(BRIDGETON, NJ)—Dr. Robin Weinstein, President of the M25 Initiative and Convener of the Cumberland County Housing First Collaborative, and Mr. Ralph Padilla, CEO of PRAC of New Jersey, today announced that the Collaborative is seeking landlords of rental properties in Cumberland County that are interested in housing one or more of the 42 chronically homeless that will be placed in permanent supportive housing by September 30, 2017.  
 
“The Cumberland County Housing First Collaborative (CCHFC) is a unique consortium of social service organizations, faith-based institutions, and government officials committed to tackling the problem of chronic homelessness in Cumberland County,” said Dr. Weinstein. “The individuals in our program are working hard to turn their lives around and are in need of a second chance.  By partnering with us, landlords have the unique opportunity to help end homelessness in Cumberland County with guaranteed income for rent and support through the partners in the Collaborative.”
 
The guiding agency of this collaborative is the M25 Initiative, a nonprofit organization based in Bridgeton, which also facilitates the grassroots Cumberland County Code Blue Coalition. The other partners of the collaborative include Gateway Community Action Partnership, PRAC of New Jersey, Resources for Independent Living, and CompleteCare. The collaborative is operating in partnership with the Cumberland County Jail, Inspira Health Network, and Monarch Housing. PRAC of New Jersey is responsible for the housing engagement duties of the Collaborative.
 
“We have received a major grant from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs which provides us with 42 housing vouchers that we can use to find homes for the individuals who we can identify and process,” said Ralph Padilla. “These housing vouchers enable us to target Cumberland County’s chronically homeless individuals and place them in quality housing. Our clients are committed to succeeding, and we are committed to helping them succeed.  Yet, we cannot do it alone – landlords literally hold the key to our clients’ futures.”
 
The incentives for landlords to partner with the Collaborative include:

• Eliminate advertising costs.  Working with the Collaborative gives landlords access to a pool of ready-to-rent tenants.  Just call PRAC when a unit is vacant, and they will quickly match the landlord up with a client that is looking for housing.
• “Smart” renters. The clients have attended training on such topics as personal budgeting, understanding rental agreements, housekeeping and general apartment maintenance, being a good neighbor, etc. 
• Rent Payments through the State. Clients in the Housing First Program are required to pay to the landlord 20% of their income toward their rent. The remaining amount of rent payments are sent through the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
• Problem prevention through regular home visits.  Our case managers conduct regular home visits to ensure that clients are stabilized in their new environments, that their jobs are going well, and that they are getting the support they need.  Regular follow up with clients allows us to identify and address potential problems early on – before they become irreparable.
• Clients are attached to needed services.  Some clients have special needs, but the Collaborative works with the clients on an ongoing basis to make sure they have the support they need to succeed.  The Collaborative works with clients to correct past mistakes and prevent future problems, and through their network of partners, clients have access to an array of supportive services.

 
“Despite the best efforts, problems are sometimes inevitable.  However, when problems arise, it can be reassuring to know that there is someone to call.  We care as much about our relationship with our landlords as we do our clients” said Padilla.
 
“Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to live.  Some people make mistakes, but everyone deserves a second chance.  By helping house our clients, you are playing an integral role not only in helping individuals take charge of their lives, but also in making your community a better place to live,” concluded Weinstein.
 
Landlords that are interested in learning more about this program should contact PRAC of NJ and speak with Ralph Padilla or Rick Ortiz at (856) 982-6004/(856) 299-5800 ext. 14 or they can email eortiz@pracnj.com. For more information on the Collaborative, please visit: www.endhomelessness2020.com.

TEN WAYS TO HELP END HOMELESSNESS IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY, NJ!

