Mark Riddle, executive director of New Bethany, presented plans to the Northampton County Economic Development Committee on Oct. 2 to expand the nonprofit's South Bethlehem campus with 18 deeply affordable supportive housing units and a new on-site health hub.

Riddle said the expansion would be funded in part by two grants that the committee would forward in a resolution to county council for action that evening. "There is a resolution that will get passed forward to council tonight. So DCED will be the pass through, for these, 2 grants supporting this project," a county staff member said during the introduction. Riddle confirmed the organization will use the funds to reconstruct one building and add housing and services in other campus buildings.

New Bethany told the committee the project will create 14 new efficiency-style apartments in a middle building, convert an office into three individual units in the main office footprint, and generally increase the organization’s housing stock from 54 units to 72 units. Riddle described the housing as time-limited supportive housing intended for stays of about one to two years while clients stabilize and access longer-term housing. "This is all called supportive housing. So you don't stay in these units forever. You stay from 1 to 2 years while you get onto waiting lists," Riddle said.

Riddle described service gaps that motivated the project: housing authorities in the Lehigh Valley closed waiting lists last year and Section 8 voucher lists were largely closed in some jurisdictions, increasing demand for temporary supportive housing and day services. New Bethany reported meal-service demand has risen from roughly 40–60 people at lunch before Riddle's arrival to 80–120 regularly, and said pantry use has increased approximately 92 percent. Riddle said the nonprofit doubled staff for food services and now runs a large volunteer operation.

The planned health hub would expand the organization's single multiuse room into exam rooms, dedicated case-management space, mental-health counseling rooms and centralized intake so on-site partners can provide clinical and supportive services year-round. Riddle said a state grant from the Department of the Environment supports the free grocery-store component and that two dozen partner organizations have committed to deliver on-site services once the space exists. "We're going to have set aside exam rooms. We'll have special rooms just for case management. We'll have rooms just for mental health services," Riddle said.

Riddle told the committee New Bethany purchased an additional property from the diocese in May with no debt and plans to move staff and programs into that building to free existing campus space for housing conversions. He said the organization expects the project to raise annual meal capacity from about 40,000 to 56,000 and to expand case-management reach from roughly 200 people a year to more than 500.

A county staff member said the committee would forward a resolution to council the same day; the committee did not record a vote during the presentation. Committee members asked about prioritization; Riddle said the new units will be flexible to serve individuals, single parents or small families as appropriate to need. No formal county funding decision was recorded at the committee meeting.