Lower Providence Weighs Supportive Housing Plan

Keep an eye on the Genny’s Place proposal in Lower Providence Township. 

As winter fades into spring, there will soon be a larger void to fill for those without a permanent place to lay their head at night. That is due to “Code Blue” evenings taking a predictable seasonal hiatus (side note: We extend a HUGE thank you to all of the volunteers and church staff who make these services possible). 

Resources for Human Development (RHD), the operator of the Coordinated Homeless Outreach Center (CHOC) in Norristown until its closure in 2022, is proposing up to 60 units of supportive housing on the Eagleville Hospital site off Eagleville Road. The Lower Providence Board of Supervisors is expected to hear arguments April 4 at 7 p.m. for a zoning text amendment that would allow the project to move forward. 

If you or someone you know resides in Lower Providence, supportive testimony during public comment is needed at this meeting!

The Eagleville Hospital grounds' Price Building would house Genny's Place.

At a recent township Planning Commission meeting, Mark Jonas, the attorney representing RHD, said supportive housing is a “legitimate land use.” The text amendment is needed because supportive housing – defined as short-term housing with wraparound social services – is not listed as a permissible use in the township’s Institutional Overlay District. 

Rationale 

Over 1,000 single adults in Montgomery County experienced homelessness last year, according to RHD, which is the only year-round, short-term housing resource in our county. Their staff offers supportive, 24/7 services. Genny’s Place would not be a night-time shelter. Instead, the facility would offer comprehensive services to shorten periods of homelessness. Those services include financial literacy education, life coaching, benefits counseling, job support, behavioral health, and more, according to RHD. 

In our opinion, these are precisely the types of services we should be encouraging to help those in need regain their independence and chart their course forward in life.