WESTAMPTON – Burlington County is preparing to begin construction on the county’s first emergency shelter at the existing Burlington County Human Services campus at 795 Woodlane Road.

Burlington County Commissioners celebrated today with a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of what will become a 60-bed emergency shelter for adults experiencing emerging housing needs. Officials from all levels of government attended, along with numerous social service providers.

A shelter in Burlington County is decades overdue and essential to ensure all residents have a safe and clean haven with easy access to services to help them transition to sustainable and stable permanent housing.

Burlington County commissioners held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of what will become a 60-bed emergency shelter for adults experiencing emerging housing needs. Officials from all levels of government attended, along with numerous social service providers. Pictured are Burlington County Attorney Ashley Buono, Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Dan O’Connell, State Rep. Herb Conaway, State Rep. Andrea Katz, Congressman Andy Kim, Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson, Burlington County Administrator Eve Cullinan, Commissioner of Burlington County Balvir Singh , Burlington County Commissioner Allison Eckel, State Senator Troy Singleton, Burlington County Department of Human Services Deputy Director Malikah Morris, Burlington County Department of Human Services Director Shirla Simpson. (Courtesy of Burlington County)

State Sen. Troy Singleton speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for Burlington County’s first emergency shelter. (Courtesy of Burlington County)

A rendering of the emergency shelter was shown at the ceremony. The shelter will be a free-standing, two-story, 33,792 square foot building immediately behind the existing human services building on the same campus as the Board of Social Services, County Housing Center, Job Center, Office of Services for Veterans, Office on Aging and Recovery. Center. (Courtesy of Burlington County)

Burlington County Congressman Andy Kim speaks during the opening ceremony for Burlington County’s first emergency shelter. (Courtesy of Burlington County)

Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson speaks during the opening ceremony for Burlington County’s first emergency shelter. (Courtesy of Burlington County)

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Burlington County commissioners held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of what will become a 60-bed emergency shelter for adults experiencing emerging housing needs. Officials from all levels of government attended, along with numerous social service providers. Pictured are Burlington County Attorney Ashley Buono, Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Dan O’Connell, State Rep. Herb Conaway, State Rep. Andrea Katz, Congressman Andy Kim, Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson, Burlington County Administrator Eve Cullinan, Commissioner of Burlington County Balvir Singh , Burlington County Commissioner Allison Eckel, State Senator Troy Singleton, Burlington County Department of Human Services Deputy Director Malikah Morris, Burlington County Department of Human Services Director Shirla Simpson. (Courtesy of Burlington County)

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“Burlington County will not ignore those in need or the most vulnerable who live among us. We are moving forward with a plan to create a safe haven for those people who need it, along with a clear path to services that can help them,” said Burlington County Commissioner Executive Felicia Hopson. “An emergency shelter is something this county has desperately needed for decades, and we are currently the only county in New Jersey of similar size without one. Building this emergency shelter is critical to the health, safety, dignity and well-being of all who live in Burlington County.”

Monarch Housing’s 2024 point-in-time count — which attempts to calculate the number of people experiencing homelessness in all New Jersey counties during a single day — provides a snapshot of the need that exists in the county. It revealed 1,005 people were homeless in Burlington County on Jan. 24, the day of the count, including 11 who were unsheltered.

Sixty-three percent of those counted were either black, Hispanic, or Latino (a significant difference considering those minorities make up only about 26% of the county’s total population), 37% reported having at least one disability, 11% reported being victims of domestic violence and 29% were homeless for a year or more.

A temporary, secure location for support

The emergency shelter will be a freestanding, two-story, 33,792 square foot building immediately behind the existing human services building on the same campus as the Council for Social Services, County Housing Center, Job Center, Office of Veterans Services, Office on Aging and Recovery Center. It will serve adult men and women facing an emerging housing crisis, providing them with places to sleep, hot meals, showers, laundry and bathrooms. Individuals will be assessed upon entry and paired with a case manager who will guide them through the services and programs needed to help them move into transitional or permanent housing.

