Bethlehem Mayor Reynolds Says Dozens of Southside Homes Are Vacant; City Wants Investor Group to Rent Them to Non-Students or Sell Them

Aug. 18, 2026

— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs

Dozens of houses are vacant in south Bethlehem, Mayor J. William Reynolds said Tuesday, even as some people complain about a lack of housing.

The mayor said Amicus, a New York City-based investment group, owns 350 to 375 units near Lehigh University to be rented to students. Meanwhile, Lehigh is building more dormitories.

Reynolds said he would like to see Amicus rent properties to non-students or sell the homes, but the authority of City Hall is limited.

“The government doesn’t have the power” to compel Amicus or any owner to rent or sell, he said. Reynolds added that his numbers on Amicus properties are estimates.

He spoke in response to Council member Bryan Callahan’s comments at a City Council meeting. Callahan has pointed the finger earlier at Lehigh students crowding out residents.

He noted that the Gateway on Fourth, a plan for 120 units, has a total estimated cost of $50 million. That’s $416,000 per home.

Callahan also pointed out the core issue: “Affordable housing is not affordable to build. It’s very expensive.”

“That has to come from taxpayers and grants,” Callahan said. The property for the Gateway project was donated by Lehigh Valley Industrial Park.

Affordability means different things to different people. The federal standard says the total cost of housing should not exceed 30% of income. Some people have almost no income, making that standard meaningless in those cases.

Nothing was decided Tuesday night about housing, but Callahan and Reynolds seemed to find some common ground.

Amicus owns homes in several college towns. Investor ownership of homes has been criticized in some quarters for boosting house prices.