Area Agencies Receive Grants to Help Homeless

Agencies in five North Jersey counties have received grants released from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide housing and support services for homeless individuals and families.

Social service non-profit agencies from Morris, Sussex, Somerset, Passaic and Warren counties received a share of the $16.25 million in HUD’s Continuum of Care Program that is targeted for New Jersey. Nationally, HUD released $216 million for the program in late April.

Morris County human services director Mary Jo Buchanan said to the Morris freeholders last week that the Morris agencies were the recipients of $116,758 in grants, a real achievement “because HUD is not handing out money these days.”

Community Hope Inc., of Parsippany, is the lead agency for the grants that will supply housing for Morris clients dealing with mental illness, and the Mental Health Association of Morris County will provide support services, said Diane Driscoll, housing development specialist at Community Hope.

Her agency is also administering the grants in Somerset and Warren counties, she said.

Community Hope programs  support 300 individuals across the region, she said. One-third of the agency's clients are homeless veterans and one-third are dealing with  mental deficiencies, she said.

The Morris grant applications were filed with he help of the United Way of Northern New Jersey’s  Morris office and Monarch Housing Associates.

Michelle Roers, the chief professional officer for the Morris United Way office, said her agency contracted with Monarch Housing last year in response to the changing atmosphere for housing funding.

“Over the past several years, there have been many changes to the HUD policies and funding. In order to boost our county’s ability to maximize HUD dollars for our communities, United Way contracted with Monarch Housing Associates for their expertise,” she said.

It is part of her agency’s continued efforts to seek and end to homelessness in Morris  County, Roers said.

United Way is an active member of Morris County’s Community Emergency Solutions System (CEAS), and over the years “we have contributed to the development of Morris County’s 10-year plan to end homelessness, the Continuum of Care, and other related homelessness prevention and intervention strategies,” she said.

Driscoll said Somerset and Warren counties also used Monarch, based in Caldwell,  to develop their grant applications.

In Morris County, Driscoll said, $88,560 will support one three-bedroom unit for five years through the  Morris Shelter Plus Care program, and $28,198 will be applied to the Morris County Leasing Program to fund a one-bedroom unit for two  years.

She said the location of the units and the clients will be selected once the funds are delivered.

In Somerset County, Community Hope will administer $30,189 for the Somerset County leasing program for a one-bedroom unit for two years, Driscoll said.

In Warren County, Community Hope will administer $187,020 for the Warren County Shelter Plus Care Program for three, two-bedroom units for three years, Driscoll said.

The Warren County leasing program also received $39,387 for  a two-bedroom unity for three years, she said.

In Passaic County, agencies associated with Passaic County and Paterson were granted $1.41 million for  Continuum of Care Programs, and in Sussex County,  programs will receive $70,722, according to HUD.