A panel of local social service agency and government officials gathered Friday morning in Penn Forest Township to address the growing issue of homelessness in the community.

The 15th annual “Carbon County Human Services Priorities Breakfast,” featured a discussion on housing, resources, and the challenges faced by the unhoused.

“We are here to learn, to educate each other, discuss what services we have available and what our weaknesses are,” Carbon County Commissioner Wayne Nothstein said. “We are here to seek solutions to the issues and how we can work together.”

Robert Nicolella, executive director of the Carbon County Housing Authority, said the varying definitions of homeless make it difficult when it comes to measuring the severity of the issue and funding allocations.

“If I have to go stay at a friend’s house because I have nowhere else to go, an agency like the Department of Education, for example, counts me as homeless, but Housing and Urban Development does not,” Nicolella said. “If you see a legislator, please talk to them about unifying that definition because from agency to agency they do not sync up right now.”

Kellie Cummings of the Carbon County Office of Aging highlighted the vulnerability of senior citizens at risk of homelessness.

“It is very difficult to see someone of a certain age be homeless or at risk of being homeless,” Cummings said. She explained the challenges faced by seniors, who often juggle medical, physical, and emotional difficulties that can lead to housing instability. Cummings pointed to the SHARE program, which matches seniors with compatible roommates, as a potential solution with a growing presence in the county.

“This program, if they are willing to participate, can be a great benefit because, as we know, the increase in the lack of affordable housing is pretty apparent here in Carbon County,” Cummings said.

Aggie Schoenberger, founder of Peaceful Knights homeless shelter, acknowledged the challenges in integrating people experiencing chronic homelessness into structured programs.

“Many people who have been homeless for longer than six months,” Schoenberger said, “find it very hard to come into a structured program and adapt.” She argued for alternative solutions that address the specific needs of this population, who may struggle to conform to rigid shelter rules.

Robert Frycklund, Carbon County Solicitor, addressed the evolving legal landscape and recent court rulings concerning the rights of the unhoused.

“The courts determined that the city of Pottstown’s homeless encampment abatement program, which displaced unhoused people and disposed of their belongings with virtually no notice, violated their constitutional rights,” Frycklund said.

These rulings, he argued, highlight the need for adequate shelter alternatives before displacing homeless individuals.

An upcoming Supreme Court case, Johnson v. City of Grants Pass, was also a topic of discussion. Frycklund pointed out the potential impact of the court’s decision on criminal protections for the homeless.

“The Ninth Circuit decision determined those who are unhoused are constitutionally protected criminal prosecution as a cruel and unusual punishment if they are deemed involuntarily homeless. That term was defined as those who do not have access to adequate temporary shelter.

The ambiguity of determining involuntary homelessness, he argued, could be a point of contention before the Supreme Court.

Kim Miller, executive director of the Carbon County Action Committee for Human Services, underlined the importance of homeless prevention programs.

“We should not devalue homeless prevention,” Miller said. “The cost of resolution is much higher than it would have been if we had addressed it at the outset. We have seen people who have lived in their rental units for a dozen or more years be evicted because of rearages of one or one-and-a-half months. If they are evicted and are homeless, the cost of rehousing now usually includes first and last month’s rent and rent that is much higher than the unit they were in.”