'Opening Doors' in Mercer
Monday, July 12, 2010

STAFF WRITER

The quest to end homelessness in Mercer County has quickened with nearly $1 million in federal funds.

The money will go toward establishment of permanent housing in Trenton and expanded services throughout the county, where about 1,000 people are chronically homeless.

One award of $400,000 will help the Rescue Mission shelter on Carroll Street create 15 studio apartments for homeless individuals in a Perry Street building, while $550,020 will go toward the Housing First project overseen by the Mercer Alliance, the county, the city and other agencies.

The Mercer funding, part of $13.5 million distributed in New Jersey and $190 million nationwide, is part of the Obama administration's effort to end homelessness. The federal program mirrors the work of the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness, which is well on its way to accomplish that aim within 10 years.

The national "Opening Doors" strategy rests on the president's intention to end homelessness among veterans within five years and in the general population within 10 years. It reflects the now established idea that, rather than temporary or emergency shelter, permanent housing with access to an array of social services is the key to solving the problem. Emergency services are ineffective and much more costly than the comprehensive approach, which provides not only a home, but the tools individuals and families need to get back on their feet.

That's something the Mercer Alliance, HomeFront and all the other local agencies dedicated to getting families off the street have long realized. The influx of federal funding will bring them closer to the goal of ending homelessness and underline the idea that a nation as prosperous as the United States cannot stand idly by while families live in cardboard.