TOMS RIVER – A surprising new proposal from the Ocean County Board of Commissioners could mark a major shift in how the county handles homelessness. Officials are considering turning the Code Blue warming center located at 1959 Route 9 in Toms River into a full-time, supervised shelter offering support services to help unhoused individuals get back on their feet.
The idea wasn’t on the agenda at the board’s latest meeting. But when Toms River resident Maybelline Hicks-Samuel stood up during public comment to talk about an increased number of homeless people at the Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library, the conversation took an unexpected turn.
Her fear, she clarified, wasn’t rooted in hatred or disregard. “But what my problem is,” she told the board, “Is having that type of problem in a public setting with women, children and seniors, somewhere like the library.”
Commissioner Robert Arace said that he’d spoken with Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy and assured the public that safety remained a priority, noting increased police patrols, including foot patrols, in the areas of concern.
A county-owned facility at 1959 Route 9 in Toms River currently serves as a warming center when it gets cold overnight. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
The growing presence of homeless individuals at the Toms River library drew national attention after Toms River Mayor Dan Rodrick accused county officials and Jon Bon Jovi for creating the issue. Rodrick’s comments were aimed at the JBJ Soul Kitchen pop-up café, which recently opened inside the library. Organizers have stressed it’s not a soup kitchen.
Commissioner Jennifer Bacchione, who serves as the liaison to the Ocean County Library, pointed out that the library is open until 9 p.m. and it’s a place to get inside during cold winters and hot summers.
“This is a huge issue and it’s not easy to fix,” acknowledged Bacchione. “We do not want to make it worse, but they are human needs. A lot of them need help, and some of them just don’t have anywhere to go.”
Planning For A Shelter
Commissioner Frank Sadeghi emphasized that homelessness is not a fabricated issue but a growing reality, exacerbated by rising housing costs.
“As the price of housing and renting a house goes up, people are being priced out. We probably have people working for Ocean County who are homeless,” he said.
He noted that the stereotype of the unhoused as only adults struggling with addiction is outdated. “We have young mothers with two or three kids living in their cars. That’s the reality today,” he said. “It’s a much more global issue than we can tackle, but we’re going to do our part.”
Sadeghi recalled the rush to open the warming center at the PIC building on Route 9 after Toms River shut down the Riverwood Park site run by Just Believe. He said the building was retrofitted to accept homeless people and keep them from freezing.
Residents listened to the County Commissioners discuss the homeless issue. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
Toms River officials initially threatened to sue the county but backed off when it was determined the site would only be used as a warming center. They claimed allowing people to stay year-round would equate to a homeless shelter. With nowhere else to go, unhoused individuals have gravitated to public spaces.
“These are not people doing drugs (in the warming center). Maybe we can give them medical attention and provide assistance to teach them how to be productive,” Sadeghi said. “These are people going through a rough patch through their life, but they’re normal people like the rest of us.”
Sadeghi framed the potential shelter as a proactive solution with transportation easily accessible and away from residential neighborhoods. The timeline for transitioning from a warming center could take some time. The Ocean County Board of Commissioners would most likely follow its current model of utilizing a non-profit skilled in working with the unhoused to run its shelter. This would make best use of their experience and best practices.
The Politics Of Place And Perspective
In a letter to residents, Rodrick accused the Ocean County Commissioners of opening a “soup kitchen in the library specifically designed for the homeless.”
Rodrick claims that the county’s warming center, operated in partnership with a non-profit, has resulted in “people being bused in from all over the state – and even from Philadelphia and North Carolina.” He alleges that “most” of the individuals congregating in Toms River struggle with substance abuse and severe mental health issues, creating disturbances in public spaces like the library. He further contends that “constant gangs of men who are mentally ill, intoxicated or high on drugs” are causing problems.
At least one local business owner and several residents have disputed Rodrick’s portrayal, and county officials say the statistics he cites are inaccurate. Advocates for the unhoused argue his language is inflammatory, driven by fearmongering and not based on reality. Today’s homeless population includes domestic violence victims, including families with children as well as elderly people unable to afford housing.
Toms River resident Phil Brilliant addresses the County Commissioners. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
Arace denied claims of busing in people from outside the area. He said the presence of social services and transportation hubs in downtown Toms River naturally draws those in need. Arace also criticized the town’s leadership for being “mostly unwilling to have any type of beneficial conversation in terms of what the solution is.”
Toms River resident Maybelline Hicks-Samuel said she is concerned about an increased number of homeless people at the Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
“My call to action to the local governing body is to stop politicizing this issue,” he said. “Come to the table with the county, because you can ultimately collaborate and partner with solving it.”
In an interview after the county meeting with this newspaper, Rodrick said he “would not support a shelter there [at the Pic Building]” and accused Arace of being a “closet liberal.”
“We’re not going to be the dumping ground for the county’s homeless,” said Rodrick. “It’s that simple. And if they continue to behave the way they are, the people of Toms River will hold them accountable at the ballot box.”
Mayor Daniel Rodrick (left), seated with Business Administrator Jon Salonis (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
Rodrick maintains that many of the homeless in town are not from the area but brought in by “for-profit organizations” who benefit financially by inflating headcounts. He labeled point-in-time counts “fraudulent,” saying they’re used by non-profits to justify more funding.
He specifically blamed Arace for the county’s partnership with Collaborative Support Programs of NJ (CSPNJ), the non-profit managing the warming center, despite the decision predating Arace’s tenure as commissioner.
“When we find someone that’s homeless here, we have a program,” said Rodrick. “The Council awarded me $250,000… I’m able to put them into temporary housing for as long as it takes for them to get back on their feet. We have the money; we take care of our own homeless.”
Toms River resident Phil Brilliant brought a different perspective to the commissioner board at their most recent meeting. He pointed out that the township closed the animal shelter and passed it on to county officials. “If you look at the trend and the pattern,” said Brilliant. “Whatever Toms River can pass on to the county to pay for, they’re going to continue to do so.”
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