Report ranks NJ 16th in child homelessness
7,557 of New Jersey’s children
go to sleep each night without permanent homes
1 in 50 children in America are homeless each year
New Jersey’s Rank
Extent of child homelessness 2
Child well-being 17
Risk for child homelessness 22
State policy and planning Inadequate
Overall rank 16States were ranked 1 to 50 with 1 being best and 50 the worst.
New Jersey ranks 22 out of the 50 states on their vulnerability to high rates of child homelessness.
The National Center on Family Homelessness’ new report, America’s Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness, offers comprehensive state-by-state data on the status of homeless children. The report documents the extent of child homelessness, describes the plight of these children, profiles and ranks the states, and proposes solutions.
To read the details on New Jersey click here.
To read the full report click here.
To read the Executive Summary click here.
“Children without homes are on the frontline of the nation’s economic crisis. These numbers will grow as home foreclosures continue to rise,” said Ellen L. Bassuk, M.D., president of the National Center on Family Homelessness. “Our report underlines the need for every state – as well as the Obama Administration and Congress – to provide equal opportunities for all American children to grow and thrive in the safety and security of their own homes.”
New Jersey ranks 16th in the nation in child homelessness. This rank is a composite of the number of children currently homeless in the state, an assessment of how children are faring in various domains (e.g., education, health, etc.), the risk of children becoming homeless, and the state’s policy and planning efforts.
In addition to the high rates of child homelessness, New Jersey was hurt due to the lack of an interagency council on homelessness and a ten year plan. This report underscores the need to complete the appointments of the Interagency Council to Prevent and Reduce Homelessness and have the council develop and implement a systemic and comprehensive palm to end homelessness in our state.
Extent of Child Homelessness in New Jersey
More than 7,557 of New Jersey’s children go to sleep each night without permanent
homes according to the data collected by the McKinney-Vento Educational Programs.
New Jersey ranks 18th in the number of homeless children and 2nd in the percentage
of children who are homeless. Of the 272,000 children living in poverty in New Jersey, three out of every one hundred (3% ) are homeless.
What would it cost for the state to house all homeless families at Fair Market Rent?
Section 8 housing vouchers could, if generally available, fill the gap between family income and housing costs. Unfortunately, current funding for the voucher program meets the needs of only one-quarter of homeless families. Providing housing at FMR for homeless families in New Jersey would cost an additional $11,000 per family, an annual total cost of $34 million dollars, or less than one percent of the state budget.
