Summer is here, which has led to a swell in the homeless population spotted on the streets of Lehighton.

Resident Marianne Rustad addressed borough council on Monday about what she termed the increasing issue of homelessness in town.

“Are any steps being taken to find long-term solutions because it seems it’s getting worse,” Rustad said.

Borough police Chief Troy Abelovsky told Rustad that the Carbon County Task Force meets to try and find solutions for the issue.

Borough Manager Dane DeWire added that “homelessness has no one solution.”

DeWire added it’s a joint effort.

“We are starting to see an influx this summer,” DeWire said. “We do notice it is more now than ever.”

Abelovsky noted that all situations are different, and added that despite having other options available to them, a good percentage of the homeless population choose not to take those opportunities.

Rustad said she was happy to try to facilitate a roundtable discussion, as she’s witnessed a lot of people sleeping in the cemetery.

Tina Henninger noted that as a business owner, “we have noticed in the downtown an explosion.”

Henninger said that includes an influx of outsiders.

“This has become an issue,” Henninger said. “I am afraid that some residents are probably going to try to take things into their own hands.”

However, Abelovsky said that each situation is unique to itself, and advised individuals to contact the police department before taking things into their own hands.

Henninger said there was recently an instance where an unknown man was camping out on a resident’s porch.

Abelovsky said that while he understood the concerns, he noted the police department’s manpower is in short supply.

“We’re limited in with what we can do,” Abelovsky said. “The best thing residents can do is be the best informant as possible.”

Mayor Ryan Saunders mentioned that the borough has received an “overwhelming amount of calls (of homeless people) sleeping in the amphitheater.”

“We’re working on putting something together to eradicate Tent City,” Saunders said.

The homeless encampment was broken up last year when Carbon County Commissioners had the sheriff’s deputies clear the site along the Lehigh River between Weissport and Lehighton.

At one point, about 50 people stayed there.

After the meeting, Saunders said he is in communications with the county commissioners on putting together a plan.

Saunders added he’s “instructed our officers to recognize that we have a growing problem of homelessness within the borough, so they are patrolling the borough and specifically looking at high level areas of interest to homeless people and keeping an eye on this type of activity.”

Saunders noted that “being homeless is not against the law.

“So if they’re just walking around, they aren’t breaking any laws,” he said. “If they’re shooting up drugs, harassing citizens, littering, then those are against the law, so we are absolutely going to better control that.”

Saunders added that since officers will be patrolling there more frequently and keeping a watchful eye on the activity, he’s encouraged anyone in the community who witnesses any kind if illegal activity to not make any type of contact with these individuals.

Instead, he said they should contact the Communications Center at 911 and report the medical emergency.