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Tent city off of Admiral Wilson Blvd in Camden. (Staff Photo by Tim Hawk/South Jersey Times)

(TBA)

Homelessness in South Jersey remains a problem, with the numbers of those without a steady place to live increasing throughout most of the area, according to the NJ Counts report released Monday.

NJ Counts is a snapshot in time of the homeless population throughout the state. Government agencies, community organizations and local volunteers worked together to count the homeless on the night of Jan. 28. The local data collected was aggregated together to provide a picture of New Jersey's overall homeless problem, be it chronic homelessness or those in temporary housing.

While Union, Burlington and Essex counties were found to have the highest number of homeless families in the state, Camden, Gloucester and Burlington counties each had high numbers of those without a steady residence. Salem County was found to have the lowest number of homeless individuals or families in New Jersey, with 38 people recorded on the night of the count.

Camden County was found to have 654 individuals staying in shelters, temporary housing or on the street on the night of the count. Gloucester County had 585, Cumberland had 228 and Burlington had 1,660.

The purpose of the report is to provide a look at the homeless population and those in need, but for local organizations that are on the front lines in the fight against homelessness, it also shows where the problem is the worst, where services need to be focused and what type of services are most in need.

Volunteers Across America, which operates in Camden and Gloucester counties, and especially in Camden City, can use the NJ Counts report as a way to shine some light on the fact that homelessness affects people in everyone's backyard, not just in the urban areas where it's expected, according to Rebecca Fuller, a spokeswoman for the organization.

"I don't think there's any surprise that Camden has homeless," she said. "But then you see it in other counties. It's a problem that happens in other places. To find that there are services that are needed everywhere is important."

The number of those experiencing homelessness was shown to increase in all South Jersey counties, except Salem. Some of the increase has come from the fact that NJ Counts included those in temporary housing this year, whereas in the past those individuals were excluded from the count, but homeless organizations still see an increase in those without a home.

"We're definitely seeing an increase. It seems like an accurate report," Fuller said.

Robin Weinstein, pastor at Bridgeton's Bethany Grace Community Church, agrees, but believes the problem is even bigger than reflected in the report.

"One of the things we find is you also have a transient homeless population," he said. "But I think the report gives us a baseline to look at in terms of seeing the problem in homelessness."

When asked for the reason for their homelessness, most of South Jersey's respondents blamed a loss or reduction of work or income, followed by being asked to leave a shared residence and drug or alcohol abuse.

The use of drugs, especially opiates such as heroin, has been increasing dramatically throughout the state, and is one of the main causes of homelessness, according to Fuller at the Volunteers of America.

In order to combat the homeless problem, she believes, the drug addiction problem must be tackled.

"There's a pretty large heroin and opiate problem. This heroin crisis going on is in all the counties," she said. "We need more drug counseling."

Addressing the causes of homelessness is one step in getting a handle on the issue, but helping those who are already there has proven to be a massive undertaking for government agencies and non-profits alike.

Government agencies are able to provide help for those eligible for certain programs, such as families with children, those who qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or temporary assistance for single individuals. They can be provided temporary housing, if eligible, according to Ed Smith, the director of Gloucester County's Human Services Department. Those not eligible are referred to other agencies, such as the charities that provide shelters.

Each client, however, is provided some type of counseling and assistance in gaining permanent housing.

"We have a number who are chronically homeless who have, more than likely, mental health or substance abuse issues, which is something we do try to assist our clients with," Smith said. "We try to give them as many tools as possible so they can succeed."

Weinstein and his organization at Bethany Grace Church were instrumental in the Code Blue program in Bridgeton this winter, which provided a place for the homeless to sleep during the coldest winter days. They are currently working to create a program that can provide a place for the homeless to shower at least once a week and receive clean clothes.

According to him, the NJ Counts report also shows where more assistance is needed, not just for those who are homeless, but for the taxpayers who end up bearing the cost of care when those without permanent housing end up in jail or hospitals.

"I think the report gives us an indication that there's more that should be done for prevention and to actually get these people in some type of sustainable environment," Weinstein said. "When we do these things — giving people shelter, giving people food, giving people a shower — to provide these people with this basic human dignity, anecdotally we saw a reduction in crime rates. It's a win-win for everybody."

Contact staff writer Rebecca Forand at 856-845-3300 or rforand@southjerseymedia.com.