Hearing On Proposed Homeless Shelter Continued In Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The zoning board hearing on a proposal to build an addition that would provide space for 17 beds for homeless adults at a Toms River church has been continued until October.

The Toms River Zoning Board of Adjustment heard about two hours of testimony Thursday night on the proposed addition to the outreach offices at Christ Episcopal Church on Washington Street before carrying the hearing to the board's next meeting at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 24.

Harvey York, the attorney for the applicant, Christ Episcopal Church, and Randi Moore, CEO of the Affordable Housing Alliance, which operates a daytime-only program to help get people into housing at the outreach offices now, spoke about the plans for the shelter.

Moore said the space would only provide sleeping accommodations for adults, and men and women would be separated.

The program would be staffed by two people overnight who would be required to be awake through the night, she said, and the people who would stay at the shelter would be vetted to ensure the safety of everyone in the shelter.

The alliance runs Ocean County's Coordinated Entry System for those experiencing homelessness, a program required by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. It looks at what led to a person becoming homeless in addition to trying to determine how to help them overcome being homeless.

The program "includes a comprehensive intake and offers assessment and program linkage for housing and other supportive services," according to nj211.org, a resource for those experiencing homelessness.

"We take safety very seriously," she said.

The people who would stay in the shelter overnight would be provided dinner at night and breakfast in the morning, and they would leave the shelter during the day — to go to jobs, to appointments, or to a program at the alliance's offices to help them get jobs or services if they needed them, Moore said.

Residents questioned Moore on safety issues, asking if there would be a curfew (there would be, with exceptions for someone who had a job they work in the evenings) and asking about the training of the staff, particularly on mental health issues and in emergency situations.

A few residents grew frustrated because they were waiting to express their opinions on the proposal, and because the zoning board chairman repeatedly told them to be quiet and not call out from the audience

Zoning board hearings are similar to a court proceeding, and they use a courtroom stenographer and a recording to keep an exact record of the testimony in the matter — important if a decision results in a lawsuit.

The hearing on the project is set to continue Oct. 24, with residents being able to ask questions of any other witnesses who testify for the church about the proposed shelter.

After all the testimony is heard, there will be time for residents to speak their opinions on the project. The project is one of three applications on the Oct. 24 agenda, and York and the board were discussing a special meeting to be held after Oct. 24 that would focus solely on the shelter proposal. Public comment is anticipated for that special meeting.

Note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated a shelter to accommodate families with children was in operation in Ocean County. Patch regrets the error.