Newark‘s Path Home: A Dramatic Drop in Street Homelessness

Newark, NJ – In 2022, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka launched “The Path Home,” a comprehensive initiative too end chronic homelessness in New Jersey’s largest city. One year later, the program boasts remarkable results: a 57.6% reduction in street homelessness, a decrease from 3,841 to 1,627 unsheltered individuals.

This success is largely attributed to the creation of the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services, established just over two years ago. Luis Ulerio, the office’s director, credits the strategic plan launched in December 2022. “The mayor created the Office of Homeless Services just over two years ago, so it’s still new, but he saw that there was a need to have a dedicated office to really address homelessness in our city,” Ulerio said. “He charged our office to create the city’s first strategic plan around homelessness, which we were really proud to launch in December of 2022. We instantly began to implement a lot of its strategies over that year, which included focusing on reducing street homelessness throughout our communities.“

While 2023 saw a nationwide increase in homelessness, Newark’s proactive measures mitigated the impact.Ulerio points to expanded street outreach teams and increased transitional housing as key factors in absorbing the rise and maintaining the downward trend in street homelessness. Last month, these efforts received a boost with the addition of new teams from nonprofit providers and local hospitals, along with a new non-emergency hotline for unhoused individuals.

this contrasts sharply with neighboring New York City, where the January 2024 HOPE homeless count identified approximately 4,140 unsheltered individuals. Though, a significant difference exists: 97% of New York City’s unhoused population is sheltered, unlike Newark’s higher percentage of unsheltered individuals.

Kelly Quirk, chief program officer of the Bowery Residents’ Committee (BRC), attributes this disparity to New York City’s right-to-shelter laws, stemming from the landmark Callahan v. Carey lawsuit. “The relationship with folks is the number one key, and that’s not going to change anywhere that you go,” Quirk stated. “Newark has put an emphasis on making sure that there is bed availability and that they’ve reduced barriers to entry. I will say there [aren’t] really barriers to entry in new York — if someone wants to leave the street, we can find a place for them. There are specific clients who have specific either autonomy requests and/or maybe certain medical needs.“

Quirk also noted the place-based nature of homeless services, explaining that “If you’re getting benefits in New York, you are not [also] getting benefits in New Jersey.” BRC’s cross-state services, collaborating with path Home providers, focus on a small number of individuals (a few dozen) to avoid service duplication, requiring participant consent.

the collaborative approach is exemplified by Lasheema Sanders-Edward, a regional coordinator for Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey. At a recent press conference, she shared her personal story, highlighting the importance of consistent outreach. “They met me where I was,” Sanders-Edward recounted. “I didn’t know, and I wasn’t really aware of what was going on with me, and it was also along with substance use, so I ended up homeless. This outreach worker took a liking to me, and every day, they met me at the train station. They came there, they bought me what I needed. They helped me … get my birth certificate, as they said they would be able to do. And little by little, I started to progress, and eventually, I got curious about getting help.“

The success of Newark’s Path Home initiative demonstrates the potential of comprehensive, collaborative strategies in addressing homelessness. The program’s focus on proactive outreach, increased bed availability, and streamlined access to services offers a valuable model for other cities facing similar challenges.

Newark’s “Path Home”: A Blueprint for Eradicating Chronic Street homelessness

What does Newark’s 57.6% Drop in Street Homelessness Tell Us About Effective Strategies?

The reduction in street homelessness in Newark, from 3,841 to 1,627, highlights the effectiveness of strategic, coordinated efforts. This success demonstrates that a focused plan,like Newark’s strategic roadmap launched in December 2022,can yield transformative results. Key elements included creating a dedicated office for homeless services and implementing strategies such as expanding outreach teams and enhancing transitional housing options.

How can Other Cities replicate Newark’s Success?

Successful replication involves several core principles:

1. Establish Dedicated Entities: Create specialized offices to directly address homelessness.
2. Emphasize Proactive Outreach: Implement consistent, compassionate outreach efforts.
3. Increase Transitional Housing capacity: Expand transitional housing and reduce barriers to entry.

Key recommendations include setting up single points of coordination for streamlined efforts and resource allocation, and focusing on individualized solutions tailored to the specific needs of those experiencing homelessness.

What Role Does Collaboration Play in Addressing Homelessness?

Collaborative approaches are vital. As demonstrated by Newark’s collaboration with the Bowery Residents’ committee, working across organizations and jurisdictions enhances service delivery. Shared goals and coordinated efforts minimize service duplication and optimize resource use, though they require clear interaction and participant consent.

Insights for practitioners include fostering partnerships across sectors and ensuring reciprocal service arrangements to prevent gaps in service when individuals move between regions.

What Are the Challenges and Barriers to Implementation?

Implementation challenges include resource limitations and bureaucratic hurdles. Tactics for overcoming barriers include leveraging public-private partnerships and streamlining processes to accelerate the implementation of effective services.

Conclusion and Engagement

Newark’s “Path home” serves as a compelling model for cities facing similar homelessness challenges. It underscores the transformative power of strategic planning, collaboration, and dedicated service delivery.By learning from newark’s experience, other cities can develop robust plans to significantly reduce street homelessness.