100% are still housed after six months!
As a result of the success of the Mercer Housing First Collaborative, similar initiatives will begin in the next few months in Bergen and Passaic counties. Camden is also developing a housing first initiative. Thus, what started in Trenton and Mercer County is becoming a statewide effort focused on ending homelessness.
On September 22, 2008, the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness, a member of the NJ Advocacy Network to End Homelessness, held a press conference at the State House to announce the status of the Mercer County Housing First Collaborative after six months of operation. This is the first Housing First initiative in New Jersey. Planning began in the summer of 2006. An RFP was issued in 2007 and Greater Trenton Behavioral Health Care was chosen as the primary provider of services. When funding commitments were completed and the first group of housing vouchers became available, the program began taking applications in January, 2008.
The Collaborative received 99 applications and conducted a lottery, chose 20 names and passed them on to Greater Trenton at the beginning of February. By the beginning of April, six individuals were housed in their own leased apartments in the community. As of today 100% continue to be housed after nearly six months.
Nine families are currently in the pipeline for housing. The Collaborative is about to receive 24 more vouchers. Within the next few months, 40 tenants – 30 individuals and 10 families – should be in rented apartments.
Several important documents on this initiative were distributed at the event.
Fact Sheet of Mercer Housing First
National Research on Housing First
Among the speakers were: Commissioner Jen Velez, NJ Department of Human Services, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, Trenton Mayor Douglas Palmer, Pat Cacacie, United Way of Greater Mercer County, John Monahan, Executive Director of Greater Trenton Behavioral Health Care, Russell DiNardi, Vice-Chair of the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness Board and Herb Levine, Executive Director of the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness.
For more information click here [Email address: rbrown #AT# njaneh.org - replace #AT# with @ ].