1. DONATE MONEY. A donation of any amount is appreciated to help support the transition of people experiencing homelessness. A donation of $10 per month would greatly assist our efforts in ending chronic homelessness in Cumberland County. Here are some examples of where your donation can go:
   • Provide a new full-size bed (frame, mattress, box spring)- $300
   • Provide an Apartment Starter Kit- $145
   • Provide one night of transitional housing- $50
2. PROVIDE WELCOME HOME KITS. Gather about 6-8 people to collect new or gently used items to equip our homeless neighbor’s new home and then help with the move-in preparations.
3. ADOPT-A-HOMELESS. Your group (church, company, club, etc.) can provide a supportive community to people experiencing homelessness as they are transitioning from homelessness to getting their lives on a firm footing.
4. GIFT CARDS. You can donate $25 gift cards to Walmart or local supermarkets which will be distributed by the Housing First Collaborative on a weekly basis to help get our clients stabilized.
5. CLOTHING.  The lack of clean, well-fitting clothes and shoes causes great hardship beyond exposure to the elements—it hurts one's self-image and one's chance to get ahead.  People experiencing homelessness must travel light, with few opportunities to safely store or adequately clean what they can't carry. On job interviews, a poorly dressed person has little chance for success. Give your clean clothes to those who could use them. For more information on clothing donations, please visit: www.faithinactioncentral.com.
6. RAISE FUNDS FOR THE M25 INITIATIVE. Ask your group to abstain from one meal and donate the proceeds to M25. Sponsor a benefit concert or coffee house featuring local musicians and poets (Don’t forget to include homeless and formerly homeless performers!). Organize a walk-a-thon or a yard sale and donate the proceeds. Start a crowdfunding site (e.g. Razoo, GoFundMe) to donate to the M25 (for more information on the best sites go to: https://www.youcaring.com/blog/2013/which-fundraising-site-has-the-lowest-fees). Attend our annual October Fundraising Breakfast and March Sock Hop (www.m25events.com).
7. FOLLOW LOCAL POLITICS AND EDUCATE YOUR LEADERS. Attend neighborhood and public meetings and speak up in favor of low-income housing, group homes, shelters, and homelessness prevention programs. Organize site visits for political leaders and the media to visit local homeless programs to highlight ways that your community is successfully addressing the many problems associated with homelessness. Write letters to the editor and editorials on the topic of homelessness.
8. MENTOR. You can help those experiencing homelessness by training individuals for employment.
9. JOB OPPORTUNITIES. Encourage your company, school, or place of worship to hire people experiencing homelessness (if they are not already working). Most unemployed homeless adults desperately want to work, but need an employer to give them a chance. 
10. SMILE. Whether or not you choose to give, please don’t look away from homeless people as if they do not exist.  Making eye contact, saying a few words, or smiling can reaffirm the humanity of a person at a time when homelessness seems to have stripped it away.

For more information, please click here!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 27, 2017
CONTACT: Dr. Robin Weinstein (1-844-M25 HOPE)
 
STATEMENT ON 2017 HOMELESS POINT IN TIME SURVEY FOR CUMBERLAND COUNTY
Surveys shows an increase of Homelessness in Cumberland County of 7.9%
 
(BRIDGETON, NJ)—Dr. Robin Weinstein, President & Founder of the M25 Initiative and Co-Founder of the Cumberland County Code Blue Coalition, today released the following statement concerning the 2017 Point-In-Time Survey for Cumberland County, NJ:
 
“The information gathered from the Point-In-Time survey is invaluable to policy makers and those on the front lines of combatting homelessness in New Jersey. The results give us a snapshot of our successes and challenges in ending homelessness in our generation. The data from the survey underscores the importance and value of the Cumberland County Code Blue Coalition and the urgency of the work of the Cumberland County Housing First Collaborative to end chronic homelessness by 2020 in our area. 
 
“The survey is a snap-shot of the homelessness problem in our community because it represents the minimum number of persons who experience homelessness in Cumberland County on a given night. Coupled with other data sources, the findings demonstrate a real crisis for Cumberland County. While New Jersey had an overall decrease of 4.6% in the number of homeless individuals from 2016, Cumberland County saw an increase of 7.9%.
 
“The report demonstrates that because of the grassroots volunteer-based Code Blue Coalition, along with other community and government services, the number of homeless individuals who utilized emergency shelters increased by 67.2%. This is a significant increase showing increased access to emergency shelters through Code Blue, which reduces the number of individuals who must face the winter elements on the streets overnight. The data proves the life-saving need and value of the Code Blue program and the work of our volunteers who make it possible. The report also indicates improvement in the number of homeless veterans with a reduction of 20%.
 
“The increasing numbers of homeless individuals in our area is not only a moral failure, but has fiscal implications to our public institutions such as our jails and hospitals. A chronically homeless individual can cost taxpayers between $30,000-$40,000 per year to remain unsheltered. The Cumberland County Housing First Collaborative was formed to combat this moral and fiscal crisis by working to shelter 42 chronically homeless individuals by September 30th of this year.
 
“I applaud the Cumberland County Freeholders for instituting the Homeless Trust Fund, the work of our volunteers in the Code Blue Program, and the partnership of the Housing First Collaborative. Coupled with the work of other nonprofit partners, I am confident that Cumberland County has the resolve and compassion necessary to not only combat the homeless epidemic, but to end it! We need to address the problem holistically through prevention, triage, stabilization, and rehabilitation. The solution to homelessness is a home. We have made progress, but we have great work ahead. We will do what is hard and achieve what is great. Together, we will end homelessness in Cumberland County by 2020.”
 
For more information on the Point In Time Survey, please visit: https://monarchhousing.org/endinghomelessness/njcounts/. For more information on the Cumberland County Code Blue Program, please visit: www.codeblueccnj.org. For more information on the Cumberland County Housing First Collaborative, please visit: www.endhomelessness2020.com.
 
The M25 Initiative is a 501c3 non-profit in Cumberland County, NJ created for the sole purpose of engaging, equipping, empowering, and mobilizing the local church and faith-based organizations to employ innovative and cooperative solutions to alleviate suffering, feed the hungry, end poverty, reduce crime, revitalize a spirit community and transform lives!
 
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