More Than Half Of Hudson County's Homeless Population Are In Jersey City

JERSEY CITY, NJ — The homeless population in Jersey City makes up more than half of the homeless population in Hudson County, according to survey results released by Monarch Housing Associates.

The organization released the results of their annual Point-in-Time count of homeless residents in New Jersey earlier this week. The 2021 survey, which was carried out on Jan. 26, counted 8,097 men, women and children across the state.

In Hudson County, 882 persons experiencing homelessness were counted on a single night by Monarch Housing Associates. About 56.1 percent of those counted in Hudson County live in Jersey City, the state's second most populated city, Monarch Housing noted.

The full Hudson County report breaks down the statistics even further, including local numbers on race, disability and income, as well as findings for veterans, youth and victims of domestic violence. Read the full report here.

When asked to share the primary factor that contributed to, or caused, their homelessness,
more households attributed their homelessness to being asked to leave a shared residence 130 households, 17.4 percent than any other cause. Of the 780 households identified as experiencing

homelessness, 383 or 9.4 percent said COVID-19 was the cause.

Here's what caused people to experience homelessness in Hudson County last year, the data showed.

Jersey City recently addressed the homeless crisis in the city and broke ground on the newly expanded St. Lucy's campus. The 60,000 square foot homeless services facility is located along Grove Street, between 15th and 16th Streets. It will feature a total of 165 beds for individuals who are homeless, 14 units of transitional housing for individuals with HIV, five permanent supportive housing units specifically for families, and 15 permanent affordable housing studio apartments.

The current construction schedule calls for expected build-out completion by late 2022 or early 2023.

During the groundbreaking, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop explained the city's commitment to assisting homeless residents, "As we work collectively to eradicate homelessness, the City is committing over $2 million in grant funding to help expand beyond traditional shelter services to also include more permanent housing options and transitional support as well as everyday necessities that better address the health and well-being of our most vulnerable residents."