(The latest in a series of posts on the Southside and Neighborhoods)
Judy Parr is a lifelong resident of Bethlehem.
Gadfly:
A young man I know is employed at Lehigh and wanted to buy a house on the south side. Lehigh offers grants to employees who buy within its catchment area. Despite this, and despite almost a year of looking, he gave up and moved to the other side of route 22. He couldn’t compete with the professional property buyers. He made an offer of asking price on one house and was beat out by someone who offered $20K less than that but who could pay cash. Here was someone who wanted to buy near work, work encouraged him to do so, and he just couldn’t get a foothold.
Judy
That’s the Southside reality, the reality that some think that by just “covering their eyes with one hand” no one else will see. It’s happening! Current longtime owner occupied are been chase out and families interested in buying can’t compete with developers. Needless is to say: sad, sad, sad… I REST MY CASE…
Councilwoman Olga Negrón
Community Liaison
HGSK Law Firm
1136 Hamilton St. Suite 101
Allentown, PA 18101
_______________
Hispanic Center
520 E 4th St.
Bethlehem, PA 18015
Bethlehem Office
484-223-4743
onegron@hgsklawyers.com
This has terrible implications for what SS is becoming & will become. Think of the trendy areas in lower Manhattan or Brooklyn—increasingly unaffordable for most people.