New Jersey’s homeless population has risen to more than 10,000 people, according to the latest annual study from Monarch Housing Associates. Essex County has the largest share.
“The numbers are growing slowly because the cost of living’s gotten so expensive anywhere in the Newark region,” said Pete Dobbs, director of St. John’s Soup Kitchen in Newark. “Food costs, housing costs — everything’s just climbing rapidly.”
The Monarch Point in Time Homeless Count surveyed the state last January and found almost 10,300 people were homeless, compare to about 8,000 in 2021.
People’s lives can quickly become unstable, said Craig Mainor, executive director at the Fulton Street Emergency Shelter in Newark. “The biggest increase is absolutely those struggling to pay their own rent — facing eviction — especially after COVID,” said Mainor. “There are a lot of people who are working and making decent wages but can’t afford to put the first month, the security deposit and get their lives together.”
