.
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21 comments:
If the mayor is so concerned with fire protection than why was his city owned electric mustang parked in front of the fire hydrant the entire Thanksgiving weekend. This would constitute a risk of life issue in his hands seeing the building cattycorner to his has the infamous orange stickers because his palm wasn't greased.
Damn. Sounds entitled
Wouldn't spending Allentown tax payers money to solve homelessness only attract even more of the region's homeless population to Allentown? I don't think concentrating the region's homeless population into Allentown is a good idea. I also don't think solving the homeless crisis is an essential service delivery to Allentown tax payers. As a tax payer, I expect to pay for police, fire, parks, street maintenance/plowing etc.. Since when is it the role of local government to provide housing? The last thing Allentown residents need is another new tax/fee to fund housing for the homeless.
what if you were slapped with a bankrupting medical bill that caused you to slowly fall behind on all of your other bills? what if you wound up losing your house? what if that caused you to lose your job? if you paid taxes all that time but now suddenly you were seen as “useless” do you still think it would be fair for no taxpayer funding to be used to address your situation?
Regarding the 9:55 am reply above, if that happened to me, I would never expect the City of Allentown taxpayers to provide me with housing. I wouldn't expect Salisbury, Lower Macungie, Whitehall, Slatington or any other Lehigh County local government to provide housing as taxpayer funded service. So if Allentown did decide to approve yet another tax increase or new fee to fund housing for the un-housed, where do yo think the un-housed in Salisbury, Lower Macungie, Whitehall, Slatington etc...will relocate to????
Absolutely. There are real stories behind individuals who are homeless. To ignore that life situations like job loss, medical problems, mental disorders, veteran suffering, etc is inhumane.
This city wastes money constantly on outsourcing and studies that go nowhere, you can’t tell me they can’t help with the homeless issue in Allentown. I agree it is not an Allentown only solution, the leaders in Washington and Harrisburg should be working with local governments.
Matt Tuerk made this his problem when he started eliminating homeless camps and did not have a plan. He is reckless and dangerous. He is someone who pretends to care but in reality he only cares about himself.
Matt Tuerk is an asshole. End of story
Not true. He also cares about his executive assistant and beard of a wife.
@10:30 cool dude have fun with your bootstraps. i never explicitly mentioned providing housing as a solution, although definitionally that’s the only way to make someone not homeless. we have a duty to take care of each other, whether you want to admit it or not.
Studies have consistently shown that the vast majority of the homeless fall into three main categories, The mentally ill, drug and/or alcohol addicted, and those who are both mentally ill and addicted. Those down on there luck can find help, it is out there. Here in Allentown we have the Allentown Rescue Mission. They will get you back on your feet if you are willing to stay clean and don't pose a danger to others in the program. Guess what? They always have empty beds. Kind of revealing isn't it? Living in the West Park neighborhood we have experienced and influx of homeless since Ripple communities opened there Homeless Drop in Center close by. I can confirm what the studies have shown. The homeless I see aren't down on their luck they are addicts and or mentally illed. Some are frankly a bit scary. It is both frightening and heartbreaking to see this close up. There are remedies to America's homeless problem but they can never be addressed at the local local level alone. The problem is far too big and complex. Sadly our elected officials both state and national have avoided the subject for decades. Our local officials would be wise to advocate a statewide and nation program for properly sorting and housing the homeless. Instead here in Allentown our leaders prefer half measures that merely facilitate homelessness and hence act as homeless magnets. These do far more harm than good as they tend to undermine the communities where the programs operate. This is already happening here in West Park and it will surely get worse. For now we are looking to install a security fence while we wait for the real estate market to return to normal so we can move out. Lord know what we will get for our beautiful historic home when buyers see the homeless in the park right beside our home. As with everything else, on this issue our clueless leaders continue to make life harder for homeowners who really want to live here but increasingly find our neighborhoods less and less viable.
shut up. youre awful. and ps the mission is men only.
You sound like a good person with a sincere social conscience: You should take care of some un-housed people and stop expecting the local government to raise taxes and/or generate yet more new fees to house them.
do you approve of government bulldozing encampments? where do you suppose the money comes from to do that?
Anonymous 1:44, So brave of you to insult me anonymously. Rather cowardly don't you think? As studies indicate at least 70% of the homeless are men the Allentown Rescue Mission has focused on that segment of the population. There are other entities in the city and area that focus on women and their children. Perhaps you might consider doing some research before you reach out and insult those of us who actually know the facts. Now go ahead and throw more insults, insults are a key indicator of the lack of any coherent argument of rebuttal.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DR0UY2HksQh/?igsh
A low class piece of shit. An embarrassment to Allentown and the entire LehighV
Hermano Tuérk is saving lives, while you scallywags take anonymous pot shots at the goat mayor. He's hip billingual tatted up, and runs long distances at a high level quite a role model unlike you hateful troglodytes
Sanctioned Disorder Matt Tuerk Style
Sunday afternoon West Park residents noticed a large number of bicyclists gather in the park around the fountain. Very quickly the numbers grew and were soon joined by motorcycles small and large. These motorcycles were driving around the park on the sidewalks, and doing fast turns in the lawn areas. Soon the number of young boys and men on bicycles and motorcycles was well over one hundred and the noise of racing engines was very loud. In time the police showed up. What did they do? Nothing! They parked along Turner at one of the parks far corners with their lights on. This they continued to do for for an extended period as the park's rules were violated by the assembled mob. Eventually they filed out of the park onto Turner street, in column heading east where they no doubt disrupted traffic for as long as they pleased. The police again did nothing but watch. A few of the motorcyclists stayed behind and continued riding in the park right in front of the police. Finally the police left.
One wonders why they even bothered to come? My guess is nervous and annoyed West Park residents hoped the police would do what the police used to do, maintain order and enforce laws and ordinances. Clearly showing up is all they are permitted to do in such situations. None of this is new, the sanctioning of anti social adolescent male behavior began when our very own Peter Pan, Matt Tuerk became mayor. He sees no harm in it.
Matt clearly doesn't understand disorder leads to more disorder. Unchecked, this cycle degrades the communities quality of life, increases crime, and blight. It leads to the flight of taxpaying homeowners who seek only relative peace, quiet, and safety. There is a pattern here Matt chooses not to see.
This is Matt Teurk's Allentown, not yet a dystopia but well on its way. No wonder why the city is a mess, awash in litter, blight, F you attitudes and an empty downtown.
Hey Scott it sounds like some kids got together outside and celebrated their athletic abilities by riding bicycles something to be applauded in this digital age. Regarding the motorcycles that's unfortunate if the police won't do anything why don't you sack up and form a division of the famous Curtis SLIWA founded guardian Angels you would look cute in a satin jacket and red beret I'm sure the kids and young BIPOCS would respect your authoritayyyy!
Or better yet make a citizens arrest they are legal in Pa show us how much you love the city we know you idolize Charles Bronson and Bernhard Goetz are your idols!
Saving lives?!?? Please tell me how so??
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