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WASHINGTON – The high cost of housing in New Jersey has contributed to a 10.1% increase in the number of homeless this year, the sixth largest increase in the country.
Homelessness Assessment Report of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for 2018 Congress found 9,398 people homeless in the state this year, compared with 8,536 in 2017. Every day, there are homeless people.
Over the past decade, the number of homeless people in the state has decreased by 32.1%. 19659002] Kate Kelly, partner at Monarch Housing, attributes this increase in part to the high cost of housing. Monarch, based in Cranford, is looking to expand the supply of affordable housing in the state.
For example, a household would need to earn $ 28.17 from the hour to offer a two-bedroom apartment, but the average salary is $ 18.21 a year.
"That says a lot about the affordability crisis in our state and the high cost of housing in New Jersey," she said.
The figures are slightly higher than those reported in October by Monarch, who leads the annual account. The count of 2018 took place on January 23rd.
In October, Taiisa Kelly, a senior contributor to Monarch, said that more homeless people could have been enumerated than in previous years. Because of government programs including housing first, which finds apartments for individuals before trying to provide the social services they might need. In addition, the state has partnered with hospitals that treat emergency rooms for the homeless, Kate Kelly said.
Nationally, the number of homeless remained stable from 2017 to 2018, with growth of only 0.3%.
President Barack The Obama administration in 2010 launched a national effort to eliminate homelessness. Since then, their number has decreased by 13.2%.
"Much progress has been made," Housing Secretary Ben Carson said during a conference call with reporters. "There is still a lot of work to be done."
Jonathan D. Salant can be contacted at [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook . Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook .
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