No Tent City in Wildwood

WILDWOOD – With the recent rash of cold weather and an unusually snowy winter, the homeless and those living in substandard housing have been high on the list of priorities for city officials. Recent comments during a Board of Chosen Freeholders meeting brought to light an alleged “tent city” in Wildwood along with allegations of the homeless living beneath the city’s world-famous Boardwalk. Neither allegation is correct, said Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano.
According to the mayor, during a March 10 Freeholders meeting, several individuals told county officials they were homeless and from Wildwood.
“These people are not homeless in Wildwood. These people were homeless and either wandered into the city or were sent in here by other organizations,” said the mayor.
Troiano asked Police Chief Robert Regalbuto to search under the Boardwalk for a tent city or homeless people setting up housekeeping. Regalbuto reported none were found.
“This is not to say that someone got shipped here on a bus and had nowhere to go so they spent the night under the Boardwalk,” Troiano said. “No one is living regularly under the Boardwalk. There are no tents pitched in Wildwood.”
The mayor said a larger problem is the number of people living in substandard housing which may lead to the appearance of being homeless.
Renters living in housing with minimal or non-functional heating, plumbing and electrical systems or other unsafe conditions are urged to contact City Hall at 609-522-2444. City inspectors will be dispatched to the property to ensure the property is up to code.
“Bring it up to code, or tear it down,” said Troiano. Any relocation of individuals living in substandard housing will be borne by the owners,” he added. “The city is not the business of relocating people. That onus is on the property owner.”
With the call of the beach, water, Boardwalk, rooming houses and year-round motels, many are drawn to the city with the hope of a job. More often than not, that dream is dashed when summer jobs dry up and a long winter of unemployment seems as bleak as the cold, gray ocean.
“We have some people who profit from their tenants,” the mayor said. “And they profit by giving their tenants substandard housing.”
“We are not heartless people,” said Troiano. “We don’t want people living in substandard housing. I want the public to understand that we are a beach resort. We have the pretty beaches. We have the big, bright Boardwalk. There is no opportunity here for employment for most of the year, except for the summer months. During the winter, there is no opportunity for employment.”