Homelessness In Parsippany: Results From 2023 'Point In Time Count'

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Parsippany has the third-highest number of people experiencing homelessness in Morris County, an annual study says.

Last month, Monarch Housing Associates released the results of the 2023 “point in time count,” an annual effort that compiles a wealth of data about the severity and causes of homelessness in the Garden State.

Read the full study and see county-by-county data here.

There were 12 people in Parsippany experiencing homelessness on Jan. 24, researchers said – about 4.2 percent of the county’s total. The nonprofit said 11 of those people were sheltered, and one was unsheltered.

According to researchers, a total of 10,267 people across the state and 465 people across Morris County were experiencing homelessness during this year's count.

The homeless population in Morris County was in the 400s in 2015 before dropping to 268 in 2021, according to past data. But since 2021, the number has been steadily rising once again, with homeless counts in Morris County the highest they've ever been.

Other statistics in Morris County, such as race, age, disabilities and veteran status, were broken down in the annual report.

"NJ Counts 2023, New Jersey’s annual Point-In-Time (PIT) Count of the Homeless, provides a statewide snapshot of households experiencing homelessness in our communities; where they find shelter, what their needs are, and what factors contribute to making them homeless," officials said.

The 2023 count provides vital demographics and other information about families and individuals who were homeless on Jan. 24. These findings assist stakeholders in better allocating housing resources and services in order to prevent and end homelessness.

In Morris County, there were four homeless veterans and 61 victims of domestic violence currently unhoused.

Monarch Housing Associates noted that a rise in homelessness statewide can be attributed to the pandemic eviction moratorium being lifted on Jan. 1, 2022, as well as, simply put, a lack of affordable housing.

According to doxo's 2023 State by State Bill Pay Market Report, Parsippany's annual bills are $9,884 higher than the national average, totaling $34,441 per year and $2,870 per month.

"Household expenses in Parsippany, New Jersey are 40.2 percent more than the U.S. average," the report states.

Parsippany is the 67th most expensive town in New Jersey for household expenses and the ninth most expensive in Morris County, trailed by Denville Township, Rockaway and Dover.One of the main contributors is Parsippany's mortgage and rent prices. According to the study, the average mortgage payment in Parsippany is $2,640, while the national average is $1,321. For renters, that price goes down to $1,491 in Parsippany and $1,191 nationally.

Earlier this year, the National Low Income Housing Coalition released its annual report on rental costs, showing that many Americans make less than their area's "housing wage—the hourly, full-time wage needed to afford fair-market rent without spending more than 30 percent of their income.

According to the NLIHC, New Jersey has one of the highest minimum wages in the country, at $14.13 per hour.

However, Parsippany's market rate for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,850 per month, which would necessitate an hourly wage of $35.58, which amounts to approximately $72,800 per year.

" The results of this report are intended to assist communities in understanding the characteristics and needs of those experiencing homelessness to improve service delivery and resource targeting to effectively end homelessness. As communities work to expand their understanding of the root causes of homelessness, it is important to recognize the structural forces impacting trajectories into and out of homelessness," officials said.

You can read the entire report by Monarch Housing Associates here.