Jeanne Daidone has been homeless in Toms River for three months. Ocean County doesn’t have a full-time shelter for people experiencing homelessness, so she’s been put up in a motel. “It’s not clean, there’s bugs. You can’t cook. You’re eating sandwiches. You’re spending money on food. It’s just hard. It’s hard. I can’t even say it. It’s just hard,” she said.
Motels may not be a long-term solution, as more of them around the county are demolished, and replaced with higher-end homes. Some of the county’s homeless have resorted to living in the woods, subject to the elements, fires and problems finding food.
Ocean County has affordable housing, but the waitlists can run for years. The county is getting a small boost from the American Rescue Plan, which could solve a small part of the problem.
“We’re not going to end homelessness if we’re just putting people on the waiting list. So we’re really trying to get creative and trying to find units in the community where private landlords are willing to work with us and understand that we’re going to be providing a lot of supports to the people who are placed in those apartments,” said Taiisa Kelly, consulting director for the Ending Homelessness Group.
Groups around Toms River are divided on how they feel about a Homelessness Trust Fund. On Wednesday Ocean County Commissioner Gary Quinn said the county is expected to start one as soon as June. Under a state law, municipalities can add a $3 to $5 charge to documents filed in county clerks’ offices, and that money can be used to help put people in homes.
