Middlesex County creates trust fund for homeless

[Star Ledger]

Middlesex County creates trust fund for homeless
By Tom Haydon/The Star-Ledger
December 13, 2009, 7:15AM
MIDDLESEX COUNTY -- Buy a home and help the homeless.

More than 77,000 mortgages, deeds and other papers have come into the Middlesex County clerk’s office so far this year.

Next year it will cost $3 more to file each of those documents, a surcharge designed to generate more than $250,000 annually to fight homelessness.

County freeholders last week created a homelessness trust fund using a state law enacted in September.

Advocates say the money will supplement federal programs that provide funds to get homeless people into housing but don’t pay for related services needed to keep them there.

"The federal philosophy right now is housing first, get people in the housing," said Thomas Seilheimer, Middlesex County executive director of human services. "Unfortunately, homelessness is more of a family issue," he said.

Funds from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development cover costs for shelter but not services job training, education, substance abuse, mental health, or divorce counseling.

"Most of the homeless money we get in is from HUD, and they just want to do bricks and mortar. Ours is tied with traditional family services that are needed," County Social Services Director Bridget Stillwell Kennedy said,

County officials expect the surcharge to bring in more than $250,000 a year, an estimate based on documents filed to the county clerk over the last 18 months. That was a slow period during the ongoing recession. An economic recovery with more property sales would bring more fees, officials said.

Middlesex is the third county establishing the trust fund, following days behind Passaic and Union counties, said Staci Bergen, policy director for the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey.

Other counties are expected to create similar homeless trusts.

Counties and cities in 10 other states, including Philadelphia, already have similar trust funds, Bergen said.

In New Jersey, counties must have a 10-step plan to address homelessness before establishing a fund. Middlesex County created its plan in 2008.

http://www.nj.com/news/local/index.ssf/2009/12/middlesex_county_creates_trust.html

[Guest]

another tax. more taking of my money to give to somebody else who didn't earn it.

[Guest]

[Guest]

Imagine that you before you are born, you are handed the task of designing the welfare system of the US. Knowing that you have equal chance of being born in a very poor family or in a very rich family, what would you do?

[Guest]

Actually, I agree with this tax, but disagree on how it works. I'd prefer the tax be allocated to the Food Banks and shelters to support the homeless.

[Homephobia]

Sounds like a particularly worthy endeavor.

If only goverment could be trusted to do the right thing with the money.

[Guest]

Invoking John Rawls is an interesting approach, Guest. I'd fear being rich and having to pay for an inefficient, corrupt system that does little to incentivize those on welfare to better their positions. I'd fear being poor and facing those obvious challenges. Gotta think on this some more, but my first impulse is to say that we resurrect a culture that valued both hard work and concern for one's neighbor when he/she is down on their luck.

[iamawino]

How about the people, food banks were mentioned.

During our Christmas Spectacular on Main Street we are collecting non perishable food that is going straight to the 5 local food banks, no government intervention here! Our collections over the last two weeks quite honestly have been extremely disappointing. Compared to last year at this point we have not even collected 1/10th of what we had last year in the same period.

I realize times are tough all around and there are many charities that people support especially during the holidays but for those who are able, please, please help, there are so many who are desperate to be able to provide a holiday meal to their family.

Collection bins are located in the front of our property. 128 North Main Street Cranbury.

Thank you, Keith

[Guest]

[Guest]

[Guest]

[charity]

I am not sure what your advocating. Are you saying that there should be more taxes so there are more government programs? If so, then you do realize that evidence shows we'll be hurting our own charities where the money is going to the needs of the people. While I think our government should do more by realigning where things go, I don't think an increase or more programs are the solution.

The fact is that socialist countries find that personal giving is much much less than in the U.S. or even U.K. and that in those countries private charities are bleeding badly. The reason being that the individual view is that the government runs the programs and therefore there is little need for private donations.

Americans give sums to charity equivalent to 1.67 percent of G.N.P. The British are second, with 0.73 percent, while the French are at 0.14 percent.


Some interesting reading...
http://www.philanthrocapitalism.net/about/synopsis/

[Guest]

[Guest]

Always fun to watch this forum go off the rails. I fail to see what any of this has to do with Cranbury. If you want to argue conservative versus liberal social welfare, there are literally hundreds of sites you can visit and bloviate to your hearts content. Why can't this site concentrate on Cranbury issues?

[Guest]

[publius]