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Tally of N.J.'s homeless turns up background stories

In Burlington County, four people were living in a pop-up trailer with no heat, one woman lost her home through a divorce, and another woman got kicked out of the house where she was living with her boyfriend.

In Burlington County, four people were living in a pop-up trailer with no heat, one woman lost her home through a divorce, and another woman got kicked out of the house where she was living with her boyfriend.

These stories, and many others, were told to advocates for the homeless since early Wednesday, as volunteers in seven out of 21 of New Jersey's counties visited shelters, wooded encampments, and the streets to conduct the annual "Point in Time" survey.

The survey every January tries to count how many homeless live in each county. Normally, all counties participate in the same 24-hour period. Amid forecasts that a blizzard could dump two feet of snow, many county officials called off the survey Monday night.

The blizzard never happened, and roads were clear. Those counties that canceled, including Camden and Gloucester, will reschedule, said Kate Kelly of Monarch Housing Associates, a Cranford-based nonprofit that compiles the state survey.

"People were concerned about the safety of the volunteers and whether the roads would be open," Kelly said.

In Burlington County, volunteers worked throughout the day to find the homeless and offer services, including flu vaccines. The county has long had a shortage of housing for the homeless. Efforts to build a shelter in Lumberton ran into problems, and officials are now looking for a new location, said Madelyn Mears-Sheldon, executive director of the Browns Mills Christian Caring Center.

"We're not going to stop until we get our facility," Mears-Sheldon said. "There are a lot of people falling through the cracks."

This week, with temperatures in the teens, counties across the state declared a Code Blue. That forced communities to open emergency shelters, including bus depots, churches, and other centers with heated areas.

Last year's survey documented 13,900 homeless people, a 16 percent increase over 2013. Kelly said the overall homeless rate is expected to be about the same this year, although the number of people in shelters may increase because of the cold weather.

Last year's survey found the biggest reasons for homelessness were being forced to leave a shared residence (20.4 percent), loss or reduction of job income or benefits (18.3 percent), and eviction (14.4 percent).

Burlington - with 1,660 homeless people - Essex, and Union Counties each had 12 percent of New Jersey's homeless population, which was the highest percentage throughout the state.

Camden County had 5 percent (654 homeless people) of the state's homeless. Gloucester County had 4 percent (585).

Atlantic County had 4 percent of the state's homeless. There were 546, a 27 percent decrease since 2013, which officials said was the result of finding homes for many of those displaced by Hurricane Sandy.

This week, as volunteers visited shelters, soup kitchens, and outdoor areas, they heard a variety of reasons why people were homeless, said Beth Joseph, director of communications at Jewish Family Service, the lead agency for Atlantic County's Homeless Alliance Program.

There are still many without homes because of Sandy, and, Joseph said, volunteers were also meeting former workers who lost their jobs when four casinos closed.

By midafternoon, more than 250 people had picked up supplies at a Salvation Army outlet, where 15 organizations had volunteers handing out hats, coats, gloves, scarves, and toiletries.

Volunteers also helped the homeless determine whether they were eligible for benefits, including Social Security, unemployment, or veterans' benefits. While bus depots were available as warming centers, others were using the Boardwalk or wooded areas for shelter.