Preventing Homelessness in the Lehigh Valley

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (WLVT) - The reality for some people is that they're just one paycheck or situation away from being without a home. Finding affordable housing in the Lehigh Valley can be a challenge, but a new state grant is helping a Bethlehem organization change that.

Diana Garcia volunteers at New Bethany Ministries as often as she can, working in the Digital SmartChoice pantry. She said she found the organization eight years ago while on welfare, and she continued to work with them.

A recent leg ulcer sidelined her with medical bills and trips to the hospital. She said paying for rent for her Southside home was tough.

"We all go through a struggle in life, you know?" she said. "A lot of people feel embarrassed to go to an agency out there and say, 'I need help.'"

New Bethany helped Garcia make those payments, thanks to a rental assistance project that started last year.

"They saved me right there, because at that point, I was very tight on money," she said. "They avoided me getting evicted."

New Bethany is using a $75,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Housing Assistance and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) fund to help people like Diana. The organization's rental assistance project was one of 211 initiatives across the state that were approved for PHARE funding in 2018-19, totaling $51.2 million.

While the money helps people stay in their homes, New Bethany's project also covers security deposits for people looking for housing. Last year, the organization helped 73 households.

"We couldn't help everyone. That's how great the need is," said Pamela Lewis, manager of community partnerships, "and currently, we're waiting for a new round, and I do have a waiting list of 20 people so far."

Krystal Feist grew up in Allentown, but has been living in transitional housing with New Bethany in Bethlehem's south side for 11 months.

Like Garcia, she also received rental assistance, as she prepares to move into her own home next week in Catasauqua.

"I'm very blessed, because I never thought this day would come for me," she said. "It's a life changer. It's scary, but at the same time, I'm happy and excited."

Feist said she left a toxic home environment. In the process, she hasn't been able to live with two of her three kids, but now that she's moving into her own place, she said she'll start the process to reunite with them.

"I get judged a lot, especially the people that knew me before -- but I get positive notes now, like, 'You've overcome a lot. You're not the same person you were three, four years ago. You've changed, and you're a great mother,' and that's all I can be right now," she said.

"We're people, and a home is a basic need that is very important," Lewis said, "and we strive to help everyone have dignity, have respect, and assist the individuals where they are at."

Garcia says she's now at a place where she's not worried about paying rent and providing for her four kids, but she knows how others in this area are struggling.

"I have a place to sleep. I have a place to put my head," she said. "There's people that -- as I see them come into New Bethany to eat food -- at night, I see them out there."

To learn more about the organization's rental assistance project, click HERE.