The shelter is designed to be a temporary and safe location for individuals to receive the assistance they need. The building will have its own 24-hour security and medical triage and, based on the operations of similar facilities, is not expected to impact local police, fire or emergency services.

As an emergency shelter, the site can be used by the Office of Emergency Management and the American Red Cross if shelter is needed during a disaster affecting the county or region, such as the 2004 and 2019 floods.

This project is the result of several years of planning and discussions led by Hopson, who has championed the construction of a county shelter since first taking office in 2019.

Hopson worked with his fellow commissioners, County Administrator Eve Cullinan, Burlington County Human Services Director Shirla Simpson, Deputy Human Services Director Malikah Morris, Burlington County Engineer Joseph Brickley and Burlington County Construction Management Specialist Director Steven Stypinski , expert consultant Julia Orlando and architects from Netta Architects to draw up the plans for the shelter.

The county’s application to build and license the shelter was approved by the New Jersey Comptroller’s Office and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs earlier this summer, and commissioners approved the award of $18.3 million in construction contracts and $617,000 per month passed to Deandrea Construction Co. and M&M Construction Inc. respectively. The construction contract includes a project labor contract that requires union labor.

Construction of the new building is expected to take approximately 16 to 20 months.

Supported by grants and other funding sources

Burlington County received several grants in support of the shelter project. They include a $3 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, secured through a congressional appropriation requested by Congressman Andy Kim and Senator Cory Booker.

“As we continue to work to address issues of affordability and access to housing, we must also look after people’s immediate needs and uphold the basic right for everyone to have a roof over their head,” he said. Congressman Kim said. “Today’s groundbreaking is a culmination of incredible planning and leadership in Burlington County to address a long overdue community need. The first of its kind in Burlington, this shelter will not only take care of people’s safety, but also help them lead healthy and safe lives after they leave. I’m proud to have brought federal dollars back to put shovels in the ground and look forward to seeing this project through to completion.”

Nearly $600,000 in HUD funding for the project was also obtained through the County’s Community Development Grant.

Additionally, $2.83 million for the project was awarded through a special legislative grant sponsored by New Jersey Senator Troy Singleton as part of the fiscal year 2024 state budget.

“For decades, Burlington County has had to rely on a network of motels, churches, government and social service organizations to find, provide and finance temporary shelter for those in need,” said Senator Singleton. “But with this new homeless shelter, we will have a safe and secure place for our residents to go when life deals them the hardest hand. On completion, we will have a comprehensive social services campus where our most vulnerable residents can access the full range of services they need and need to move forward.”

The rest of the construction costs were included in the county’s capital plan and funding was approved by capital ordinance. Operating costs will be funded through the Homeless Trust which was established in 2019 and funded through registration fees collected by the county clerk’s office.

Addressing a need

The creation of an emergency shelter is the latest action taken by the county to address housing insecurity and homelessness.

The county’s first action was the opening of the Housing Hub within the Human Services Building. Launched in 2019, the Housing Hub provides a single point of entry for residents experiencing housing difficulties or homelessness to access support and advocacy services without having to navigate multiple different offices. Services Housing Hub has helped facilitate include: emergency hotel/motel housing, housing placement, mortgage assistance, rental assistance, security deposit assistance, transitional housing, substance use disorder assistance, and for utilities.

In 2023, Housing Hub assisted more than 2,800 clients to receive nearly 10,300 services.

In addition to Housing Hub services, the county has helped create much-needed affordable housing units in the county through its HOME Investment Partnership Program. Since 2019, the county has invested more than $2.16 million to create more than 422 affordable units.

“We’re working to address the root causes of housing insecurity and housing affordability to try to help residents early so they don’t become homeless,” Hopson said. “But at the same time, we must finally take that step to provide compassionate care to those living homeless or in unsafe conditions, providing them with clean, safe litter and a clear pathway to services. Building a shelter will address this need and help all of our communities, so we’re excited to be ready to take the next steps to make this a reality.”

Courtesy of Burlington County