COURT HOUSE ─ Social Services Director Sara Maloney condensed the county’s homeless and motel voucher program for freeholders March 8.
At the board’s regular meeting after her presentation, a resolution was adopted to support use of the Atlantic City Rescue Mission for emergency housing. That document noted the existence of a memorandum of understanding that is in the Department Human Services, “yet to be approved” that would help the homeless population with housing and job training. By passage, it urged the department to approve the memorandum to permit the county to utilize the rescue mission’s facilities.
Meanwhile, rules and regulations constrain what the county is permitted to do, Maloney said.
“The thing that bothers me, they catch somebody doing a criminal act, and we hear it’s our fault,” said Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton. “It’s really disturbing to us. It is not our fault. We are trying to help people we think are at risk who are needy. We don’t have time to do background checks at eight at night or on weekends. The minute something happens, we get criticized,” he continued.
Maloney focused on “Temporary Shelter Assistance more commonly referred to as the voucher program.”
The emergency assistance is a program designed to work in conjunction with Work First New Jersey. It is for single persons receiving General Assistance or cash assistance, of TANF, which is cash assistance for families, then you, may be eligible for emergency assistance,” Maloney said.
The program’s ultimate goal is to get recipients jobs and off assistance.
Because there has been widespread discussion about the homeless situation, particularly in the Rio Grande area, Maloney described that is necessary to participate in that housing program.
Phone calls are not allowed for the interview, she said. Persons seeking aid must go to the Social Services Department to meet with a social worker to see if they meet requirements for assistance.
Another way for temporary housing is grant funded, and is commonly referred to as the homeless hotline.
Call after 4:30 p.m., and “You can be placed one time in a 12-month period,” Maloney said. Persons who are aided that way must go to Social Services the next day to be reviewed for available services or other programs for which they may be eligible.
Should such a person be found ineligible they are no longer eligible to be placed in housing.
The exception is a declared Code Blue, when temperatures plummet to 25 degrees or lower without precipitation or 32 degrees or lower with precipitation. A person can be placed, as an exception to eligibility, through that program.
Some temporary shelter assistance for the homeless may be available, if they can demonstrate that, after 30 days, there is a possibility for permanent housing. She said the agency would assist a person with housing searches, help with various issues a person may experience.
Funding for General Assistance is from the state; TANF, for families, is federally funded, Maloney said.
“That means you can cross county lines,” she said. That means if a person is not from this county, they may be eligible for emergency assistance through the county’s Social Services Department.
“Criminal activity in and of itself does not exclude you from being eligible for our programs,” Maloney said. However, if a person is convicted of drug distribution, they are ineligible for General Assistance.
If a person is evicted from Section 8 housing because of criminal activity “I would not be eligible for emergency assistance through social services,” said Maloney. “I would have to serve a six month disqualification period.”
Freeholder Kristine Gabor, who oversees Maloney’s department, wanted to ensure it was clear, “Who drives the rules. We have to follow state or federal guidelines, depending on where the funding comes from.”
Criminal activity, other than drug-related, even manslaughter, is no reason to be denied eligibility for programs, Gabor said, “The county doesn’t have the ability to say no. The ability to change those rules needs to come from the funding source the state or federal level.”
Thornton asked, “Are we allowed to do a criminal background check?” Maloney said all background is checked.
Regarding motels that accept vouchers, Maloney said there is a list. It is the client, however, who makes the choice where to reside.
“We only facilitate the financial part of the placement. The choice is the client’s,” Maloney said.
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