Ocean County Receiving $25M COVID Funding; Hear How It May Be Spent

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Ocean County Board of Commissioners has set a hearing for Tuesday on its plans for spending more than $25 million in funds the county received through the American Rescue Plan.

The hearing, at 11 a.m. Feb. 7, is set to be held in Room 119 of the Ocean County Administration Building, Hooper Avenue.

The county is proposing to spend about $9.5 million of the funding, which it received from the federal government to combat the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, on a program to assist those facing homelessness.

The Housing Insecurities and Homelessness Services project, which the county describes as a full spectrum program providing temporary/transitional housing support "through rapid re-housing strategies, and fiscal aid and wraparound services to those experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness."

The aim is to help families and individuals with more stable housing situations, along with offering financial assistance through rental security deposits, temporary rental assistance, rental application fees, moving expenses and other associated costs on a case-by-case basis.

"In addition, there is a large population within the county that is at a risk of becoming unhoused," the county said in a news release.

Foreclosure rates increased as a result of the pandemic, with the majority of foreclosures relating to senior citizens at or below the Asset Limited Income Constrained and Employed threshold, county officials said.

To help mitigate and prevent seniors in particular from being forced from homes by foreclosure, Ocean County is instituting the Eviction, Foreclosure, and Homelessness Prevention Legal Services Program.

The county also plans to expand services at its Aging and Disability Resource Center to offer care management services "with a higher degree of focus and intensity to disabled seniors and young adults."

About $3.7 million will be allocated to address public health issues including mental health and behavioral health impacts resulting from and exacerbated by the pandemic, along with upgrades to emergency response communications equipment.

"After a thorough review of how the funds can be used, it was determined these are areas along with assisting our municipalities, that needed our response," said Ocean County Commissioner Gary Quinn, who serves as a liaison to the Ocean County Finance Department along with Commissioner John P. Kelly.

The Board of Commissioners is expected to approve the spending plan during its Feb. 15 meeting scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. also at the Ocean County Administration Building.

Also on the county's list:

• Implementing the On Point co-responder program that diverts individuals experiencing mental illness from the criminal justice system, and provides critical professional partnership support to law enforcement operations to ensure the communities impacted by COVID-19-derived or exacerbated stress, anxiety, and depression can be effectively targeted for care;
• Child and adolescent grief and trauma programs, to assist kids who are dealing with grief
• and trauma that resulted from grief.

The draft plan is available for review on the Ocean County government website.