OCEAN COUNTY – As social workers are getting ready to count how many homeless people there are in each community, they also said goodbye to those they lost last year.
The Point In Time counts are at the end of January. It’s when sheltered – and unsheltered – homeless people are counted at various locations where they are known to gather. Although some homeless try to stay off the grid, these counts provide a reasonably accurate number of how many men, women, and children have no permanent housing.
While being counted, they are also being evaluated to see what they need, whether it’s job training, addiction counseling, or help filling out government forms. They are also given food, warm clothing and other necessities.
Last year, there were 419 people listed as homeless in Ocean County. Of these, 135 were younger than 18. Some of these children were with family. Some were on their own.
Recently, there was a National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Service to remember those who were homeless or formerly homeless who died in 2022. The event is celebrated throughout the country, but this was the first local one.
“Homeless persons are 3-4 times more likely to die than the general population. On average, people with housing in the U.S. can expect to live to age 78. Our long-term homeless neighbors can expect to live to about the age of 50,” said Tricia Bradly with Ocean’s Harbor House.
The opening prayer was delivered by Pastor Steve Brigham, well known for taking care of people living in tents in Lakewood before that town bulldozed tent city and cut down trees just so the homeless wouldn’t have a place to sleep. Speeches were given by Anjelica Webber, a social worker and board member with OceanCares; Rev. Ted Foley and Pastor Sue Jones of the Toms River Housing and Homeless Coalition; and Pastor Rhetta Jackson, who runs an overnight shelter in Bayville.
While leaders spoke outside the Toms River Riverwood Recreation Center, and some gave testimonials, there were 23 people who stayed the night in that building for warmth.
Just Believe has been operating a Code Blue shelter at the Riverwood Park recreation building at 250 Riverwood Drive in Toms River for the last three years. Code Blue is the law that says towns should open its shelters once the temperature drops down to a certain degree.
“Ocean County has made great strides by making the Code Blue system more effective so we are less likely to see more lives lost,” said Just Believe CEO, Paul Hulse.
Hulse said homelessness was up in Ocean County 35% from 2021 to 2022. Part of this has to do with the moratorium on evictions being lifted. The moratorium was created to help people facing economic strife due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Ocean County still has one more step to take which is to build a homeless shelter in Ocean County,” he added.
They are in the process of building the first transitional home that will be available 12 months a year – not just in the winter. The facility will be named after Hulse’s childhood friend Larry Robertiello. He served two tours in Kuwait and Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served from October of 2001 to July of 2004, reaching the rank of Specialist in the Army and receiving four medals. He worked as a plumber in his civilian life. However, when he got home, he suffered from PTSD and addiction, which took his life last year.
Several religious and other welfare groups host overnight shelters, filling in the gap in service because Ocean County’s leaders refuse to establish a permanent shelter. Many have explained that it can be paid for by a fund fueled by a $5 fee on every real estate transaction but the County Commissioners said they didn’t want to charge people that.
A year-round shelter would be a transitional facility, because the goal is to make them independent. Additionally, having one location gives them the consistency that fosters safety, trust, and a home base for them to get the services they need to get back on their feet.
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