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27,420 men, women and children are homeless in NJ!

The Corporation for Supportive Housing has released the “New Jersey Point in Time Count of the Homeless Data Report.” This is an analysis of the January 29, 2008, Point in Time count. The full report is available by clicking here. To read our prior report on this including an audio report click here.

According to the report, these are the significant outcomes of the 2008 Point in Time Count included:

10,932 people in 20 counties responded to the survey.

7,346 adults and 3,601 children were homeless on the night of the count. Children
represented 33% of the total number of homeless people in 2008.

For the first time, the PITC survey gathered information both on people who were
homeless on the night in question and on people who were housed in permanent
supportive housing for the formerly homeless or other forms of permanent housing, those who were temporarily “doubled up” with friends or family, those living in motels they paid for because they couldn’t afford permanent housing, and those in other temporary housing situations. On the night of January 29, 2008, an additional 5,795 men, women and children living in those situations were counted. (Please see the section of this report titled “Other Respondents” for more information.)

For the first time, the PITC survey gathered sufficient information to allow an annualized estimate - a projection of the number of people who were homeless over the course of a year. According to this estimate, 27,420 men, women and children are homeless in NJ over the course of a year. (Please see Appendix B, “Estimating the Need” for more information on the development of this estimate.

For the first time, the PITC survey gathered information on contributing factors to
homelessness and extensive information on service needs. According to the 2008 PITC,
the most significant factors contributing to current homelessness were loss of/inability to find employment (38%) and unaffordable housing costs (33%). In addition, the most frequently cited service needs among people who were currently homeless were the need for housing (45%) and the need for employment assistance (27%).

For the first time, the PITC survey gathered information on the usage of mainstream
systems and the rate at which people are discharged from those systems into
homelessness. For those who were currently homeless on the night of the survey, 37%
had been incarcerated at some point in their lives, and of that number, 64% were
discharged into homelessness. 44% had been hospitalized in a medical hospital, and of
that number, 43% were discharged into homelessness. 30% of homeless respondents
reported receiving inpatient mental health or addictions treatment, and of that number, 52% were discharged into homelessness.

For those who were chronically homeless, both usage of mainstream systems and
incidence of discharge into homelessness were higher than among the general homeless population. Of those who were chronically homeless on the night of the PITC, 60% had been incarcerated at some point in their lives, and of that number, 73% were discharged into homelessness. 63% had been hospitalized in a medical hospital, and of that number, 61% were discharged into homelessness. 54% received inpatient mental health or addictions treatment, and of that number, 63% were discharged into
homelessness.

The full report is available by clicking here.

Related Monarch Blog posts

• CSH releases analysis of homelessness in NJ (1)
• 27,628 are homeless in New Jersey! (1)
• 2008 Point in Time Count of the Homeless Train-the-Trainer Workshops (0)
• Your testimony needed at hearings on ending homelessness! (0)
• Wet housing works in Seattle (0)

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