Morris County to count homeless on Wednesday

A countywide effort will be undertaken this week to try and determine the number of homeless residents living in Morris County.

The county will be participating Wednesday in NJ Counts 2016, a state-wide Point-In-Time (PIT) count of homeless and at-risk of being homeless individuals and families, according to a press release from the county.

“NJ Counts 2016 is designed to understand the nature of our homeless population so that limited housing and services resources can most appropriately meet the needs of these people,’’ said Rebekka Zydel, Morris County Continuum of Care Executive Committee chairwoman.

A host of professionals and volunteers will spread out across the county to ask homeless people – including those who had shelter and those who were without any shelter -- where they spent the previous night.

For those without shelter, it will include a survey of homeless persons living on the street, in cars, under highway and train overpasses, and any other place not meant for human habitation.

The results of this survey are intended to guide Morris County in implementing a best practices effort to end homelessness within the county’s 39 municipalities. It also is vital to the obtaining federal aid for homelessness programs that are vital to this population, the release said.

“We have an obligation to care for the most vulnerable persons in our community, to make sure that persons who have fallen on very hard times, who don’t even have a place to live in Morris County, get at least the basic necessities of life,’’ said Morris County Freeholder Director Kathy DeFillippo.

“The state and Morris County use the results of the annual count to obtain consistent data about the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness, to better understand the causes of homelessness, to determine service and housing needs, and to obtain federal funding to aid the homeless,’’ added Laurie Becker, Mental Health Administrator and Director of the Division of Community and Behavioral Health Services for Morris County.

NJCounts 2015 found 10,211 homeless men, women and children across the state. That was a decrease of 1,645 persons or 14 percent from 2014.

Statistics provided for Morris County last year by NJ Counts 2015 Point-In‐Time, showed;

• 384 persons, in 273 households, were experiencing homelessness in Morris County. That was a decrease of 5 persons and 27 households from 2014.

• Morris County had 3.8 percent of New Jersey’s statewide homeless population.

• 42 households, with 52 persons, were identified as chronically homeless.

• 34 unsheltered homeless persons were counted.

•59 percent (227) of homeless persons were male, and 41 percent (157) were female.

•Among those who experienced homelessness during the night of the count, 46 percent had no source of income.

•Loss or reduction of job income, domestic violence and substance abuse were among the major factors contributing to homelessness.

•52 percent of homeless persons reported having some type of disability. The most prevalent disabilities were substance abuse disorders and mental health issues.