Pembroke Choice Neighborhood Plan

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Client

City of Bethlehem

Description

The City of Bethlehem and the Bethlehem Housing Authority (BHA) are joining forces to revitalize Pembroke Village and the surrounding Pembroke Neighborhood through a Choice Neighborhoods (CN) Planning Grant. Addressing the core CN goals—housing, people, and neighborhood—the initiative aims to replace outdated public housing with sustainable, mixed-income options and foster a high-functioning community with enhanced quality of life. The historic city of Bethlehem faces an affordable housing crisis, driving the need for the transformation of the distressed Pembroke community. The neighborhood, distinguished by demographic diversity and a plethora of community assets, is strategically positioned near employment centers and educational institutions. Despite these potentials, it struggles with significant socio-economic challenges. The CN process follows a detailed five-phase strategy to foster neighborhood renewal through inclusive planning, leveraging partner organizations and aiming for a comprehensive and sustainable transformation.

Building Community: First Presbyterian housing vision

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Client

First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem

Description

In response to the housing crisis in the city of Bethlehem, First Presbyterian Church is shifting its missional focus to explore possible uses of our vast resources (building and land) to meet our community’s housing needs. Doing so will have significant, positive community impact, and it will also offer the church long-term financial sustainability to continue serving our most vulnerable neighbors. First Presbyterian Church is working to create a vision for the future of the campus. The Church selected COLLABO to lead a planning process that is transparent, inclusive, and centered on building trust and capacity for the next chapter of the Church’s story with a strong focus on mixed-income housing. The church plans to retain ownership of its property and pursue development as a joint-venture partner in the project; this will help ensure that the vision is implemented as intended and that the property continues to be managed well. We will listen and learn from the project Steering Committee, congregation members and participants, neighbors, and other stakeholders in the community to identify core goals, create a vision, and outline action steps for implementation of the Plan.

Opening Doors: Strategies to Build Housing Stability in Bethlehem

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Client

City of Bethlehem

Description

The Opening Doors report addresses the escalating housing stability crisis in Bethlehem, exacerbated by a shortage of affordable housing due to the region's rapid growth and the COVID-19 pandemic's impact. This Plan, completed in November 2023, details the socio-demographic profile, housing challenges, and strategies devised through community engagement and cooperation with local stakeholders. The Plan presents multi-faceted approaches to expand affordable housing, ranging from zoning updates and incentive programs to partnership-driven developments and state-level advocacy. It also emphasizes the importance of addressing the housing needs of low-wage workers and cost-burdened residents who face displacement or homelessness. COLLABO led successful community engagement efforts for this project.

The Reinvestment Fund is the team prime for this project.