Bethlehem city leaders and social-service partners told the City Council on Sept. 16 they are intensifying outreach to people living in encampments along the canal after property owners including Norfolk Southern, UGI and PennDOT posted notices seeking removal. City staff said the administration is working with community partners to connect people to shelter and services and is applying for several state and county grants to expand shelter capacity.

The issue surfaced in public comment and dominated the council’s new-business discussion as residents, service providers and several council members described the human impact and urged careful handling before a Dec. 15 deadline that Norfolk Southern has referenced. “We are down there pretty much every day with our community partners,” said Miss Wenrick, a Community Connections staff member, describing outreach, counts and biweekly coordination calls with providers. She said 22 people had been connected with intensive case management as of the meeting.

Council members and staff emphasized the city has not conducted an aggressive sweep of wooded areas to find and remove people. “We are not trouncing through the woods seeking people out,” a city staff member said, adding that city crews accompany property owners when the owners post notices on their private land.

Why it matters: the canal encampments involve multiple property owners and intersect with the city’s limited shelter capacity in a region where winter weather can create life-threatening conditions. Council and administration members said the city is moving on parallel tracks — emergency shelter upgrades and outreach to campers — and working with regional partners because the problem crosses municipal boundaries.

What officials said they’re doing
- Outreach and case management: City Community Connections staff and nonprofit partners (New Bethany, Conference of Churches, street medicine teams) said they are meeting campers daily, doing counts and attempting to link people to services. “We are down there pretty much every day with our community partners,” Miss Wenrick told council.
- Shelter capital and operations: The administration reported the city has set aside $2 million toward capital improvements for the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter (BES) and described a $6 million total estimate for the shelter conversion project. Staff said BES is planning capital and operational changes needed to operate year‑round and is preparing a capital campaign and fundraising activity.
- Grant applications authorized by council: In the meeting council approved grouped resolutions authorizing the mayor to file several grant applications related to shelter and community facilities (passed 7–0). Those filings include two local-share-account (LSA) county grant applications ($800,000 requested from Monroe County; $800,000 requested from Lehigh & Northampton County), a $2 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RCAP) application for the Bethlehem Emergency Shelter, and a $5 million RCAP application for the Southside Community Center. The city also approved a separate $400,000 LSA application for West Broad Street improvements.
- Regional coordination: Council members said the issue is regional; staff said Allentown’s recent encampment closure had increased migration into Bethlehem and that the Lehigh Valley Regional Homelessness Advisory Board is discussing “safe camping” options and regional sheltering strategies.

What residents and advocates urged
Residents and public-comment speakers urged the council to prioritize humane, immediate sheltering and to consider alternatives such as sanctioned camping sites or temporary housing. Several speakers warned that removing campers without housing solutions would push people into more precarious situations. “Winter is coming,” Peg Church said during public comment, urging the council to consider models like Harrisburg’s tenting/temporary-site approach. Other commenters described personal experience with housing instability and urged more time, services and regional solutions.

Limits and constraints cited by staff
City staff repeatedly noted limits on municipal authority over private property: notices posted on the canal corridor were from Norfolk Southern and two small parcels identified as UGI or PennDOT. Staff said the parks-and-recreation ordinance already prohibits camping on city park property and noted the city exercises discretion in enforcement. Staff also said the Norfolk Southern police requested city accompaniment because Norfolk Southern’s force is small and unfamiliar with local parcels.

Next steps and timing
City staff said outreach will continue daily, intensive case management will expand as capacity allows, and the city will pursue the stated grant requests to fund capital work at BES and potential emergency hotel placements or other short-term sheltering. Council members and staff said they will continue regional meetings and pursue potential “safe camping” pilots outside the city proper. The Dec. 15 timeline referenced by Norfolk Southern prompted repeated appeals for urgency among residents and advocates.

Ending note: the council’s approvals of multiple grant applications and the city’s $2 million capital earmark for BES signal a push to expand shelter capacity, but staff and advocates said available beds and permanent housing remain limited and that the city is depending on regional coordination and outside grant awards to close the gap.