ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Homeless encampments have long been a problem with elusive solutions for officials in Atlantic City. But for the first time in recent history, every government agency in the city, as well as casino groups and other community organizations, are working together to tackle the issue.
The initiative first offers services to people in need, then begins to break up encampments in places they shouldn’t be, like under the boardwalk. Over the years, there have been several encampment fires on the boardwalk, like Garden Pier, creating safety hazards.
Emergency Management Coordinator Scott Evans said people would live under Garden Pier for weeks to months on end. But now, this coordinated approach is already proving successful.
“It’s critical for the right hand to know what the left hand is doing, for every department that has a role plays their part and passes the ball to the next person,” he said.
Department of Health and Human Services Director Jarrod Barnes said his office is often the first contact. They can only offer help, and police are only called if laws are being broken. They try to build trust to get people the help they need.
“We ask every single day, ‘Do you need assistance?’” he said. “If they say, ‘No, thank you,’ we say, ‘Hey look, we’re here. You can come find us at City Hall.’ We’ll come back to that same spot because more than likely, they’re in the same spot every single day. We’ll keep going back to them.
“And eventually, a lot of times they break down and say, ‘Hey look, I do need assistance,’ and we start the process for them.”
Mayor Marty Small said there are dozens of people living on the streets in Atlantic City, many from out of town, and part of this process is also focused on sending people back to where they came from.
Small added that this citywide government approach is a big reason why the city is safer than it has been in recent years, and he said they will keep pushing to make it even better.
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