MAYOR BARAKA AND PARTNERS OFFICIALLY LAUNCH MAJOR EXPANSION OF STREET OUTREACH EFFORTS FOR UNSHELTERED RESIDENTS

Newark, NJ - January 15, 2025 - Mayor Ras J. Baraka and Newark Office of Homeless Services Director Luis Ulerio welcomed collaboration partners and dignitaries at a press conference today to launch the expanded outreach program for Newark's street homeless as part of the mayor's three-year "The Path Home" initiative. The press conference was held at the new Community Resource Center at 189 Market Street and was followed by a tour of customized medical mobile support unit trucks stationed outside with wellness and behavior health staff.

Invited speakers and partners represented the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), the Newark Alliance, the Newark Department of Public Safety, Bridges Outreach, Inc., and dignitaries from Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School, Department of Family Medicine and Department of Psychiatry; RWJ Barnabas Health; Bridges Outreach, Inc.; Collaborative Support Programs of New Jersey (CSPNJ); and NJ211.

"We are here to mark another milestone in Newark's 'The Path Home' initiative, which, to date, has introduced several new and innovative strategies that has helped reduce street homelessness. Today we celebrate one of those strategies, with an expanded staff and broader services for precise, responsive care for those without the safety and comfort of a roof over their head," said Mayor Baraka. "In politics and policy, we don't use the word 'love' much. But look around at the people gathered here, the medical and behavioral professionals, the addiction specialists, the outreach experts who lay the ground work for trust that becomes the path to housing. If you don't see love in this room, you won't see it anywhere."

"We know that our unsheltered Newark residents experience high rates of chronic disease, serious mental illness, and substance abuse. These conditions are further exacerbated by the persistent state of housing instability that many experience on our streets. Their highly complex needs demand a comprehensive housing and health care service approach," said Director Ulerio. "Under the leadership of Mayor Baraka, we are tackling this head on, by bringing services directly to those that need them most. We have enhanced street outreach efforts, introduced multi-disciplinary teams, expanded our reach, and deepened our collaboration. Today, with all of our partners, we stand together ready to respond to this urgent need."

The announcement comes on the tail of the two-year anniversary of the launch of Newark's "The Path Home," a data-driven, comprehensive plan developed with more than 100 public, private and non-profit partners, including those with lived experience, to end chronic homelessness in the city.

"The Department of Community Affairs is proud to support Newark's innovative and comprehensive approach to addressing homelessness," said Janel Winter, Assistant Commissioner of DCA, in a statement. "This expanded outreach program demonstrates the power of partnership between state and local government, healthcare providers, and community organizations. Newark's success in reducing its unsheltered population shows that with the right resources and coordination, we can make meaningful progress in helping our most vulnerable residents find stable housing and support services."

The program's newest measures include:

• New Clinical Downtown Metro Outreach Team, in partnership with Newark Alliance, with support from RWJ Barnabas Health, Maher Foundation, and Prudential Foundation to provide stabilizing psychiatric street treatment to unhoused residents in Newark's downtown, with the goal of connecting residents directly to housing and supports.
• Newly expanded 24/7 Outreach Program, comprised of a collaboration with Bridges Outreach, Inc. and CSPNJ staff, creating two new concurrent teams, to support 24/7 coverage. These highly trained outreach specialists engage persons experiencing homelessness, assist them in mobile case management, gaining shelter and medical checkups, and other treatments. They will serve the entire City and will also work with NJ Transit Police to address homelessness at Newark Transit stations.
• Expanded partnership with Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School, Department of Family Medicine and Department of Psychiatry to deploy additional mobile street medicine teams aimed to address medical, substance use, and mental health needs of unsheltered residents through cost-free, direct access to treatment and resources.
• Expanded Newark Office of Homeless Services Street Outreach Team with added Licensed Social Workers and Drug Counselors for high-level mobile case management reaching homeless persons where they are, and using this as the first step on their path back to housing.
• New Texting Hotline with NJ 211 allows anyone to text "PATH HOME" to 855-11 to report an unhoused person on Newark city streets who needs non-emergency assistance. The texts are received by outreach teams trained to approach and assist homeless individuals. They offer support and connect them with necessary services.

