Around 25 people gathered on Saturday to rally for safer and more affordable housing in the Lehigh Valley. They met at the New at Mechanic NB bus stop before marching across the Fahy Bridge to Payroll Plaza.
Coordinated by the Lehigh Valley Stands Up, the local chapter of a nationwide organization aiming to address issues in local communities, the housing committee’s“Right to Roof” rally followed the creation of a community art exhibit on Friday about experiences with rising costs of rent within the Lehigh Valley.
Organizers said the events are part of an ongoing effort to bring residents together and pressure local officials to prioritize affordable housing. The City of Bethlehem has identified affordable rental housing as its most acute housing need.
The city’s Opening Doors: Strategies to Build Housing Stability in Bethlehem plan, completed in 2023, found that the city’s rental vacancy rate was 2%, a level the city described as a crisis.
More than 3,500 Bethlehem residents and housing stakeholders participated in the planning process. The city ultimately allocated $5 million from its Community Recovery Fund toward implementing the housing strategy.
Gillian Wenhold, a local organizer with Lehigh Valley Stands Up, said she works in the Lehigh Valley but lives with her parents, and commutes an hour each day because she can’t afford local rent.
“I would like to live in the community that I invest so much time in and that I organized in, but I can’t because I can’t afford it,” Wenhold said.
Wenhold said she has heard similar concerns from people working multiple jobs, working overtime or leaving communities where they have lived for years because of rising housing costs.
Kaitlyn Arroyo, a member of the Lehigh Valley Stands Up housing team, said she’s worked three jobs at once while attending school and still hasn’t been able to afford moving out of her family’s home.
She said her story of affordability struggles is one of many.
“I’ve heard countless stories of people who are unhoused, of people who are one paycheck away from being unhoused, one medical emergency away from being unhoused,” Arroyo said.
Participants in the march were invited to share personal stories on a door marked with the words, “safe housing is a human right.”
Organizers plan to move the visual exhibit to different locations throughout Bethlehem so residents can continue adding their experiences and see others.
Arroyo said she hopes the events will help Lehigh Valley Stands Up expand its network of residents interested in housing advocacy.
“We want to see people come out and care about fighting for affordable housing, and joining us in our fight to make that a reality,” she said.
Organizers’ concerns come as Bethlehem continues to see new apartment development, including projects marketed toward higher-income renters.
Five10 Flats, a 95-unit luxury apartment complex in South Side, was developed by Peron Development. Its neighboring Six10 Flats adds another 75 luxury apartments. Six10 Flats lists one-bedroom units starting around $1,866 and two-bedroom units around $2,375.
The Boyd Apartments, a 205-unit development completed in 2025, also offers contemporary apartments and amenities in Bethlehem. The project was developed by DLP/Monocacy Builders. The Armory, a 70-unit luxury apartment community in Bethlehem, currently lists rents ranging from $2,226 to $2,934 for its available studio through two-bedroom units.
“We’re seeing housing development happen that’s either at or above market (rate), which people can’t afford,” Wenhold said. “So the people who live here that need housing don’t have it because what’s being built is not affordable for them.”
She specifically pointed to large developers operating throughout the Lehigh Valley, including Jaindl and Hyman, as examples of the development group organizers are monitoring.
Amy, the housing team lead for Lehigh Valley Stands Up, said organizers want local officials to listen directly to residents experiencing the housing shortage and make policy decisions based on their needs. Amy said the crisis can also affect people who currently have stable housing.
“Not one person is too far from this crisis,” she said.
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