How the city is helping house former residents of the Towne Manor Motel

Johnstown, PA — It’s been more than two months since the Towne Manor Motel in Downtown Johnstown was condemned – displacing dozens of residents.

Officials with the Cambria County Behavioral Health say they worked to find housing for those affected, but one man 6 News spoke with disagrees.

The former resident of the Towne Manor Motel says he has been facing homelessness since he was first evicted, but an official within the Cambria County Behavioral Health says the city has helped find many former motel residents housing.

“I been bouncing around homeless since Christmas,” says Jeff Crowder, a former resident of the Towne Manor Motel.

Channel 6 first met Crowder when the city of Johnstown decided to condemn the motel due to poor living conditions.

Crowder says he is currently staying in the Econo Lodge Hotel and is still facing homelessness even though county officials said they would help him and other residents find another place to stay through a non-profit called ‘Breaking the Barriers’.

“It’s supposed to be a nonprofit, okay? And they're supposed to set you up with housing and we didn’t get set up with housing. All we go was bounced around and sabotaged. I’m still homeless,” adds Crowder. “Nobody I talked to from there got any help from breaking the barriers”.

However, Tracy Selak, an Administrator for the Cambria County Behavioral Health says she has been involved since the start and ‘Breaking the Barriers’, “have worked very closely and regular communication with me and ensuring that everyone was housed temporarily in local hotels and then worked through with each of them a permanent housing plan”.

Selak says as of Tuesday all of the individuals were successfully housed with a landlord with help, "Through our ERAP funds and county HAP funds we have expended approximately thirty five thousand dollars assisting those individuals who were at the Towne Manor providing them housing or shelter until permanent plans could be made, arrangements could be made”.

Selak also mentions how although city officials did help the residents find a place to stay - it's ultimately up to the resident and landlord whether that will continue or not.

Crowder says he can stay at the Econo Lodge Hotel until Saturday and will continue to reach out to 'Breaking the Barriers' for further housing assistance.

"I call them this morning; they never answer their phone,” says Crowder.

Selak adds, "There are other options, you know, that the individual could pursue if they were perhaps not satisfied with the support they were receiving,” and anyone struggling with housing can contact to her agency – the administration for Cambria County Behavioral Health or The Women's Help Center.

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