By: Richard L. Smith
Nine people experiencing homelessness reportedly died across New Jersey during the state’s extreme heat between June 30 and July 4, according to the New Jersey Coalition to End Homelessness.
The coalition also said a reliable source indicated that an additional three or four people believed to be experiencing homelessness may have died inside overheated vehicles after seeking shelter there because they had nowhere else to go. Those reported deaths have not been independently confirmed by state officials.
The organization said the deaths reflect years of mounting challenges facing New Jersey’s homeless population, including soaring housing costs, emergency shelters operating at or above capacity, reduced funding for outreach programs, a shortage of affordable housing, and limited investment in homelessness prevention.
The New Jersey Coalition to End Homelessness, a statewide nonprofit founded in 2011, partners with more than 140 service providers, policymakers, and individuals with lived experience to strengthen the state’s response to homelessness through advocacy, education, and policy initiatives.
“We must be spending more money to invest in preventing the next mass casualty event,” said Connie Mercer, CEO of the New Jersey Coalition to End Homelessness. “Housing saves lives. Outreach saves lives. Cooling centers save lives. Shelter saves lives. Everyone needs to demand more from their local, county and state officials because New Jersey is better than this.”
The coalition is calling on state, county, and local leaders to increase investments in affordable housing, emergency shelter, outreach services, cooling centers, and homelessness prevention programs to help prevent similar tragedies during future periods of extreme weather.