Ocean County will try to get an accurate count of the homeless living here for the annual Point-In-Time federal survey on Wednesday, February 4. 

(KatarzynaBialasiewicz, ThinkStock)
(KatarzynaBialasiewicz, ThinkStock)
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This week's Nor'easter postponed the survey by one week. It was scheduled for today, according to Jamie Busch, Assistant Director and Assistant Mental Health Administrator of the Ocean County Department of Human Services.

Volunteers with the Department's PATH program, which provides outreach to the homeless and those experiencing mental health challenges, will spend the day canvassing woods and shopping centers where the homeless are known to frequent.

"There are two PATH teams. One is run through Preferred Behavioral Health and they will cover the northern part of the County and another PATH team through Ocean Mental Health will cover the southern part of the County," said Busch.

Homeless individuals also will be able to go to seven sites throughout the county to voluntarily be counted in the survey.

"Ocean County Hunger Relief in Toms River, Visitation Relief Center in Brick, Catholic Charities in Lakewood, Saint Mary's Community Center in Barnegat, Habitat for Humanity of Southern Ocean County in West Creek, People's Pantry in Toms River and Our Lady Of Perpetual Help in Seaside Heights," Busch said.

Once the data collected, local communities will work the Monarch Housing Associates in Cranford, the statewide coordinator for the Point-In-Time count, to verify the information and to make sure there are no duplicates, according to Busch. She said they then cull out the people who meet the federal definition of homelessness and send the information to the U-S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Busch said the Federal Continuum Of Care Homeless Assistance Program is, in part, based on the Point-In-Time Count results and the data is used to decided funding that goes to communities.

"In Ocean County that funding is dedicated to permanent housing programs, rental and leasing assistance and a dozen other projects," Busch said.

The Federal definition of a homeless person is someone who is unsheltered and individuals who are homeless and staying in an emergency shelter or in a transitional housing program, according to Busch.

"Last year in Ocean County there were 627 individuals who were included in the Point-In-Time count and 58 of those individuals were unsheltered," said Busch.

She added the count is a snap shot and that there is no protocol for follow-up. However, she said the Path Program probably reaches out to those individuals to get them housing.

 

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