Essex County Gets $6M To Combat Homelessness From Feds

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded $45.9 million in grants to support to 248 homeless housing and service programs in New Jersey, including more than $6.3 million in Essex County.

The HUD “Continuum of Care” grants will help to provide critically needed housing and support services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness across the state, federal officials said.

Homeless shelters in Essex County are routinely among the hardest-hit in the state. The county is home to a whopping 24 percent of the state's homeless population, according to a recent report from Monarch Housing Associates, which spearheaded an annual, one-day count of the state's homeless population in January of 2017.

• See related article: Essex County Had Most Homeless In New Jersey For 2017, Study Says

Despite the situation in Essex County, the overall homeless rate in New Jersey is on the decline, federal officials said. The HUD estimated that in New Jersey, there were 8,536 people were homeless on a single night in January 2017, representing an overall 4 percent decrease from 2016 and a 38 percent decrease since 2010.

WHAT ESSEX COUNTY GROUPS GOT HUD GRANTS?

According to the HUD, the following Essex County organizations received Continuum of Care grants in the latest round of funding:

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Photo: Bridges Outreach / Akintola Hanif