Part Three

Over the previous two weeks of this series, readers were given a profile of the struggles people who face homelessness must fight through the eyes of one Lehigh Valley man. More often than not, homelessness is the consequence of other factors that have done much to derail a person’s life. Such was the case with Louis Matyas, a 52-year-old man residing in Hellertown who lost his housing Aug. 15.

Louis’s troubles began when he was hit by a car in March 2014. His injuries were so severe he was fitted with titanium implants in his legs and collarbone; he also developed a post-concussive disorder and PTSD.

After spending a year in the hospital recovering, Louis lost both his job and his living space soon after his release. Louis briefly had to sleep in a toolshed before finding a room in Jim Saville’s rented home in the 400 block of Main Street in Hellertown.

Though he was determined to continue working, Louis was unable to return to a normal living situation on his own. He was unable to find work even after applying for a number of jobs, and struggled with paying rent. The situation became even more dire when the house’s owners announced the property was being sold, leaving Louis without a place to go. Louis failed to secure both a steady job and a new place to live by the time he was forced to leave.

Community response to Louis’ plight has been excellent. At the time of writing, Louis has been offered both a part-time job and a place to live in exchange for manual labor.

However, Louis isn’t the only one facing the issues of unemployment and homelessness.

According to data collected by the U.S. Census bureau, 1 in 10 residents of the Lehigh Valley live in poverty today. Within the city of Allentown, those statistics increase to 3 in 10. The numbers of unemployed and homeless individuals are rising within our area, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and data from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development.

And just having a job isn’t the answer: A person would need 2 ½ minimum wage jobs in order to afford a two bedroom apartment in the Lehigh Valley, a study conducted by the National Low Income Housing Coalition shows.

“The problem is that minimum wage is not enough for a family of four in the Lehigh Valley,” Kristine Blasco, director of the Sixth Street Shelter said.

For over 30 years, the Allentown-based shelter has provided aid to countless families who would otherwise be homeless. The shelter is a salvation to single parent families (normally single mothers) as it allows them to live in a safe environment and work with staff toward reasonable goals, such as getting a job and a GED, for up to 60 days.

Select families live in two-year transitional apartments on Ferry and Turner streets. Half of all families were able to move into affordable housing after completing the program last year. Additionally, 97 percent of children who lived in shelter housing during this time were able to attend school regularly and nearly 180 children took part in educationally enriching programs at the Family Resource Center. The shelter can be reached at 610-435-1490.

Though the shelter’s resource is a blessing, there isn’t an instant way for a family to get into one of its 25 apartments. Families must first be referred via an agency, including the Hispanic American Organization on Walnut Street or Catholic Charities on Union Boulevard. Families must also have children under the age of 18 and have an income of some kind.

“We have over 100 families on waiting list and referrals. This is the biggest it’s ever been in the last five years. There’s a four-month wait to get in currently,” Blasco said. “The only thing we can do is give them referrals to homeless shelters. But men’s rescue missions and salvation armies are often always full.”

Louis faced a similar scenario, as he applied to get into a number of transitional housing facilities but was met with waiting lists.

This is where a program such as Street Medicine becomes an important first step for those who are homeless.

The Lehigh Valley Health Network program works to bring basic medical care to the homeless by setting up clinics both in shelters and on the streets. Spearheaded by Brett Feldman, PA-C and his wife Corrine, the program makes weekly visits to sites in Bethlehem, Easton and Allentown to provide medical services to the homeless. More information and locations of the clinics can be found at https://streetmedicinelehighvalley.org/.

“For various reasons, they can’t access care the way other people do,” Feldman said. “We visit them in the shelters and visit the camps under the bridges to deliver as much care as possible on site.”

Street Medicine provides a variety of treatments for the homeless, including hypertension, diabetes, infectious disease, frostbite and dehydration in addition to other medical benefits.

In addition to partnering with the Lehigh Valley Health Network, Street Medicine also has DeSales Physician Assistant Program students run clinics in the Allentown Rescue Mission and the Truth Home in Bethlehem. It also covers every Lehigh Valley Health Network-affiliated hospital.

“Because of the living conditions [of the homeless], we’re really almost dealing with medicine as it was in the 20th century,” Feldman said. “We have to worry about sanitation and clean water.”

