Essex County Still Has The Most Homeless People In New Jersey – Patch.com
ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — More people are experiencing homelessness in Essex County than any other part of the state, with about six percent of them attributing the cause directly to the coronavirus pandemic, advocates say.
Earlier this week, Monarch Housing Associates released the results of their annual Point-in-Time count of homeless residents in New Jersey. The 2021 survey, which was carried out on Jan. 26, counted 8,097 men, women and children across the state.
As in years past, Essex County led New Jersey in the number of homeless residents with 1,693 – about 21 percent of the entire state’s total.
About 85.9 percent of those counted in Essex County live in Newark, the state’s most populated city, Monarch Housing noted.
The full Essex County report breaks down the statistics even further, including local numbers on race, disability and income, as well as findings for veterans, youth and victims of domestic violence. See it here.
Essex County’s homeless population had been steadily increasing since 2015, when 1,723 people were counted. Other recent totals include:
- 2016 – 1,779 people
- 2017 – 2,048 people
- 2018 – 2,229 people
- 2019 – 2,235 people
That total dropped slightly in 2020, when 2,214 homeless residents were counted in Essex County. Read More: Essex County Has Most Homeless In NJ; Evictions Played A Big Role
This year, the total dropped even more to 1,693. But advocates said it’s likely that the coronavirus pandemic played a big role in that number, as many shelters reduced their capacities to ensure social distancing, and safety precautions hampered volunteers’ efforts to carry out the count.
Here’s what caused people to experience homelessness in Essex County last year, the data showed.
In a new twist this year, 1,317 households in Essex County were asked if the COVID-19 pandemic caused them to become homeless. Out of those who responded, about 6 percent said yes.
The households were also asked how COVID-19 is impacting their current living situation, with the largest replies being “challenges accessing shelter” and “mental illness/anxiety/fear.”
The next-highest totals in New Jersey for 2021 included Hudson County (882), Camden County (650), Middlesex County (629) and Burlington County (604).
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