New County Program to Benefit Homeless

With a new Union County program, when people move into a new home, people without homes will benefit.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders has authorized a $3 surcharge on property transfers and other transactions. The money, to be collected by the clerk’s department starting next year, will be directed to programs that will address homelessness in the County.

In a release, Union County officials said that approximately 1,100 Union County residents are currently homeless on any given day.  Of that amount, about half are children under age 18.

“The Homeless Trust Fund will provide a much-needed source of funding to address homelessness, which is a particular risk for families with young children,” Union County Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella said in the release.

New Jersey Governor Corzine signed a legislative act permitting counties to establish homeless trust funds on September 8. Under the new law, each county is permitted to add a $3 surcharge on County Clerk transactions.  According to the release, Union County has approximately 80,000 transactions per year, which means the program is expected to raise $240,000 annually. The County can leverage additional funds from state and federal sources.

“With a reliable stream of funding from year to year, we can focus on long term programs that really make a difference and actually save money over time,” said Mirabella. 

To qualify for support from the Homeless Trust Fund, programs must demonstrate cost savings, be consistent with existing local programs and meet other criterion, including using evidence-based based models.

“The Homeless Trust Fund also gives us a framework for tackling homelessness more effectively as a regional problem across county lines,” said Mirabella.