Feldman has seen the fruits of his efforts firsthand. Many homeless people come to rely on the Street Medicine program regularly and several have been able to get back on their feet.

“One of our patients was a nurse and wound up homeless after a stroke. We helped her get medical care. Safe Harbor [of Easton] helped her immensely. She got her license back and got a job.”

Street Medicine is arguably one of the most important – and most immediate – forms of aid for the homeless in the area. However, the only way to truly conquer the problem of homelessness is through a combination of services designed to help them.

Street Medicine, being a mobile clinic, doesn’t provide housing for homeless individuals. Fortunately, despite the waiting lists, there are a large amount of transitional housing services around the Lehigh Valley.

Take for example the aforementioned Safe Harbor located at 536 N Bushkill Drive, Easton. The shelter, which can house 20 men and 16 women per night, allows men and women to stay for two to four months while they learn how to become self-sufficient.

Those staying at Safe Harbor can learn how to stabilize incomes, review and better their skills and hunt for jobs. Safe Harbor looks at each person individually to determine their needs and how they could benefit from a stay at the facility.

Safe Harbor serves roughly 275 homeless single persons every year in overnight housing and also serves non-residents with a Day-Time Drop-In Program 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. To contact Safe Harbor, call 610-258-5540.

The Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley is perhaps the widest-reaching organization within the Lehigh Valley. Founded in 1965, the committee runs a variety of programs to aid those facing poverty in a variety of ways.

In addition to the Sixth Street Shelter, CACLV also runs Second Harvest Food Bank, Work Ready, which trains individuals on how to find jobs and teaches skills to make them more hireable and the Rising Tide Community Loan Fund, that gives advice and loans to people looking to start their own business.

Through the collaborative efforts of these programs under one roof, CACLV is one of the largest all-encompassing programs within our area providing aid to those facing homelessness and poverty. The Community Action Committee can be reached at 610-691-6582.

A counterpart to the Sixth Street Shelter is the Allentown Rescue Mission, 355 W. Hamilton St. The rescue mission provides shelter, clothing and food services to its members.

After picking up a housing voucher from the Allentown Police station, men can come to the mission’s Gateway Center between 5 and 7:30 p.m. and begin a basic stay at the shelter. Men are given a pack of travel-sized personal items, including a razor and shaving cream, deodorant and soap.

While the average stay at the Allentown Rescue Mission is 14 days, men are encouraged to join a long-term program to reshape their perspectives and learn how to become profitable and productive in society through a religious backdrop.

Street Medicine also visits the rescue mission in the form of the DeSales Street Clinic, run by Physician Assistants and graduate students of DeSales University. The Allentown Rescue Mission can be contacted at 610-740-5500.

For men in the Bethlehem area, Victory House of Lehigh Valley provides housing and counseling to help them out of their situation.

Founded in 1985, the program provides homeless and poverty-stricken men with temporary living space in dormitories, daily meals and case management regarding their situation.

Men who are admitted into the Victory House program are given access to a range of services including help for those who suffer from mental illness, substance abuse support groups and medical care access and employment assistance.

Each person is assigned a case manager who works to connect them with the resources they need to meet their individual goals of success.

The end goal of those in the program is to get them into an independent, self-sufficient state with a job and a place to live.

The program is relatively exclusive – over the past year, only 108 men were admitted due to the level of individual attention each man receives. Over 60 percent of those admitted transitioned into independent living conditions and nearly 70 percent were able to beat drug and alcohol addictions during the course of their stay. Victory House can be reached at 610-691-3373.

The Salvation Army of the Lehigh Valley also offers emergency housing for 45 days to women and children only in its Rich Fleming Family Center, 344 N. 7th St., Allentown. The shelter provides families with a case worker to help them set logistical goals and get back on their feet.

Any women (along with her children) facing homelessness without the means to obtain housing on their own are eligible, including those who are in transitional housing or being released from a form of housing without a place to live.

Families staying must participate in classes designed to promote self-reliance. In rare instances, families may be allowed to stay longer provided they are especially committed to meeting their goals. The Salvation Army can be reached at 610-432-0128, ext. 220.

While the problem of homelessness is a daunting one with no simple solution, Feldman remains positive our area’s programs and leaders are giving it their all.

“All three cities are actively working on addressing this issue,” Feldman said. “Everybody’s hearts are into it.”