Norristown Homeless Encampments Spark Local Debate: Reports

NORRISTOWN, PA - Multiple homeless camps in Norristown have sparked public debate in recent days, with at least one local official advocating to “make a point” by offering to busing people to a local university.

Norristown, which has no homeless shelter, has become overrun with around 20 homeless encampments, including ones on state land, SEPTA property and PECO-owned land, according to NBC Philadelphia. The latter organization says they can’t have people living on their land due to safety issues with power lines.

Thomas Lepera, president of the Norristown Municipal Council, reportedly told the Philadelphia Inquirer he wanted to bus unhoused individuals to Villanova University. Lepera clarified his position in a June 4 Facebook post, stating that he “never said I wanted to bus homeless people to Villanova.”

“I said I wanted to bus people, including myself, to the Villanova campus to make a point: a wealthy institution like Villanova University - with ample grounds, empty dorms all summer long and strong Catholic values to offer help to the underprivileged - could very well ease Norristown’s immediate homelessness crisis, especially since Stephanie Sena is an anti-poverty fellow at Villanova’s law school,” he wrote.

Sena, who also runs a homeless shelter in Upper Darby, has been working with around 160 unhoused people in Norristown, according to NBC Philadelphia. However, per Montco Today, Sena’s work is not being done on behalf of the university.

“… Villanova University has had multiple conversations with Norristown officials to clarify Ms. Sena’s role as being independent of Villanova,” a statement from the university read, per the outlet.

In the meantime, Norristown officials are coordinating a sweep of the encampments alongside Norristown police and PECO, according to WHYY. Specifics of the sweep remain unavailable to the public “until stakeholders] all know the specifics of any plan,” a spokesperson for Norristown told the outlet.