'Historic' Lansdale Homeless Shelter A Model For Other Montco Towns

LANSDALE, PA — Montgomery County officials are hopeful the new homeless shelter in Lansdale will reduce the homelessness rate in one of the county's most at-risk communities by up to 75 percent, they said in the days following the groundbreaking ceremony held for the new facility.

The new shelter features single and double occupancy rooms and can house up to 20 people at a time. Authorities are hopeful the model, created in a partnership between Lansdale and the county, can be adapted in other communities.

"This has been a priority of ours as Commissioners—and Lansdale Borough has taken the initiative to show that it is their priority, too," said Montgomery County Commissioner Neil K. Makhija. "Together, we are breaking ground on a short-term housing facility that will make a real difference in this community, and laying the foundation for dignity and lasting change for residents in need."

The facility will cost about $1.3 million per year.

That covers the cost of the facility's operations, but also individual, personalized case management, and "wraparound services," terminology used to describe holistic services and wide-ranging support offered to residents. Specifically, residents will have individualized case management, connections to permanent housing, access to public management, and basic social services and staffing.

Construction will officially get underway within the new few weeks, officials said. It's expected the facility will open by the end of the year.

Lansdale's borough leadership praised the county for prioritizing the area's homelessness issue. It's the second shelter to be announced for Lansdale within the past few months, as a special winter shelter opened in Decemeber.

“Lansdale Borough is thrilled to have this short-term supportive housing becoming a reality," said Meg Currie Teoh, Vice President of the Lansdale Borough Council. "This is such an important pathway to getting folks back on their feet, and getting them out of the cycle of homelessness. We are deeply appreciative of Montgomery County, whose leaders have prioritized and been partners in this work: they have showed us that where a municipality has the will, the County will find a way."

The homelessness issue has been a priority for commissioners over the past year, as in addition to the two new shelters in Lansdale, the county has also announced a temporary hoteling shelter program at a Day's Inn in Pottstown. Efforts are underway to put together similar county-municipality partnerships for additional shelters in other communities like Norristown and West Norriton.