As homelessness continues to grow locally as well as nationwide, the Township is proactively addressing the issue with the assistance of a partnership with a non-profit organization.
Since contracting in May with Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey (CSPNJ), which provides peer outreach to unhoused people and rental and legal assistance to residents facing eviction and homelessness, Maplewood has provided 54 people — 22 women and 32 men — with services including transportation, wellness service referrals, food assistance, housing applications and referrals for legal assistance when threatened with eviction.
They’ve also helped people who were sleeping in area of the Community Food Shed on Springfield Avenue find beds and other services that could lead to them getting off the streets, according to a presentation at the November 6 Maplewood Board of Health.
Watch the discussion here, beginning at the 41:00 mark:
RELATED: Maplewood Partners with Non-Profit to Provide Homeless Outreach & Engagement
Maplewood started looking for a partner to tackle homelessness issues last year after neighbors and businesses owners on Springfield Avenue complained of an increase in loitering and littering in the area of the community fridge and Food Shed. At that time there were an estimated dozen or so unhoused people in the Township and in October of this year, the CSPNJ engaged with 19 unhoused individuals.
“We worked to assist these individuals and discussed the complaints with them as well and worked toward solutions,” said CSPNJ Deputy Director of Homelessness Services Pam Baker, who added that they recently received feedback from an individual who had complained earlier and “she was thankful for the improvement and collaboration. She noted that she saw a visible improvement regarding the grounds, but also stated that she has not seen anyone sleeping in the area in weeks.”
CSPNJ is a peer-led
A woman arranges some donations in the Community Food Shed on Springfield where the Township changed the hours and closed the parking lot at night to discourage loitering. (Photo by Laura Griffin)
According to the township, CSPNJ staff are in Maplewood Tuesday through Saturday for a total of 20 hours a week. Staff “meet people where they’re at” including parks, the train station, the library, and other areas that unhoused individuals may frequent.
CSPNJ has a “warm line” — 848-234-7006 — and the Township encourages business owners and residents who are concerned about anyone sleeping on the street or loitering to call, so the organization can connect that person with services and know where increases in homelessness might be occurring.
“It’s been helpful when folks let us know,” Baker said. “They reach out to us when they see someone lying on the ground and they don’t know what to do with that.”
With the winter approaching, finding beds becomes a safety issue for those who are unhoused, Baker said, and CSPNJ has a network of other services to connect people with beds in Newark and Essex County.
Related coverage:
Amid Health and Safety Concerns, Maplewood to Limit Community Fridge Hours
Maplewood Votes to Develop Proposal for Homeless Services
Maplewood Grapples With Rising Homelessness, Late-Night Noise in Parks
