NEWARK – Although Newark has the largest number of homeless people of any municipality in New Jersey, the city reports progress in cutting the number of those who are unsheltered.
The city administration continues to introduce initiatives to combat unsheltered homelessness and has new ones planned in the coming year, Luis Ulerio, director of the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services, told TAPinto Newark in an interview last week.
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Newark’s data on unsheltered homelessness shows 2,356 people were counted this year to date, down nearly 43% from the 4,105 in the same period in 2022.
“What we’re seeing is a two-year downward trend,” Ulerio said.
However, the comparable number plunged to 1,760 last year – the best record so far – and the count this year is up about 34% from that low.
Several factors are at work making the city “constantly receiving folks into the unsheltered population,” said Ulerio, who noted that nearly $18 million a year is spent by the city to combat homelessness.