Setting the Record Straight

Much has been said and reported about the Bush House Hotel over the past few months, so let’s set the record straight. 

 

For more than 85 years, the Bush House Hotel in Quakertown, Pennsylvania has offered low-income housing to our community's poor, disabled, and elderly members. To them, this is their home. Many have no family, no money, no advocates, and no alternatives. 

 
 

And for the past 5 years, the Borough of Quakertown has been waging an unjust war against Bush House residents. Their latest shot was fired this past November when Borough officials surprised Bush House residents and rousted them from their homes and beds in the early morning.

They were given 20 minutes and small Ziploc bags to collect their belongings and get out. Then, they were paraded outside and made to shower on a public street. Humiliated and embarrassed, the township made sure to further chronicle their sins–the extent of which is simple poverty, age and physical or mental disability. Borough officials then held a press conference during which they misrepresented the property’s condition only to cast further shame on its residents. 

It was outrageous.
It was heartbreaking.
It was Dickinsonian in scene and scheme. 

 
 
 
 
 

And it was all done with one singular purpose: to rid our town of poor people in preparation for gentrification.

 

It seems that a minority of rule makers have decided that there is no place for the poor in their idealized vision of Quakertown. Ironically, a town named after compassionate and tolerant people is now ruled by the intolerant. 

The Bush House is here for one reason: it’s needed. It’s needed by people who have nowhere else to turn. It’s needed by the town, which calls upon these residents to perform the work no one else will do. They are the invisible. An attendant that pumps your gas. Or the short-order cook who slaves over a scalding fryer at a downtown restaurant. 

 
 

 Here are the facts about the Bush House Hotel and why even the poor and disenfranchised deserve a warm bed at night and the truth to be told on their behalf.

Scroll through the facts using the arrows on your keyboard or click the icons on either side.

 

  • MYTH: The Bush House Hotel is not needed in Quakertown.

    REALITY: For more than 85 years, the Bush House Hotel has been home to local residents, many of whom suffer from mental or physical disabilities and would otherwise be homeless. Without the Bush House, residents would be forced onto the street and to use taxpayer services to meet their needs.

  • MYTH: The Bush House Hotel attracts transients and undesirables.

    REALITY: Many Bush House residents have ties to the community and have lived there many years, some almost all of their adult life. The poor live among us and to deny otherwise is simply cruel and uncompassionate.

  • MYTH: Residents of the Bush House Hotel are addicts and criminals.

    REALITY: Many Bush House residents work in local jobs that others simply do not want to do. They prepare our meals at local restaurants. Work overnight shifts at convenience stores and gas stations. They clean our homes and workplaces, scrubbing toilets and doing laundry. All residents are screened for criminal records before they are allowed to live at Bush House.

  • MYTH: The Bush House Hotel is dangerous and a nuisance business that tax police and emergency services.

    REALTY: Police incidents have fallen from over 386 incidents/year prior to current ownership to only 30-40/year, mainly wellbeing checks, as the owner has put in place background checks and security measures. Yes, the poor have health issues and often struggle, but their needs would require accommodation regardless of where they live.

  • MYTH: The Bush House Hotel is infested with bugs, which was the cause of the condemnation.

    REALITY: The owner has invested more than $40,000 in bug and pest control over the past four years alone. Repeated inspection reports never revealed any signs of large infestation.

  • MYTH: The trash was everywhere in the hallways of the Bush House Hotel.

    REALITY: The Borough misused residents when they gave them 20 minutes and a Ziploc bag to flee their homes. Many had personal possessions that they were not allowed to bring with them, which ended up in hallways, and the Borough then directed the media to photograph and suggest that it was the ongoing condition of the building. Nothing is ever left in the hallways or common areas and they are cleaned every day.

  • MYTH: The property is unattended.

    REALITY: The owner’s son is on location and manages the building on a daily basis. He knows residents by their first name and is available 24/7 to them by cell phone when they have no one else to turn to. He has arranged for their social services. He is personally overseeing renovations. He serves as a lifeline for many Bush House residents. He even helped when residents were out of Bush House and has received many thank yous from residents and their families.

  • MYTH: The owner has not invested in the property.

    REALITY: The owner has invested more than $950,000 in renovating the lobby and individual rooms and shared bathrooms in the last 3.5 years. Renovations are continuing now that residents are returning and will continue in the future.

  • MYTH: The Borough had notified the owner that condemnation was imminent.

    REALITY: The Borough specifically denied the owner and residents advance notice in order to dramatize the incident and to incite fear through the use of the media. The Borough informed residents by sledge-hammering down doors and giving them 20 minutes to evacuate before being made to shower on a public road outside the building. Their behavior was outrageous and was done to humiliate the poor as well as physically and mentally disabled residents in an attempt to ostracize them, destroy the owner’s business and reputation, and forever lock these people out of the community. The Borough admits they have been planning this for over a year.

  • MYTH: The Borough acted in good faith.

