Cots stand inside a room at Trinity Lutheran Church’s Luther Hall, awaiting men in need of a place to stay during Code Blue nights. (Photo courtesy of Mark Lanan)
The Open Link in Pennsburg and Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lansdale are two sanctuaries this winter.
Montgomery County’s ramping up efforts to aid those experiencing homelessness during the winter months, adding four new “Code Blue” shelters.
Established shelters are expected to provide 186 beds, and assist people in Lansdale, Norristown, Pennsburg, Plymouth Meeting, Pottstown, according to county officials.
“This proposed (2025) budget includes $2 million in operating expenses to increase the number of critical shelter services during winter season, and most importantly, I want to highlight the need for a year-round and emergency shelter here in Montgomery County,” Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairwoman Jamila Winder said during Thursday’s Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting.
These emergency weather declarations are typically issued when “either the temperature or the wind chill is expected to be below 32 degrees Fahrenheit,” according to a Montgomery County spokesperson. The increased initiatives come as Montgomery County issued its third alert for the 2024-25 winter season, which is set to take effect at 9 p.m. Friday and run through 9 a.m. Saturday.
Those in need of assistance should call the Your Way Home at Your Way Home call center at 610-278-3522 for more information. Spaces will be available for individuals at the following locations when "Code Blue" declarations are issued:
Haws Avenue United Methodist Church and Norristown Hospitality Center, both based in Norristown, will each serve single men and women; Pottstown Beacon of Hope, of Pottstown, will serve single men and women; The Open Link in Pennsburg will serve single men; The Salvation Army will serve families with children and single women in Norristown and Pottstown; TLC for the People will serve single men and women in Plymouth Meeting; and Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, of Lansdale, will serve single men.
The county also designated “a rate of $15 per person served on declared 'Code Blue' nights,” ensuring the temporary shelters can maintain operations to provide “critical services” related to meals, accommodation and “essential support,” per a Montgomery County spokesperson.
Homelessness in Montgomery County
Hundreds are experiencing homelessness and struggle to secure affordable housing in the state’s third most populous county. Advocates have long attributed the increased cost of living and rising rents to the issue.
More than 1,000 single adult Montgomery County residents reportedly experienced homelessness last year, according to figures from the Philadelphia-based Resources for Human Development. Another 435 people were found sleeping outside or in temporary shelters on a night in January, according to a Montgomery County spokesperson. The next Point-in-Time Count is slated for January 2025.
While homelessness is evident countywide, it’s often more visible in places such as Norristown and Pottstown, as homeless encampments continue to pop up in the two boroughs. The new administration stressed the importance of alleviating the burdens of vulnerable residents. Winder identified a 30-person homeless encampment in the county seat in her remarks during Thursday's county commissioners meeting.
“We see homelessness grow and we see … the food banks are growing. I mean there’s a lot of issues that we’re dealing with on a daily basis across Montgomery County,” said Montgomery County Commissioner Tom DiBello.
This latest action to mitigate the county’s homelessness crisis comes more than two years after the Coordinated Homeless Outreach Center closed its doors in 2022. The facility, operated by RHD on the grounds of the Norristown State Hospital is Montgomery County’s largest and only homeless shelter for single adults.
CHOC was on a portion of state land conveyed to the Municipality of Norristown, and RHD was one of several social service agencies in need of a new place when leases lapsed on June 30, 2022. The nonprofit still provides services to those in need, but no new facility has been built.
Nonprofits partner with county on 'Code Blue' initiatives
Additionally, Winder noted the county’s efforts to partner with six organizations, “who have chipped in to provide grants to the 'Code Blue' providers.” Those relationships resulted in $22,500 worth of start-up and supplemental grants to provide “essential supplies and volunteers” to further 'Code Blue' shelter operations, according to a Montgomery County spokesperson.
Local participating nonprofits included the Montgomeryville-based BLBB Charitable, the Connelly Foundation, of West Conshohocken, HealthSpark Foundation, of Colmar, the Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation, of Pottstown, The Montgomery County Foundation, Inc., of Blue Bell, and the VNA Foundation of Greater North Penn, of Lansdale.
“We all must do our part to ensure that our neighbors have access to safe shelter, especially during the winter season. Each of our philanthropic foundations are proud to come together, alongside the County of Montgomery, to provide critical funding to these efforts,” HealthSparkFoundation President and CEO Emma Hertz said in a statement.
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