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Mayor Ras J. Baraka announced today that according to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) annual report, the City of Newark has achieved a staggering 57.6% reduction in its unsheltered homeless population.
The DCA released the report in a press conference on November 13, held in Lawrenceville, to discuss their efforts to reduce homelessness statewide by 25 percent by 2025. Newark is committed to ending chronic homelessness by 2025, and the statistics show that the city is ahead of its target to achieving its goal.
“Newark has so many transformative initiatives underway throughout our city, but none have the gravity of the focus we give to the basic necessity of safe, comfortable housing. Next to food, shelter bolsters health and wellbeing, gives us a sense belonging, and instills dignity,” said Mayor Baraka. “In Newark, when we put our attention to a problem, and drilldown to all its parts for concrete data, we have a platform to unite on for collaboration. In nearly one year, our research and collaboration has brought us to a remarkable place. I’m grateful for our ambitious team. And I’m so happy for the men, women, and children who now sleep with a roof over their heads and can enjoy the security every human deserves.”
The significant milestone comes nearly a year after the city implemented key strategies that focused on reducing the number of residents living on the street, and expanding partnerships with street outreach, law enforcement, hospital, behavioral health, and mobile crisis partners.
The DCA’s statistics show the drop. By this date in 2022, Newark had a total of 3,841 total unsheltered persons. This year to date, there are only 1,627.
Through DCA’s Regional Homelessness Collaboration Initiative (RHCI), the Office of Homelessness Prevention (OHP) has provided deep data analytics and infrastructure implementation support to the City of Newark to assist with the operational and strategic implementation of the City’s Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, and will continue to do so as Newark looks to build on this initial milestone. This support has improved the City’s data collection and tracking, which has provided new ways to manage the inflow of homelessness in real time and successfully intervening to support people needing help.
“DCA is proud to support and celebrate the fantastic work of the collaborative team the City of Newark has assembled to functionally end chronic, unsheltered homelessness in the City. Under the leadership of Mayor Baraka and the vision of Director Ulerio, in just one year Newark has seen a 57.6% reduction in unsheltered homelessness through the end of October; truly an achievement, ”said DCA Acting Commissioner Jacquelyn A. Suárez. “DCA will continue to provide deep data analytics and operational and strategic supports to the City and its partners as they look to build on this initial milestone.”
“When the City of Newark announced its strategic plan last year, we pledged to reduce chronic homelessness by carrying out focused strategies and strengthening partnerships with local organizations and County and State government to ensure deep collaboration,” said Director of the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services Luis Ulerio. “Newark’s reduction in unsheltered homelessness proves that cities can successfully address homelessness with strategy, direct investments, and collective work. Although we are excited about this news, we remain steadfast in our work and will introduce additional services and projects in the next year that will bring us closer to our goal.”
“The Path Home: Collaborating Across Our Community” is the city’s strategic comprehensive data-driven plan, which aims to end chronic homelessness in a span of three years. It seeks to establish a cooperative structure to address the multiple needs of residents without addresses, such as temporary and permanent housing, employment, medical and behavioral healthcare, and support services.
This plan was developed as part of a collaborative planning process involving more than 100 partners from public, private, business, and non-profit sectors, and including committed individual residents, and input from individuals who are experiencing homelessness. To view the plan, click here.
“Bridges Outreach is extremely proud of our partnership with the City of Newark and broader ecosystem in effort to meet people where they are and to help prevent and end experiences of homelessness,” said Bridges Outreach Executive Director Richard Uniacke. “Just one person experiencing unsheltered homelessness represents an urgent crisis and Newark is leading the way to solving this crisis. We have lots still to do, but this reduction is proof positive that it is working!”
“The New Jersey Transit Police Department is committed to continuing our work with our partners to make a difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness, not just in Newark, but in our public transit facilities throughout the state,” said New Jersey Transit Police Chief Christopher Trucillo. “We are proud that the efforts of our Outreach Team, under the direction of Inspector Nicholas Capriglione, have played a role in the great success Newark has achieved.”
“The leadership and commitment towards data management and collaboration from Newark has made their plan a success. Bloomberg Associates is thrilled to be a partner with Newark and to continue to support the implementation of their strategic plan,” said Bloomberg Associates Manager Consultant Tamiru Mammo.
To view the State press release, click here.
To view the State data, click here.