Homeless Population in 2024 Grew by 24% in NJ, 15% in City of Camden
By NEILL BOROWSKI,
2 days ago
A homeless person on the streets of Philadelphia earlier this year. The point-in-time survey of homelessness was conducted on January 24, the day after the New Jersey survey. It found 5,191 people homeless in Philadelphia, according to the Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services. Philadelphia had more than twice as many homeless as Newark, which is the municipality with the largest number of homeless in New Jersey. Credits: shutterstock.com | Lisa Rapko
CAMDEN – Camden ranks third this year among New Jersey municipalities in the number of homeless people, according to a nonprofit’s annual estimates of homelessness.
Newark ranked first in the state with by far the largest number of homeless people at 2,089, according to nonprofit Monarch Housing Associates, which annually studies the homeless for the state Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency.
Jersey City came in No. 2 with 534 homeless. Camden was No. 3 with 485.
Of the city of Camden total, 26% of the homeless were found to be unsheltered, according to the count done on January 23, Monarch Housing Associates reported in its recently released annual report.
As part of its plan to sharply reduce the unsheltered population, Camden County early this month confirmed a plan to build a $6 million multi-agency center to provide social services and guidance for the homeless population. The center will be at Broadway and Liberty Street.
Camden County had 743 total homeless persons in the report and 9% were unsheltered. In South Jersey, Burlington County had the largest number of homeless among counties with 1,005, but only 1% were unsheltered.
The number of homeless in New Jersey has steadily grown since 2022 and the 12,680 total was up nearly 24% from 2023. The total unsheltered population of 1,389 was up nearly 8% from 2023.
In the city of Camden, the number of homeless increased by 15%, or 65 people, between 2023 and 2024.
Unsheltered homeless is defined as any individual or family with a primary nighttime residence that is in space not designed for sleeping accommodations for humans, such as a car, a park or an abandoned building, the Monarch Housing report notes.
People who stayed in emergency shelters, transitional housing and safe havens made up the sheltered homeless population.
The Monarch Housing Associates report on New Jersey is available here .
Homelessness skews toward the Black, non-Hispanic, population in New Jersey. Although African Americans make up only 12% of the state’s population, they account for 49% of the homeless population, according to the report.
The top three causes of homelessness were that the person or family was asked to leave a shared residence, eviction or at risk of eviction, and loss or reduction of job income, the report notes.
Of the homeless population reporting some type of disability, mental health issues ranked first, substance abuse disorders were second and chronic health conditions were third.
While most reported they were homeless for a year or less, about 19% were homeless for one to three years and 10% for more than three years, according to the report.
10 New Jersey municipalities with the largest homeless populations
Rank | Municipality | County | Total homeless | Unsheltered | % unsheltered
I don’t know what is going to happen in the next ten years if you guys keep voting for politicians that don’t want to talk about this problem or do something, specially in my area the town only approves new construction but not one can afford the rent prices
JFk
18h ago
It’s just started , more is coming, with inflation high, just wait for china to stop accepting dollar as payment. People will start eating themselves, I will be so sorry for the politicians and lobbyists, they will go in flames
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