The Trenton Times published the following article on January 30, 2014. To read the full article, click here.
Several agencies perform 24-hour survey of homeless in all NJ counties
By Cristina Rojas/The Times of Trenton
on January 30, 2014 at 6:30 AM, updated January 30, 2014 at 6:35 AMAmid blustery winds and bitter temperatures, teams of volunteers fanned out across the city this week, walking up and down streets, and checking train stations and highway underpasses as part of the annual count of the homeless population.
The teams, made up mostly of employees of social service agencies, began 10 p.m. Tuesday and continued in shifts through last night.
“This is the day when the homeless aren’t invisible in Trenton,” said Ben Thornton, director of outreach services for Anchor House, a city shelter for children.
“They have people who want to talk to them and sometimes, I think, that goes a long way.”
While the Department of Housing and Urban Development requires that a census be conducted every two years as a condition of receiving federal money, the state annually keeps tabs on the homeless to be able to provide for their basic needs.
This was a HUD-mandated count, and it extended to all 21 counties in New Jersey.