Turning Point Closes SouthSide Women's Shelter

Faced with declining revenues and increasing costs, Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley has closed one of its two emergency shelters for battered women – one that was located in South Bethlehem, according to this report in The Morning Call.

The formerly secret location at 702 E. Sixth St. has been put up for sale. It needed $100,000 in repair work and had become too inefficient to operate, John Toner, Turning Point’s development director, told the newspaper.

While cutting its number of emergency shelter beds in half, the agency also laid off nine employees. Nonetheless, the agency pledged to maintain the same level of service. Other providers of service to women seeking refuge from abusive relationships are skeptical.