Pathways offers transitional housing and rental aid in Allentown

Lehigh County churches collaborate on rental assistance and transitional housing through the Pathways program. Pathways is a collaboration of the Lehigh County Conference of Churches.

Anyone who lives in the county and is facing potential homelessness may seek help through Pathways. This program utilizes several tools to help tenants either maintain an existing rental or make the transition to another permanently affordable rental home.

Nearly 4,000 people annually receive help through Pathways. The actual aid receives depends on the applicant’s situation and on available funding. These are some components of aid packages received by clients.

• Case management provides each client with a point person who takes the lead on identifying weaknesses in the financial situation. Each case manager works with the client to create a budget and develop an action plan. The great part about case management is that it provides a single point of contact for each client who will assist them through the entire process. This case manager can represent several organizations, and they can provide referrals to each one where appropriate.
• Back rent payments of up to one month’s rent could be authorized if it would be sufficient to allow a tenant to remain in their current rental home. This aid is payable directly to a landlord for a property located within Lehigh County. Funding is distributed as a part of the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program if a client meets qualifications for funding to recover from a short-term crisis.
• Permanent rent subsidies can be authorized for clients who are chronically homeless. Transitional housing programs can steer clients into Tenant-Based Rental Assistance if they believe the client is unable to graduate towards permanently affordable private rental housing.
• Employment counseling is especially helpful for tenants who are also going through a job transition. The goal is to help clients restore lost income so that they can once again live independently.

Transitional housing is provided where necessary to clients who may be losing their existing rental property. Case managers at Pathways can contact landlords to determine whether certain arrangements are feasible. This can be an especially helpful service, since it can allow the two parties to communicate and work to a favorable solution on your behalf.

While Pathways operates an emergency shelter for those who are evicted, many clients are able to take advantage of the safety net provided by the transitional housing program. It offers a much more private residential environment while a household recovers from a financial crisis.

Those who are facing rental arrears should contact a case manager as soon as possible, since some options are not possible the more a client’s case deteriorates. Pathways is located on West Linden Street in Allentown. An appointment may be scheduled by calling 610-439-8653.