Homelessness Is On The Rise In New Jersey, Report Says (Here’s Why)

NEW JERSEY— Homelessness is on the rise in New Jersey, with the state seeing a nearly 24 percent increase since last year, a new report says.

Earlier this week, nonprofit Monarch Housing Associates – which manages the “Point in Time Count” for the state of New Jersey – released the results of its 2024 study. The annual effort compiles a wealth of data about the severity and causes of homelessness in the Garden State.

Read the full report here.

Volunteers counted a total of 12,680 people experiencing homelessness across New Jersey on Jan. 23, researchers said. That number was up 23.5 percent from 2023, when there were 10,267 people experiencing homelessness in the state.

The highest totals were seen in the following counties:

• Essex County - 2,451
• Hudson County - 1,168
• Union County - 1,026
• Burlington County - 1,005
• Mercer County - 934

There are 9,290,841 people living in New Jersey, according to the most recent estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau.

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The top causes of homelessness in New Jersey included:

• Being asked to leave a shared residence (1,808 people)
• Eviction or risk of eviction (1,537 people)
• Loss or reduction of job income (1,387 people)
• Drug or alcohol abuse (726)
• Mental illness (690)
• Domestic violence (638)
• Household breakup/death in household (581)
• Relocation (525)
• Released from prison/jail (505)

Researchers cited three possible explanations for the statewide increases in homelessness:

EVICTIONS – “The COVID-19 eviction moratorium was lifted on January 1, 2022. As the court system clears through the backlog of pending cases, the resulting uptick in evictions is translating into an increase in eviction-displaced persons and families becoming homeless. This development partly explains the rise in homelessness observed in 2023 and 2024.”

AFFORDABLE HOUSING – “New Jersey, like the rest of the nation, is in the midst of a housing crisis. There are not enough homes affordable to those making 30% of the area’s median income or less. The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Report1 found that within New Jersey, there are only 30 units available for every 100 families looking for a place to call home. This means there is a shortage of 214,475 homes for extremely low-income households across the state.”

SOARING RENTS – “In much of the state, rent increases have exceeded national averages. According to the Rent Report for March 2024, prepared by rent.com, New Jersey rents increased by 6.2% year over year.”

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