County Responsible for Homeless

To the Editor: 
In response to the article “Homeless Figures Don’t Lie”, there are homeless in every town and township in Cape May County. It is a countywide problem. It is the county’s responsibility. Dumping it on each municipality is not the answer. 
Why can’t the money from the federal government that covers Code Blue be used for more permanent solutions for the homeless? One night in a hotel is not the answer. If each year, Code Blue is costing $50,000 – $75,000, just think what could be done with that money to really solve the problem!
What about a shelter that offers counseling, addiction services, job training, etc., plus provides a safe, warm, temporary place to stay? Why can’t we have a program like the Atlantic City Rescue Mission (ACRM)? It is needed in our county.
Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton mentioned in the article that Middle Township is looking into abandoned houses as shelters for the homeless. Is this true, Mayor Clark?
Cape Hope has looked at the Chapin House for transitional housing for families with children. This building has not been planned as a shelter. It has so much potential to house families and have a daycare center available to help people get back to work.
People need year-round jobs that have salaries that can provide for their families. They need jobs that pay more than minimum wage. They need training for jobs that are not just seasonal and don’t offer unemployment in the winter time.
Cape May County makes millions of dollars from the tourist industry, but the workers who provide so many of the services enjoyed by the tourists pay the price. Business owners and the economic cycle keep this employment model in place, and it is hurting the people who live here year round.
We must take care of our own. The homeless and those on the verge of homelessness are our neighbors, our brothers, and sisters, our friends, and families. They live and work in our community, and the responsibility belongs to all of us. If we all work on solutions together on the county level, we can take care of them and solve these problems.