a. The creation of county homelessness trust funds in counties that have completed and endorsed a plan to end homelessness will provide some of the additional funds necessary to move homeless or formerly homeless individuals toward the goal of permanent affordable housing and self-sufficiency.

b. Despite laudable efforts by all levels of government, private individuals, nonprofit organizations, and charitable foundations to end homelessness, the number of homeless persons in New Jersey is unacceptably high. The State‘s homeless population, furthermore, includes a large number of families with children, youth, veterans, the elderly, and employed persons.

c. Fiscal and social costs of homelessness are high for both the public and private sectors and ending homelessness should be a joint goal for State and local government.

d. A myriad of factors contribute to homelessness, including a shortage of affordable housing; a shortage of jobs that pay wages and benefits sufficient to support a family; high property taxes which undermine housing affordability; a lack of an accessible and affordable health care system available to all who suffer from physical and mental illnesses and chemical and alcohol dependency; domestic violence; and a lack of education and job skills necessary to acquire adequate wage jobs in the economy of the twenty-first century.

e. It is critical that emergency shelters for the homeless are able to provide sufficient and adequate shelter services to all homeless individuals in their communities when a Code Blue alert is in effect due to severely cold weather. Allowing county homelessness trust funds to be used in support of emergency shelter for the homeless services provided in connection with a Code Blue alert would create an additional funding source to help ensure that this goal is met.

L.2009, c.123, s.2; amended 2019, c.53, s.1.