Though more and more people are struggling in this failing economy — the Crisis Ministry of Princeton and Trenton, for instance, reports that it served 1,400 families in October — there is a core group that had been struggling even when we were experiencing what Wall Street had been painting as good times.
Consider these figures from the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness:
- On any given day in Mercer County, over 1200 people experience homelessness. (Homeless Resource Advisory Council, HRAC, COC 2008
- Homeless survey snapshots from February 2002 through August 2004 by HRAC show 3 relatively consistent numbers of sheltered homeless in Mercer County: See links to recent surveys. (2003 Survey) (2004 Survey)
- Over the course of a year, more than 3,000 men, women, and children in Mercer County receive services in the homeless system. (Mercer County Homeless Resources Advisory Council (HRAC)
- Approximately 20% of homeless children do not attend school regularly. (National Center on Family Homelessness)
- Homeless children are 3 times more likely than other children to have emotional of behavioral problems. (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty)
- Homeless children are twice as likely to experience hunger than non-homeless children. (National Center on Family Homelessness)
That’s why a concerted effort to battle homelessness is needed, including income supports and expanded support services, an aggressive effort to build more affordable housing and universal, single-payer healthcare that takes medical bills out of the equation as one of the leading causes of bankruptcy and homelessness.
In the short term, however, legislation that recently passed the state Assembly — A3101 — and awaits a Senate vote could help. The legislation, called the “County Homelessness Trust Fund Act,” would allow the state’s 21 counties to create to
impose a surcharge of $3 on each document recorded with a county, for deposit into a county homelessness trust fund, five per cent of which may be used annually for administrative costs related to the administration of the fund, and the remainder of the monies in the fund may be used solely for the operation of a homelessness housing grant program established in order to provide:
- for the acquisition,construction, or rehabilitation of housing projects, or units within housing projects, that supply permanent affordable housing for homeless persons or families, including those at risk of homelessness;
- rental assistance vouchers, including tenant and project based subsidies, for affordable housing projects or units within housing projects that provide permanent affordable housing for homeless persons or families, including those at risk of homelessness;
- supportive services as may be required by homeless individuals or families in order to obtain or maintain, or both, permanent affordable housing;
and- prevention services for at risk homeless individuals or families so that they can obtain and maintain permanent affordable housing.
Grants awarded by the governing body of the county shall be used to support projects that:
- measurably reduce homelessness;
- demonstrate government cost savings over time;
- employ evidence-based models;
- can be replicated in other counties;
- include an outcome measurement component;
- are consistent with the local homelessness housing plan; or
- fund the acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of projects that will serve homeless individuals or families for a period of at least 30 years or equal to the longest term of affordability required by other funding sources.
The trust funds, according to the NJ Advocacy Network to End Homelessness, would “leverage … scarce funding” and “help thousands of families and individuals in New Jersey move into permanent housing.”
States across the country have helped localities dramatically reduce their homeless populations by enabling them to fund the implementation of local plans to end homelessness through local Trust Funds. In these states, this has resulted in a reduction of costs to the public sector and community. A recent example is the King County Homeless Housing and Services Fund, created when the Washington State
Legislature passed the Homeless Housing and Assistance Act of 2005 (ESSHB 2163) establishing an additional $10 document recording fee dedicated to funding homeless initiatives. This year this assisted more than 200 low-income, homeless individuals and their families will be able to move into stable housing where they can receive the supportive services they need to maintain that housing. The goal of the legislation in
Washington State was to reduce homelessness by 50% in ten years.The same results can and will happen in New Jersey.
The Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee endorsed the legislation by a 4-0 vote, with one abstention. It now awaits a vote of the full Senate, where it is likely to pass.
In the meantime, do what you can to help out groups like the Crisis Ministry, the Mercer Alliance, Coming Home in Middlesex County and all of the other groups working to aid those in the direst of need.
Hank Kalet 
You're heart may be the right place, but your head isn't \”into the game\”. See for politicians of all ilks, it is a game. (See Joe Biden's charitable contributions for example. See stats that show liberals give less to charity that conservatives. See how every liberal attempt to help just seems to make the problems worse.)>That's why a concerted effort to battle homelessness is needed, So, let me guess, this will require the gooferment to steal more money, hire more bureaucrats, and create more never ending problems … err, I mean programs!>including income supports With more than half the country taking from the producing class, how much more will be enough?>and expanded support servicesMore taxes, spending, ad bureacrats with fat benfit packages and ig salaries for the politically connected.>an aggressive effort to build more affordable housingGuess part of that couldn't be to incentivized landlords with lower taxes, less regulation, and easing zoning restrictions.> and universal, single-payer healthcare thatdestroys the last vestiges of competition in healthcare and sends costs rocketing out of sight. Eventually, rationing will mean that old people die. (See England where old folks are denied dialysis after age 75. Too expensive.)<<>>>impose a surcharge of $3 on each document recorded with a countyJust unbelievable. Tax the people who are FORCED to do business with the county AND steal 5% off the top!<<>>>In the meantime, do what you can to help out groups like the Crisis Ministry, >the Mercer Alliance, Coming Home in Middlesex County and all of the other groups> working to aid those in the direst of need. Why can't I keep my money and continue to support HomeFrontNJ like I do? Why does everything have to revolve around you and that GANG in trenton or the bigger GANG in DC forcing me to do stuff YOUR way? When do you stop flogging the dead horse? We can't afford socialism. It didn't work in the USSR. It can't work here. It's economically impossible.Bah Humbug!Reduce taxes. Reduce welfare. Reduce laws and regulations. Reduce gooferment. Restore honest money.Americans are the most charitable people on earth in history. No one will starve. But no one will live on the dole.
I am all for an anti-poverty program. The Swedes, just for example, have wiped out poverty in their country. It is a productive, successful country with a social safety net and capitalism. Their taxes are high but they get value for their money. Of course they are not busy trying to police the whole world, lucky them. The 1996 welfare reform act has reduced the welfare rolls by about 60% over the past 12 years but the right wing haters won\’t be happy until the poor are placed in prisons. Essentially, the right wing wants a thorough going Dickensian social Darwinism where the poor are treated as criminals. Right wingers really hate the poor, the elderly and the disabled. If you think that charities alone can solve massive systemic poverty problems than you are willfully ignorant. As it is now, the charities are strapped and can\’t deal with the massive influx of the newly poor who have lost jobs, health care and 401Ks.But hey, we can always go with Somalian libertarianism.