Burlington County Commissioners Announce Construction Begins on County’s First Emergency Shelter

“Burlington County will not ignore those in need or the most vulnerable living among us. “We are moving forward with a plan to create a safe haven for those in need and a clear path to services that can help them,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “Emergency shelter is something this county has desperately needed for decades, and we are currently the only New Jersey county of similar size without shelter. “Constructing this emergency shelter is critical to the health, safety, dignity and well-being of all residents of Burlington County.”

Aiming to count the number of people experiencing homelessness in all New Jersey counties in a single day, Monarch Housing’s 2024 Time Count provides a snapshot of the need that exists in the county. On Jan. 24, the day of the count, 1,005 people were found to be homeless in Burlington County, 11 of whom were unsheltered.

Sixty-three percent of those counted were Black, Hispanic, or Latino (a significant disparity considering these minorities make up only about 26% of the county’s total population), 37% reported having at least one disability, 11% reported being a victim of violence . domestic violence and 29% had been homeless for a year or more.

A temporary, safe place for help

The emergency shelter will be a two-story, 33,792-square-foot freestanding building directly behind the existing Human Services Building on the same campus as the Board of Social Services, County Housing Center, Job Center, Office of Veterans Services, Office of Aging and Aging. Recovery Center. It will serve adult men and women experiencing an urgent housing crisis, providing them with a place to stay, hot meals, showers, laundry facilities, and bathrooms. Individuals will be evaluated upon entry and matched with a case manager who will guide them through the services and programs needed to help them transition into temporary or permanent housing.

The shelter is designed to be a temporary and safe place where individuals can get the help they need. The building will have its own 24-hour security and medical triage and is not expected to have an impact on local police, fire or emergency services based on the operations of similar facilities.

If shelter is necessary during a disaster affecting the county or region, such as the floods witnessed in 2004 and 2019, this area is available to the Office of Emergency Management and the American Red Cross as emergency shelter.

This project is the culmination of several years of planning and discussions led by Hopson, who has advocated for the construction of a County shelter since he first took office in 2019.

Hopson worked with fellow Commissioners County Administrator Eve Cullinan, Burlington County Human Services Department Director Shirla Simpson, Human Services Department Deputy Director Malikah Morris, Burlington County Engineer Joseph Brickley and Burlington County Construction Management Specialist Director Steven Stypinski, expert counsel. Architects from Julia Orlando and Netta Architects developed the plans for the shelter.

The County’s application to build and license shelters was approved by the New Jersey Comptroller’s Office and the New Jersey Department of Community Relations earlier this summer, and Commissioners last month approved the award of $18.3 million in construction and $617,000 in construction management contracts to Deandrea Construction Company. M&M İnşaat A.Ş. respectively. The construction contract includes a project labor contract that requires unionized work.

Construction of the new building is expected to take approximately 16 to 20 months.

Supported through grants and other funding sources

Burlington County received multiple grants to support the shelter project. These include a $3 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through congressional appropriations requested by Congressman Andy Kim and Senator Cory Booker.

“As we continue to work to address issues of affordability and housing access, we must also meet people’s urgent needs and support everyone’s fundamental right to a roof over their head,” said Congressman Kim. “Today’s groundbreaking event is the culmination of incredible planning and leadership to meet a long-overdue community need in Burlington County. The first of its kind in Burlington, this shelter will not only keep people safe, but will also help them build a healthy and safe life after they leave. “I’m proud to put federal dollars back into the ground and look forward to seeing this project completed.”

Close to $600,000 in HUD funding for the project was also obtained from the County’s Community Development Block Grant.

An additional $2.83 million for the project was awarded through a special legislative grant sponsored by New Jersey Senator Troy Singleton as part of the Fiscal Year 2024 State Budget.

“For decades, Burlington County has had to rely on a network of motels, churches, government and social service agencies to find, provide and finance temporary shelter for those in need,” said Senator Singleton. “But with this new homeless shelter, we will have a safe, secure place for our residents to go when life throws them the hardest. When completed, we will have a full social services campus where our most vulnerable residents will have access to the comprehensive services they need and need to move forward.”

The remainder of the construction costs were included in the county’s capital plan and funding was approved by the capital ordinance. Operating costs will be funded through the Homelessness Foundation, established in 2019, and registration fees collected by the County Clerk’s office.

meeting a need

The creation of the emergency shelter is the county’s latest action to address housing insecurity and homelessness.

The district’s first action was to open the Housing Center within the Human Services Building. Launched in 2019, the Housing Center provides residents experiencing housing shortages or homelessness with a single entry point where they can seek supportive services and advocacy without having to travel to many different offices. Services that the Housing Center helps facilitate include: emergency shelter in hotels/motels, housing placement, mortgage assistance, rent assistance, deposit assistance, transitional housing, substance use disorder assistance, and utility assistance.

The Housing Center helped more than 2,800 customers receive approximately 10,300 services in 2023.

In addition to the services offered by the Housing Center, the County helped create much-needed affordable housing units in the county through the HOME investment Partnership Program. Since 2019, the county has invested more than $2.16 million to create more than 422 affordable units.

“We’re trying to help residents early by addressing the root causes of housing insecurity and housing affordability so they don’t lose their housing,” Hopson said. “But we also need to finally take this step to provide compassionate care by providing clean, safe waste and a clear pathway to services for those living without shelter or in unsafe conditions. “Building a shelter will address this need and help all of our communities, so we are excited to be ready to take the next steps to make this a reality.”

Courtesy of Burlington County