    REALITY: The Borough acted egregiously. Contrary to their public stance, the Borough’s actions were the culmination of years of persistent harassment dating back to a failed attempt to negotiate the purchase of the property by a third-party developer. As part of this failed deal, the Borough pledged to apply $3.3 million in state grant money for the purchase and redevelopment of the property. This failed in 2013 when Borough officials refused to match a portion of the grant money along with Bucks County.

  • MYTH: The owner is a slumlord who is in it for the money.

    REALITY: The owner is a successful real estate owner, developer and manager of properties throughout the region. The Bush House Hotel as a business has been destroyed by the actions of the Borough, negatively impacting the owner and the residents who have no other place to go. The Borough has caused this situation in an effort to pressure the owner to sell. There is no financial incentive to hold, renovate and operate the Bush House. The owner is doing it to protect the people he watched be lined up on the street on a cold morning with nothing but a Ziploc bag for their possessions. If government officials can do this to him and his residents they can do it to anyone. All property, all businesses, and all good intentions are at risk when government oversteps its authority and colludes to deny others their homes, property and places of business. The owner has not made a profit in many years at the Bush House. When asked why continuing he says, “where will these people go?” The owner owns several properties in the area and all have been improved since his ownership. In fact, Quakertown themselves asked him to renovate or build more than 1 property in the Borough.

There is a need for low-income housing

 

Only 37 affordable and available homes exist for every 100 extremely low-income renter households.

On average, there are only 28 adequate and affordable housing options for every 100 extremely low-income households.

No state has an adequate supply of affordable and available homes for extremely low-income renters.

There is not a single county in the United States that can fill 100% of its low-income population’s need for safe, affordable housing.

Meet the People of the Bush House Hotel

  • Meet Michael

    Michael works evenings as a short-order cook at a Quakertown restaurant within walking distance of the Bush House Hotel. He first became acquainted with this area as a small boy when his father brought him to the “country” from his home in South Philly. From that point on, Quakertown held a special place in Michael’s heart. And while he was never a wealthy person, he was a hard worker and committed employee. His employer values Michael’s effort, especially now, when so many people have dropped out of the workforce. And Michael values the Bush House. It’s his home. After being rousted from his bed by Borough officials on a cold November morning, and given 20 minutes to evacuate this home, Michael felt humiliated and betrayed by Borough officials, some of whom he has fed from his job as a short-order cook.

  • Meet Tom

    He’s socially awkward. Suspicious by nature. Untrusting of others. To him, the Bush House Hotel has been home for 10 years. He can’t work. A bad hip has just been replaced. But what hasn’t been replaced is the memory of that cold November morning when Borough officials rousted him from his bed and paraded him out on the streets of Quakertown. Tom is not one for many words. But he’s outraged by what he saw in the media. It was so not true of the representation of the Bush House. Many rooms were renovated, clean. Only a few residents did not keep their rooms clean and they were exploited to make the Bush House, the residents, and the owner look bad. Tom might not have money or influence, but he has a conscience and he knows what’s right. And he understands that what the Borough is doing is dead wrong. If they win and throw him and others out onto the street, Tom doesn’t know where he will go. He has no one to turn to. He has no one to help him. And he wonders whether this entire incident wasn’t conspired to discriminate against a man like him– someone who’s poor and disabled and unable to defend himself against a local government grown arrogant by its own dreams for revitalization and gentrification.

  • Meet Teresa

    She is shy and withdrawn. Uncomfortable telling her story, which began three decades ago when she would help her mother clean rooms at the Bush House Hotel. They lived together in a nearby house. But when her mother died, Teresa could not afford to live on her own. She felt comfortable asking the owners of the Bush House if she could continue to clean and live on site. She’s the unseen America. A poor woman who does her job and stays to herself. She has no one to advocate for her. No one to intercede on her behalf. She is alone and the Bush House is her home and employer. A job that is now at risk because of the Borough officials who chose to humiliate this woman, all in the name of revitalization and gentrification. A vision of Quakertown that doesn’t include the poor or needy, aged or disabled. Ironically, Teresa has never seen bugs in her room at the Bush House but was shocked by the living conditions where the Borough sent her following the condemnation– a swarm of bugs, blankets with burn holes, exposed wires, and unsafe pipes.

  • Meet John (Resident)

    “I’ve lived at the Bush House for 12 years and generally my experience has been positive. I was in shock on the day of the condemnation. I didn’t know what was going to happen to me, if I was going to be sitting out on the street, or where I would end up. I felt like a criminal the way that it was handled.”

  • Meet Stacey (Resident)

    “I haven’t had any problems living at the Bush House. I actually like it. On the day of the condemnation, it was unexpected. They treated some of us like we were pieces of crap because we live here. They had people taking showers in containers and not everyone’s rooms had bugs, only the people who couldn’t clean up after themselves. The way the Borough treated us was inhuman.”

  • Meet Rusell (Resident)

    “The Bush House Hotel is great. Honestly, I’ve been happy here. It’s nice and quiet. The day of the condemnation I felt like the rug was ripped out from under me. I’ve never had any problems with bugs, mice, or anything like that. It didn’t need to be done this way by the Borough. It all seemed unnecessary.”

