Time To Change Definition Of ‘Homeless,’ Rep. Mikie Sherrill Says

NEW JERSEY — A congresswoman from North Jersey is among the federal lawmakers who are throwing their support behind a renewed effort to uplift homeless children, youth and families across the nation.

U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey’s 11th District and a bipartisan group of other Congress members re-introduced the Homeless Children and Youth Act on Tuesday.

According to Sherrill (Essex, Morris, Passaic counties), here’s what the bill would do if it becomes law:

“This legislation would improve access to housing services and assistance for children, youth, and families by aligning the definition of homelessness across federal agencies and by making it easier for communities to decide how to best use homeless assistance funding to meet their needs.”

According to U.S. Department of Education data, public schools identified almost 1.1 million homeless children and youth in the 2020-2021 school year. Over 80-percent of these students fall between the gaps of federal definitions of homelessness – they are considered homeless by public schools, early childhood programs, institutions of higher education, and child care providers, but not by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

As a result, these children and their families, as well as youth who are homeless on their own, are not eligible to be assessed for HUD homeless assistance, Sherrill said.

“We must address this issue with the urgency it deserves,” Sherrill said at a news conference at Union Congregational Church in Montclair held to introduce the bill.

“My legislation will align the definition of homelessness across federal agencies and provide more flexibility to communities in deciding how to best use homeless assistance funding to meet their needs,” she added. “I am re-introducing this bill because as a nation, we can and should do everything we can to ensure that all children and families have a safe place to call home every night.”

More than 10,500 students were identified as homeless in New Jersey in 2021, including 1,200 in Essex County alone, Sherrill noted. Read More: Essex County's Homeless Total Drops, But Still Leads New Jersey (Study)

Other co-sponsors of the bill include Republican Reps. Bill Posey (FL-08) and Don Bacon (NE-02) and Democratic Rep. Delia Ramirez (IL-03).

The Homeless Children and Youth Act has also been endorsed by a large number of housing and child advocacy organizations, including Family Promise, Homeless Solutions, JBWS, SchoolHouse Connection, National Network for Youth, First Focus Campaign for Children, and Covenant House. It is co-sponsored by Reps. Marc Veasey, Brian Fitzpatrick, Madeleine Dean, Andy Kim, Suzanne Bonamici, Mary Gay Scanlon, and André Carson.

Watch a video of the panel discussion here, or see it below.

The recently redrawn 11th District includes the following municipalities:

Essex – Belleville, Bloomfield, Cedar Grove, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Montclair (part), North Caldwell, Nutley, Roseland, South Orange, West Caldwell

Morris – Boonton, Boonton Township, Butler, Chatham, Chatham Township, Denville, Dover, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Harding, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Lincoln Park, Madison, Mendham Twp (part), Montville, Morris Plains, Morris Township, Morristown Town, Mountain Lakes, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Pequannock, Randolph, Riverdale, Rockaway, Rockaway Township, Victory Gardens

Passaic – Little Falls, Totowa, Wayne (part), Woodland Park

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