Homelessness In Hoboken: New City Worker Will Tackle Issue Full-Time

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken's longtime homeless population has been growing, says one city councilman, but the city will be hiring a new employee to help.

Councilman Ruben Ramos said Tuesday that the city will soon hire a full-time employee to help the homeless population get services and more.

"Homelessness continues to be on the rise in Hoboken, and across all of America as well," he noted in his newsletter Tuesday. "I continue to advocate on this issue and successfully secured funding in our 2022 municipal budget to hire a social worker to help monitor and offer services to our homeless population."

Ramos said in a followup on Tuesday that the initiative was among amendments he proposed to the city budget this year.

He said that the social worker will work in conjunction with the Hudson County Social Services Department, and also with Nora DeBenedetto, Hoboken's director of constituent services.

Ramos said that homelessness in Hoboken is "an issue that we were not going to police our way out of. [I] think this is critical to help us understand our homeless population and hopefully get them help they need. Will this solve the issue? Probably not, but it’s a good first step."

Earlier this year, an elderly man was found dead at Church Square Park in the morning. Friends of his in the park said he'd been homeless.

Ramos noted that Jersey City has a staff member who performs a similar job.

Other towns have hired a social worker to deal with homelessness as well. The towns of Millburn and Livingston work with a social worker who recently helped out a woman and dog who were homeless in the area. READ MORE: Homeless In Millburn: Woman And Pomeranian Dog Look For Help

Hoboken also has a tenant advocate who is there to help both renters and landlords understand laws meant to keep tenants from becoming homeless.

Sixth Ward Councilwoman Jennifer Giattino noted in her newsletter this week, "Last week I met with leadership from the Hoboken Shelter, Hoboken’s Public Safety and Police and residents to discuss what has been a growing concern not only within our community, but across the country.

In the past I have been contacted by businesses operating in Hoboken, including Starbucks, about ways we can come together to identify solutions that can help bring stability to our unhoused population."

She added, "One step I am particularly excited about is hiring a social worker who will work directly with our local teams to help this population find the support they need. This is an issue I have stayed close to even before I was first elected and I am committed to working hard to finding even more solutions in the future."

If Someone Needs Help

What should you do if you know someone who needs help? Ramos offered this advice:

"If you ever see a homeless person who seems to be in distress please call 911 to report. If you personally feel threatened or that your property is being encroached upon please call the non-emergency line for the Hoboken Police Department at 201-420-2100. And if you know someone who is homeless or has housing insecurities, please call the City of Hoboken’s Office of Constituent Services at 201-420-2000, ext 1311 who should be able to direct you to the best resources."

Those without a home can also call the state's 211 hotline for resources, but some have done so and met a dead end.

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