  • Meet Victor (Resident)

    “The Bush House Hotel is affordable and it’s a great place to live. The condemnation was crazy - it made me feel like I wasn’t human. I didn’t get any help from the Borough other than a hotel right after the condemnation occurred.”

  • Meet Mary T. (Resident)

    “I’ve lived at the Bush House Hotel a few times throughout my life, but I have been here for the past two years. I didn’t know where I was going to go when the Borough condemned the building. The Bush House is my home.”

  • Meet Mary L. (Resident)

    “It’s quiet, peaceful, and friendly here. I was upset on the day of the condemnation, everybody was. I love living here, I have no complaints.”

From the Community

 
Helping Hands opens its new office doors at Bush House Hotel

Helping Hands opens its new office doors at Bush House Hotel

Bush House Hotel donates to Homeless to Independence

Bush House Hotel donates $2,000 to Homeless to Independence to help combat homelessness in Bucks County

Bush House Hotel donates to Helping Hands

Bush House Hotel donates $2,000 to Helping Hands to help combat homelessness in Bucks County

 
 

“I have been working with the Bush House as its counsel in connection with the devastating fire that occurred at the property. The Bush House has been a cornerstone of the community and did all it could to be prepared for such a distressing event. They were insured for just such an event but unfortunately, the insurance company was not there when needed most. As a result, we have been locked in years of litigation, all while the Bush House has scraped together what it can to make enough repairs just to keep a roof over the head of its tenants. It has been clear to me that the priority of the Bush House is its tenants. Having housing for them is critical and it has been a shame what the insurance company has put them through.”

Anthony DiUlio, Esq.

I was directly involved with an insurance claim on behalf of the Bush House after the terrible fire that occurred in 2018. Over a two-year period, I was inside the building on no less than six occasions for various inspections. Some of these visits took hours, and I have been inside nearly every room and common area in that building. I can tell you definitively that the rumors circulating about the condition of the building are completely untrue, and people are missing the real story. The residents of the Bush House enjoyed living there and were treated with great respect by ownership and the entire staff. I observed numerous interactions and was always impressed with the care and compassion displayed by every member of the Bush House. I must specifically point out the manager Christian. He knew the name, room number, and personal situation of every tenant in the building. Whenever he was approached by a resident, which was often, he stopped what he was doing and listened intently. He then did whatever he could to take care of their needs. Closing the Bush House was an injustice and in no say saved residents from horrible living conditions. I hope they were fortunate enough to find new homes as good as the Bush House

Michael Pacchione, MBA, CPCU, Licensed Insurance Adjuster

“Tom Skiffington is not the slumlord that everyone is so eager to portray him as based on facts, experience, and comparing him against ones I’ve known. This is a prime example of people taking rumors as facts and running with it; in which a gross abuse of power has taken place because of this against him. 

I personally have seen myself first hand Tom investing more money into the Bush House than you even know. I have worked inside rooms for MT Real Estate that quality standards were grossly higher than any of the other tenant occupied properties I’ve EVER experienced. Sure it was difficult at times, but my company strives for perfection and customer satisfaction. If you’re paying to have work done you deserve to get what you want! The rooms we put in consisted of all tile showers, tile bathroom floors (Bianco Carrera to be exact), engineered hardwood throughout the rooms, new vinyl windows, baseboard and trim, with lots of time into perfection the drywall to meet these standards.

Many residents of the Bush House are struggling with many things. Living on disability, social security, and even having mental problems. I’ve personally seen Tom at the building checking in on everything, and looking for things that needed to be repaired to maintain the building, and talking with those who live there. There is nowhere else for these people, and he knows that. Rents are starting up at $1,000+ up. Nearby buildings; $1,800/month. With the revitalization of Quakertown this is an attempt to push him and all the residents out, because it doesn’t fit in with their plan for the area.

If the township can come into your home, break down doors, and kick you and your tenants out without recourse where is the justice? All on allegations without being able to show your side/story. I’m sure when the facts are brought to light everyone’s going to be shocked. Don’t be so quick to judge! This needs to be changed.”

Zach Michener

“I’ve been in many of the rooms since the residents returned and they are spotless, clean, and I’m very happy to say that the residents are all reporting that there are no insects anywhere. The renovated rooms are beautiful and you can see that a lot of time, effort, and funding has gone into them. If someone reports the most minor issue it’s taken care of swiftly, and there’s a very positive vibe throughout the building. People seem content with their surroundings and are happy to have a roof over their heads that they can afford. All rooms include cable TV, heat, AC, and electric. I can honestly say that yes, these individuals, most of them anyhow, would 100% be living on the streets if it weren’t for the Bush House. There’s absolutely nothing affordable out there for them, and all government subsidized housing programs have very long waitlists. Some have a 2-3 year wait. Our biggest problem right now is finding affordable housing for the many families who reach out to us weekly because they have to move for one reason or another. There’s a limited supply of rental units and most of our families have been priced out of the market. The Bush House’s location and affordability definitely provides a very valuable service to our Upper Bucks community.”

Karen Hammerschmidt, Founder of Quakertown Community Outreach

 

Virtual Tours

 
 

CONTACT

 

Call Bush House Hotel:
215-538-4410