WESTAMPTON – Burlington County is preparing to start construction on the county’s first-ever emergency shelter on the existing Burlington Couty Human Service campus at 795 Woodlane Road. The Burlington County Commissioners celebrated today with a groundbreaking ceremony on the site of what will become a 60-bed emergency shelter for adults experiencing emergent housing needs. Officials from all levels of government, along with numerous social service providers attended. A Burlington County shelter is decades overdue and essential for ensuring all residents have a safe, clean refuge with easy access to services to help them transition into sustainable and stable permanent housing. The Burlington County Commissioners held a groundbreaking ceremony on the site of what will become a 60-bed emergency shelter for adults experiencing emergent housing needs. Officials from all levels of government, along with numerous social service providers attended. Pictured are Burlington County Solicitor Ashley Buono, Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Dan O’Connell, State Assemblyman Herb Conaway, State Assemblywoman Andrea Katz, Congressman Andy Kim, Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson, Burlington County Administrator Eve Cullinan, Burlington County Commissioner 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 Senator Troy Singleton speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for Burlington County’s first-ever emergency shelter. (Courtesy of Burlington County)A rendering of the emergency shelter was displayed at the ceremony. The shelter will be a standalone 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 Hub, Job Center, Office of Veterans Services, Office on Aging and Recovery Center. (Courtesy of Burlington County)Burlington County Congressman Andy Kim speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for Burlington County’s first emergency shelter. (Courtesy of Burlington County)Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for Burlington County’s first-ever emergency shelter. (Courtesy of Burlington County)Show Caption1 of 5The Burlington County Commissioners held a groundbreaking ceremony on the site of what will become a 60-bed emergency shelter for adults experiencing emergent housing needs. Officials from all levels of government, along with numerous social service providers attended. Pictured are Burlington County Solicitor Ashley Buono, Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Dan O’Connell, State Assemblyman Herb Conaway, State Assemblywoman Andrea Katz, Congressman Andy Kim, Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson, Burlington County Administrator Eve Cullinan, Burlington County Commissioner 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)Expand “Burlington County will not ignore those in need or the most vulnerable living amongst us. We’re moving forward with a plan to create a safe haven for those individuals who need it, along with a clear pathway to services that can assist them,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “An emergency shelter is something this county has desperately needed for decades, and we are currently the only New Jersey county of similar size without one. Building this emergency shelter is essential to the health, safety, dignity and wellbeing of everyone who resides in Burlington County.” The 2024 Point in Time Count from Monarch Housing – which seeks to count the number of people living homeless in all New Jersey counties during a single day — provides a snapshot of the need that exists in the county. It revealed that 1,005 individuals were homeless in Burlington County on January 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 disparity given that 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% had been homeless for a year or longer. A temporary, safe location for assistance The emergency shelter will be a standalone 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 Hub, Job Center, Office of Veterans Services, Office on Aging and Recovery Center. It will serve adult men and women experiencing an emergent housing crisis, providing them sleeping accommodations, warm meals, showers, laundry facilities, and bathrooms. Individuals will be assessed on 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, 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 operations of similar facilities, it is not expected to have an impact on local police, fire or emergency services. As an emergency shelter, the site may be used by the Office of Emergency Management and the American Red Cross if sheltering is required during a disaster impacting the county or region, such as the floods witnessed in 2004 and 2019. This project is the result of several years of planning and discussions led by Hopson, who had championed building a County shelter since first taking office in 2019. Hopson worked with her fellow Commissioners, County Administrator Eve Cullinan, Burlington County Department of Human Services Director Shirla Simpson, Department of Human Services Deputy Director Malikah Morris, Burlington County Engineer Joseph Brickley and Director of the Burlington County Construction Management Specialist Steven Stypinski, expert consultant Julia Orlando and architects from Netta Architects to develop 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 the Commissioners approved awarding an $18.3 million construction and $617,000 construction management contracts last month to Deandrea Construction Co. and M&M Construction Inc. respectively. The construction contract includes a project labor agreement requiring union labor. Construction of the new building is expected to take approximately 16 to 20 months. Supported through grants and other funding sources Burlington County has received multiple grants in support of the shelter project. These include a $3 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development secured through a congressional earmark requested by Congressman Andy Kim and Senator Cory Booker. “As we continue working to address affordability and housing access issues, we must also look after people’s immediate needs and uphold the basic right for everyone to have a roof over their head,” said Congressman Kim. “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 just look after people’s safety, but also help set them up for healthy and secure lives after they leave. I am proud to have brought federal dollars back to get shovels in the ground and look forward to seeing this project through to its completion.” Close to $600,000 in HUD funding for the project was also obtained through the County’s Community Development Block Grant. An additional $2.83 million for the project was awarded by a special legislative grant championed by New Jersey Senator Troy Singleton as part of the 2024 Fiscal Year 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 fund temporary shelter for those in need,” said Senator Singleton. “But with this new homeless shelter, we will have a safe, secure place for our residents to go when life has dealt them the most difficult hand. Upon completion, we will have a full social services campus where our most vulnerable residents can access the comprehensive services they require and need to move forward.” The remainder of the construction costs were included in the county’s capital plan and funding was approved by capital ordinance. The operating costs will be funded through the Homelessness Trust that was established in 2019 and funded through recording fees collected by the County Clerk’s office. Addressing a need Creation of an emergency shelter is the latest action taken by the County to address the issues of housing insecurity and homelessness. The County’s first action was to open the Housing Hub within the Human Services Building. Launched in 2019, the Housing Hub provides a single point of entry for residents experiencing housing hardships or homelessness to go for supportive services and advocacy without having to navigate several different offices. Among the services the Housing Hub has helped facilitate are: emergency sheltering in hotels/motels, housing placement, mortgage assistance, rental assistance, security deposit assistance, transitional housing, substance use disorder assistance and utility assistance. In 2023, the Housing Hub assisted more than 2,800 clients to receive nearly 10,300 services. In addition to the services offered by the Housing Hub, the County has helped create much-needed affordable housing units in the county with its HOME investment Partnership Program. Since 2019, the County has invested more than $2.16 million towards the creation of over 422 affordable units. “We are working to address the root causes of housing insecurity and housing affordability to try to help residents early, so they don’t lose housing,” said Hopson. “But at the same time, we need to finally take this step to provide some compassionate care for those who are living unsheltered or in unsafe conditions by giving them a clean, safe refuse and a clear path to services. Building a shelter will address that need and aid all our communities, so we are excited to be ready to take the next steps to make it a reality.” Courtesy of Burlington County