Homeless Outreach Events Coming To Newark, Orange, Irvington

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The coronavirus pandemic isn’t stopping an annual “homeless outreach tour” from making connections with some of Essex County’s most vulnerable residents in 2021.

For the 15th year, Essex County will hold its annual Project Homeless Connect Tour, a series of free events that will take place in Newark, Orange and Irvington.

The events will include free lunch and giveaways (on a first-come, first-serve basis), as well as information about crucial social services that can give homeless residents a hand up. They will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the following dates and locations:

• Wednesday, Jan. 27 – Essex County Branch Brook Park roller rink lot, Newark
• Thursday, Jan. 28 – Essex County Monte Irvin Park, Orange
• Friday, Jan. 29 – Orange Park lot, Irvington
• Monday, Feb. 1 – Essex County Branch Brook Park roller rink lot, Newark

According to county officials, due to the pandemic, each event will be held outdoors, and people won’t be allowed to congregate. For more information, call 973-395-8350.

“The pandemic has changed how we connect with our homeless residents, but it has not diminished our dedication to supporting them,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said.

With a whopping 2,214 people counted on Jan. 28, Essex County has about 23 percent of the state's entire homeless population, according to the 2020 NJ Counts survey.

About 20.8 percent of the households surveyed said that "being asked to leave a shared residence" was the reason they were homeless, Monarch Housing Associates reported. Another leading cause of homelessness in New Jersey – evictions – was responsible for 14.3 percent of the cases.

That total may be primed to spike as cash-tapped home renters struggle amid the coronavirus pandemic, many experts have recently warned.

• See related article: Essex County Has Most Homeless In NJ; Evictions Played A Big Role

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