County homelessness to be addressed

FREEHOLD - Monmouth County officials and their community partners have begun developing a plan aimed at ending chronic homelessness in 10 years.

"I am delighted this forum is taking place," Monmouth County Freeholder John D'Amico Jr. said. "We have a moral obligation to help those who are less fortunate - especially those who, for one reason or another, whether it is substance abuse or mental illness, cannot help themselves."

Monmouth County Freeholder Barbara J. McMorrow, liaison to the county's Department of Human Services, said, "The word home connotes good feelings - home for the holidays, home run, going home after work."

She continued, " Think of Dorothy from 'The Wizard of Oz,' who clicked her heels three times and repeated the phrase, 'There's no place like home.' Not everyone has ruby slippers and, sadly, not everyone has a home."

According to a press release, McMorrow and D'Amico welcomed committee members at a kickoff meeting held Sept. 5 at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters in Manalapan. The committee will examine several issues that contribute to chronic homelessness: health care and the lack of insurance, availability of mainstream resources, public policy, how individuals are discharged from institutions such as prisons, affordable supportive housing, education, training, employment and transportation.

"The county received $1.8 million in continuum of care funding last year to combat homelessness," McMorrow said. "Still, it is not enough."

Chronic homelessness, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is defined as an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more, or who has had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.

Disabilities associated with chronic homelessness include physical or emotional impairment or diagnosable substance abuse.

Allison Recca-Ryan, director of Corporation for Supportive Housing-New Jersey, keynote speaker at the kickoff meeting, said having committed elected officials at the table with the political will and power to act is the only way to ensure meaningful and coordinated action.

"Ending homelessness will require that those in leadership positions at our local, state and national levels approach the problem in new ways," Recca-Ryan said. "It will require the galvanizing force of philanthropy and private sector champions, and it will require moving the dialogue beyond homelessness into a broader context of social

service performance and shared responsibility."

The 2008 point-in-time survey, in which homeless people throughout Monmouth County were counted, revealed 451 adults and 312 children were homeless in January. Using a formula to annualize point-in-time statistics, it was estimated that there are 1,327 adults and children who are homeless in Monmouth County in 2008.

A subset of those individuals is the chronically homeless. In Monmouth County, based on the pointin time survey, 84 people were identified as being chronically

homeless, D'Amico said. Of those, 94 percent reported a need for mental health services; 93 percent were substance abusers, 70 percent required medical services, 7 percent had domestic violence issues, and 8 percent were veterans.

Only 3 percent of those deemed chronically homeless reported that they were employed, D'Amico said.

"There is very little affordable housing available," D'Amico said. "Certain former prisoners are not eligible for HUD housing and must be evicted. Families often present the only housing options available to them, but families in subsidized housing jeopardize their own eligibility if they take in ineligible tenants or if further crimes are committed by those tenants. Also, conditions of parole may prevent them from living

with their families." Supportive housing combines permanent,

affordable housing with the flexible, voluntary services that many people require to achieve stability, Recca-Ryan said. These include access to health services, mental and substance abuse counseling, employment training and a range of other services that help people stay in their homes.

Recca-Ryan noted that Monmouth County's departments of planning and human services have done well in the development of supportive housing, with quality projects having been developed by the Affordable Housing Alliance, the Center in Asbury Park, 180 Turning Lives Around, HABcore, Easter Seals of Monmouth County, OCEAN Inc. and CSP-NJ.

"Through the development of Monmouth County's 10-year plan, we need to visualize the next generation of supportive housing and prevention of homelessness," Recca-Ryan said. "Homelessness affects everyone and we all need to pull together to address and end this American tragedy."

Monmouth County's 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness is chaired by Dr. Webster Trammel, vice president of Development, Governmental and Community Relations at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, who said a plan could be in place within a year. Staffs from the county's Planning Board and Department of Human Services will work with the six subcommittees to prepare the plan, according to the press release.