YORK, Pa. — An encampment outside York City Hall has ignited discussions about the escalating homelessness crisis affecting communities nationwide. This latest initiative aims to provide individuals experiencing homelessness with a safe space to sleep, yet many in the community believe it is merely a temporary fix.
“We’re putting band-aids on hemorrhaging issues,” stated Robin Shearer, Executive Director of Friends and Neighbors of Pennsylvania.
A Point in Time homelessness survey revealed a staggering 51% increase in homelessness in York County from 2021 to 2022, totaling 358 individuals, nearly 100 of whom were unsheltered.
This is why organizations in York County are teaming up to provide homeless individuals with comprehensive care and support to find a more permanent solution and address the underlying issues contributing to homelessness in the county.
Patrick Ball, interim CEO of LifePath Christian Ministries, expressed the community’s interconnectedness, stating, “In many cases, these are people that either you know now, you’ve known in the past, or you may know in the future.”
Advocates say the current economic climate has placed many individuals at risk of homelessness.
“We have a lot of people who have never been unhoused before so this is a whole new thing for them and a lot of those people are older adults or people who are under 24,” Shearer said.
One of the primary factors in this crisis is the rising cost of housing.
“You have the right to set your rent to wherever you need it to be, but at the same time, our folks don’t make enough money to pay those rents,” said Joyce Santiago, CEO of Affordable Housing Advocates.
According to Ball, this growing disparity puts more individuals just a few paychecks away from living in shelters or encampments.
“A lot of people we work with are working, they have jobs and just can’t keep up anymore,” Shearer stated.
Programs such as Rent 2 Success aim to combat this issue by providing education for tenants and peace of mind for landlords. Organizers say that increasing renters knowledge on their responsibilities will make them more reliable tenants. Landlords have expressed this will increase their willingness to work with unhoused individuals on the affordability of properties.
Another response to the urgent need for more permanent solutions came from LifePath Christian Ministries. Starting Nov. 1 it is converting its dining hall into an emergency shelter every night for 30 to 40 individuals, to combat the winter weather which can have catastrophic effects on individuals without shelter.
“Every year the cold kills people,” Shearer stated.
While the York County Coalition on Homelessness is already at work to create longer-lasting solutions, community leaders understand that more permanent solutions are necessary.
“We can’t do it ourselves, and if we can’t do it ourselves, we have to do it as a community,” Ball said.
Advocates encourage community support, but leaders urge residents to direct their help through established organizations. Instead of giving directly to individuals, donating to local service organizations can maximize the impact of available resources for an issue larger than life.
More information on how to get involved can be found here.