How Local Organizations Are Addressing Homelessness In Summit

SUMMIT, NJ — Primarily due to the current housing affordability crisis, Summit has seen a rise in homelessness, and the city is working with local organizations to provide temporary shelter and services to these individuals.

Amanda Block is the founder and director of GRACE — a non-profit organization that works with homeless families in Summit and assists people experiencing housing and food insecurity. She is also heavily involved with Summit Warm Hearts, which is an organization that provides shelter for unhoused neighbors.

Block spoke with Patch about some of the ways the two organizations are addressing issues of homelessness in the city.

She said it is important to note that the issue of homelessness is not unique to Summit and that it is on the rise across the country due to the affordability crisis.

Summit Warm Hearts Provides Shelter

At the previous Summit Common Council meeting on Dec. 6, Mayor Nora Radest said the city typically has eight to ten homeless individuals in the winter months, but at the end of November, Radest said there were about 25 individuals staying at the shelters in Summit.

Related: Homeless Population Growth Draws Summit Residents' Ire

Block also works with an organization called Summit Warm Hearts that helps provide these shelters through its overnight hospitality program. There are three churches that are providing evening shelter in Summit, and Beacon United is providing warmth and shelter during the day.

Block said the organization is currently seeing about a dozen people at its day program, where lunch is provided and people can meet with a case manager, and about 15 to 16 people staying over each night.

Since first opening its shelters on Nov. 17, Block said the number of homeless individuals has risen. In total, she said there have been 31 people who have stayed at the Warm Hearts shelters, and just last week, 27 of those people spent the night at some point during the week.

More than half of these individuals have experienced chronic homelessness, Block said. In addition, she said a few individuals are newly homeless, either due to addiction or family drama.

"At Summit Warm Hearts we really serve as sort of a landing spot for people to get organized, to not have to worry about their basic needs," Block said.

She said many of the individuals who come to Warm Hearts need a transitional housing situation before they can move into an apartment of their own.

Warm Hearts is currently making referrals to different outreach organizations, such as Bridges and Bridgeway, to help find more permanent housing. The organization is also helping align medical services for individuals in need, as well as providing warm winter gear and providing transportation for people to travel to support services that are outside of Summit, such as the VA or a social services office.

Many residents have noted that there is an increased homeless population at the Summit train station. But with the help of Warm Hearts providing overnight shelters, Block said there are now nights at the train station where "there's not a soul there."

"That's the best feeling in the world because the train station is not a shelter," Block said. "I mean, let's face it, the churches where we're housing people now aren't a real shelter either. It's really a matter of relationship building and creating trust with a population that has endured trauma, for some, their whole lives..."

She said a priority at Warm Hearts is to ensure that people have access to hygiene services like showers, laundry, as well as medical attention and addiction recovery services.

Block explained that every person who stays at the shelter gets their own pillow with their name on it to "create a sense of dignity" and a sense that there is something better waiting for them on the other side of the homelessness they are currently experiencing.

"It would break your heart and put it back together again to see how someone responds when you hand them their own pillow for the first time," Block said.

GRACE Helps Working Families Struggling With Home Insecurity

With the organization GRACE, Block said she mainly works with working families — with some individuals working two to three jobs.

GRACE focuses on preventing eviction and working with landlords to help people stay in Summit. The organization is also working closely with Summit Public Schools' homeless family population.

Block said the number of homeless families within the school system has doubled in the past year, and at any point in the past year, GRACE has seen between 10 to 12 homeless families within Summit Schools.

"We're trying to also help people who might be in supportive housing to stay in their housing because rent is going up everywhere," Block said. "And that's definitely a phenomenon that we're seeing in Summit."

In terms of median rents, Block said there has been a $542 increase in rent per month from December of last year to this month.

When looking for permanent housing for these individuals, Block said GRACE usually has to find apartments outside of Summit. Because of the real estate boom, Block said when there is a new landlord, they need to meet fair market prices.

"What we are noticing in many cases within the Grace Community is that rents are actually doubling. It is completely unheard of to find a room to rent for less than $1,000 a month," Block said.

The Housing Authority has also closed applications for families, and for couples and individuals, there is a waitlist of between three to eight years depending on the situation, according to Block.

Unfortunately, when people have to move out of Summit, Block said they often lose their support network. They can no longer rely on their family and friends for things like childcare.

GRACE has found that people are moving to areas like Springfield and New Providence, but many are being advised to move to Sussex County because of the limited budget on their housing vouchers.

How You Can Help

Block said there are many ways for people in the community to help out.

Warm Hearts is in need of monetary donations to help staff the shelters with trained individuals who understand mental health first aid and harm reduction. Block said it costs $11,000 per month to provide these de-escalation techniques to homeless individuals.

The organization also accepts dinner donations from the community a few nights a week for 15 to 20 individuals, which is another way the community can help out.

In addition, Block said Warm Hearts is always in need of hygiene supplies, as as winter hats, gloves and hand warmers.

Warm Hearts shelters are open every single night from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. You can learn more about the organization and how to help out on their website here.

Mayor Radest said the city is going to work other agencies like Bridges, the county and the state to provide longterm housing and solutions for these individuals. Radest said she will provide another update on the situation at the next meeting on Dec. 20.