"The Newark Alliance is proud to help to expand access to critical services for unhoused residents in Newark's downtown Arts and Education District," said Newark Alliance CEO Evan Weiss. "Through the support of our partners, the MCJ Amelior Foundation, Port Newark Container Terminal, the Shipping Association of New York and New Jersey, RWJBarnabas Health, the Maher Foundation, and the Prudential Foundation, we are partnering with the City's Office of Homeless Services to facilitate the implementation of two innovative initiatives, the Downtown Metro Outreach Team and the 211 Path Home texting service. This collaboration demonstrates the power of cross-sector partnerships to address complex issues like homelessness. The Newark Alliance remains staunch in our commitment to partner with the City, Essex County, the State, and our Members to end chronic homelessness."

"We at Bridges are very excited to partner with the City Of Newark on this expansion, creating the first truly 24/7 street outreach program to engage with people experiencing homelessness in New Jersey," said Bridges Outreach President Richard J. Uniacke. "In April 2020, when we first began to have a team on the street from 3 to 11 p.m. every single night, our interactions were often about Covid and helping people get into non-congregate shelter. Over the past four years, we have helped hundreds of people experiencing homelessness in Newark to exit that experience and move into permanent housing. We very much look forward to what will be possible with teams now on the ground, around the clock, 365 days a year."

"Rutgers Health is excited and committed to providing comprehensive treatment to unhoused residents to support the City with the goal of ending chronic street homelessness in Newark," said Dr. Novneet Sahu, Interim Chair of Rutgers Health - New Jersey Medical School's Department of Family Medicine. "Through this initiative, Rutgers Health offers accessible clinical services, including the evaluation and treatment of substance abuse, mental health, and medical needs. Additionally, the program provides recovery support, counseling, and linkage to resources to ensure a holistic approach to care."

"RWJBarnabas Health is proud to be able to help support this enhanced collaborative outreach initiative through the integration of a psychiatric nurse practitioner into the Homeless Street Outreach team here in Newark," said Dr. Laura Budinick, Chief Administrative Officer, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children's Hospital of New Jersey, an RWJBarnabas Health facility. "At RWJBarnabas Health, our mission is to build and sustain a healthier New Jersey, and so we are privileged to be a part of this meaningful step forward for the City of Newark and our neighbors."

"The Newark Police Division is delighted to continue its support of the Office of Homelessness Services as it expands its essential services to support our residents without addresses," Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda said. "We sincerely appreciate the added expertise of their notable program partners, who are vitally important to our collective aim of ensuring that safety, shelter, and other fundamental services are available around the clock to reduce homelessness on our streets."

"We are proud to expand our services in the City of Newark by partnering with Bridges on this important initiative," said CSPNJ Chief Impact Officer Pamela Baker. "We provide empathetic and compassionate outreach in part by utilizing person-centered/person-first language. CSPNJ staff receive extensive training in areas such as trauma-informed care, de-escalation, and harm-reduction training, including identifying when/how to administer NARCAN. We also conduct training to explain the importance of low-barrier and Housing First to reinforce the best practices."

"I am someone who has been homeless, suffering from mental health conditions and substance use," said CSPNJ Wellness and Recovery Regional Coordinator for Hudson & Essex Lasheema Sanders-Edwards. "Outreach has personally empowered me to become an agent of change in my community. I have begun to foster social connections within my community, which has dramatically helped me as a peer by providing individualized support that extends beyond immediate service. The outreach teams who consistently dedicated their time to help empower me to seek services, and get the help I needed, is why I am here today. The key is the consistent outreach for those who have lost hope in services."

Nearly a year after the launch of "The Path Home," Newark achieved international recognition for a 57.6 percent reduction in its unsheltered homeless population by building trusting relationships with shelter-adverse residents and offering a wide range of services and solutions. Over the summer, Mayor Baraka and Director Ulerio were invited to the International Mayors' Council on Homelessness in Paris, where the Mayor signed a joint declaration, and spoke at a forum on pressing challenges, impactful tactics, and bringing mayoral perspectives into the United Nations agenda.

Additionally, at the vanguard of innovation, Mayor Baraka and Newark Housing Authority partnered this month to designate 200 public housing units as transitional housing for the city's chronically homeless. The city is investing capital funds for renovations and working with the Newark Housing Authority to activate the units for this new, exciting program. This initiative's first of 15 chronically homeless Newark residents recently transitioned from emergency shelters throughout the City of Newark to the newly renovated and furnished "Path Home" units.

For photos, click here.

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City of Newark, NJ