Allentown takes action to increase city’s housing stock

The Lehigh Valley is in a housing crisis and Allentown is no exception.

Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Executive Director Becky Bradley recently reported that there is currently a 9,000-unit deficit in housing in the Lehigh Valley, and it’s a problem that’s only expected to get worse.

She said she expects the Lehigh Valley will need at least 54,000 new housing units by 2050 just to catch up with the expected growth in population.

In Allentown, the city’s administration has decided to take action to help get more housing units to market.

Mayor Matt Tuerk recently issued an executive order to expedite the land development review and approval process for large-scale housing developments.

Under the order, all land development plans that include 20 or more residential dwelling units will receive an expedited review by all land development reviewers, including the City’s Engineering Department and subsequently the Planning and Zoning Bureau.

“We are in a race against time to meet the demand for affordable, high-quality housing,” said Mayor Tuerk. “If we can speed up development, we can help ease price pressures and give more residents the opportunity to live and thrive in Allentown.”

Vicky Kistler, Community and Economic Director for the city, said what the order directs is that such applications go to the front of the line over other types of development seeking permitting approval.

“This puts housing projects on the top of the pile,” she said.

Recent additions to the city’s housing stock include City Center’s The Nines and the 1010 Lofts on Hamilton Street, but Kistler said many more are in the pipeline.

Kistler said the city is currently experiencing high development interest, with a significant number of housing proposals under review.

“This will have an effect on some of them,” she said.

The Mayor’s order aims to cut through procedural bottlenecks and deliver much-needed housing to the market more quickly.

All qualifying applications already in the queue will be immediately reprioritized for faster consideration.

Tuerk said his executive action reflects the city’s broader commitment to tackling the housing crisis through data-driven, resident-focused policies that address both affordability and supply.

“The need for housing is urgent,” said Tuerk. “Prioritizing housing is prioritizing the wellbeing of our residents.”

He said the city will continue working with developers, community stakeholders, and internal departments to ensure housing remains a top priority in Allentown’s future.

Kistler did note that this is an internal process that only includes city permits and not other permits a project might need.

She couldn’t specify how much time this would save on the oftentimes lengthy process to bring a residential project from concept to completion.

“It depends on the location and the complexity of the plan, such as are there any hazardous materials on the site,” Kistler said. “We do our best to work with developers to try and get the project done as soon as possible.”

Part of the impetus for the order – besides the need to bring more housing units to market – is the threat that Housing and Urban Development funding may be cut by the Trump administration, which could mean a significant loss of federal dollars for housing in the city.

“HUD funding could be eliminated in the future,” Kistler said. “This helps us to be sure that the funding we have is used expeditiously just in case that happens.