The Executive Order was signed at the Greater Trenton Behavioral HealthCare Adult Services facility, an experienced housing and service provider in Mercer County that assists individuals and families with behavioral health needs to overcome homelessness.
“The cascade of job loss, unpaid bills and mortgage foreclosures resulting from our national economic downturn has increased the number of people susceptible to homelessness,” said Governor Corzine. “My expectation is that this new Council will address the many underlying causes of homelessness as well as direct assistance needed for this vulnerable population.
“We must be able to devise remedies that help individuals and families remain in their homes or, if homeless, aid their return to housing. Now more than ever, it is incumbent upon all of us in public service to address this extremely difficult problem head-on.”
According to a January 2007 New Jersey statewide Point-In-Time Homeless Survey, homeless households increased 17 percent in the State since the 2005 survey.
The Council is charged with providing recommendations to the Governor for preventing and reducing homelessness, ending chronic homelessness, and improving services to individuals and families who lose their housing. The Council will also have the ability to evaluate programs as well as recommend changes to laws, programs and policies designed to end homelessness and to assist homeless families and individuals. These efforts are meant to assist state residents to better access safe, decent and affordable housing with comprehensive services that promote self-sufficiency and well-being.
Members of the Council will include the Commissioners of the Departments of Children and Families, Community Affairs, Corrections, Education, Health and Senior Services, Human Services, Labor and Workforce Development as well as the Executive Director of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, the Chairman of the State Parole Board, the Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs,. In addition, there will be 14 public members appointed by the Governor who represent a diverse group of stakeholders involved with the issue of homelessness. The Commissioners of the Department of Community Affairs and the Department of Human Services will act as co-chairs of the Council.
“Governor Corzine recognizes that New Jersey residents need and deserve a place to live,” said DCA Commissioner Joe Doria. “The establishment of this Council by the Governor is a critical step in examining and combating the problem of homelessness in the state.”
“Government has a responsibility to ensure that we’re advancing a comprehensive, collaborative approach to combat poverty and homelessness in New Jersey – including prevention. The approach outlined by the Governor in this Executive Order is really the right strategy to combat an otherwise fragmented problem,” said DHS Commissioner Jennifer Velez. “We all have a stake in this – and the inclusion of non-profit provider representatives is critical to provide systemic solutions and lasting change.”
The Governor noted that the Department of Community Affairs, which will house the new Council on a governmental level, the Department of Human Services, the Housing Mortgage Finance Agency, and the Department of Children and Families, and the Attorney General’s office, among other departments and agencies, have already been implementing a series of innovative programs to assist the homeless and to prevent homelessness.
One of the most effective ways the Corzine administration is addressing homelessness is through permanent supportive housing opportunities. Supportive housing, which may include a Housing First approach, provides access to permanent affordable housing with wrap around support services for tenants with disabilities who have experienced long term homelessness.
Other measures include leveraging federal dollars and New Jersey non-profits when appropriate and programs ranging from counseling to data collection to mental health to foster care. The Council will help bring together and coordinate all efforts and planning.
