From "Your Views" in today's Record.
Columnist Lawrence Aaron ("Another tough break for Bergen's homeless," Other Views, Nov. 17) raises our awareness about the crisis for homeless people in our community, especially those who are hardest to reach because of addictions or undertreated mental illnesses.
Aaron discusses Peter's Place at Christ Church in Hackensack. Peter's Place provides more than 40 percent of the available beds for Bergen County's homeless during the winter, including the only ones available without restrictions. It is threatened with closure for at least apart of the winter due to the potential loss of a Community Development Block Grant that we have received for a decade. The reason: The Hackensack City Council refuses to provide the required endorsement.
Several points need clarification.
Aaron suggests that we simply replace public funds with private donations. The Episcopal Diocese of Newark has provided an average of $25,000 each year, over $250,000 since Peter's Place opened. Trinity Church in New York, Episcopal Relief and Development and Central Presbyterian Church in Summit have given multiyear grants of $100,000 or more. Many houses of worship, businesses, community groups and individual donors contribute generously to Peter's Place. Most important, hundreds of faithful volunteers help us keep our costs at a minimum.
Aaron suggests that we have duped the city officials regarding our acquisition of the Social Security Administration building on Sussex Street, which the federal government has awarded us for $1. Hackensack was the first to be notified of its availability and apparently did nothing.
When the new city administration expressed concern, we met with then-Mayor Marlin Townes and Councilman Jorge Meneses to assure them of our readiness to work with city and county officials to determine how we might best use the building.
We continue to expand our pool of private donors, but we, like most charitable organizations, count on public funding. Our effort to secure alternative funds does not change the fact that, with the stroke of a pen, the Hackensack City Council can release $46,000 in federal funding. City protests that Hackensack bears too great a burden do not change the fact that 60 percent of our guests were residents of Hackensack when they became homeless.
The promise of a new 100-bed shelter does not change the fact that in April there were 780 homeless adults in Bergen County (up 42.8 percent from last year), plus another 218 adults and 389 children in homeless families.
Aaron is correct that we all need to do more. If each of us were to spend a night on the street, perhaps we would be more motivated to act on behalf of those who have no other option.
We stand ready to work with elected officials, the business community and our partner organizations to find solutions to end homelessness.
William C. Parnell
Hackensack, Nov. 20
The writer is rector of Christ Church and president of Christ Church Community Development Corp.
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I want to commend Lawrence Aaron for his column on the indifference of Hackensack to the homeless ("Another tough break for Bergen's homeless," Other Views, Nov. 17).
Because the city will not approve a $46,000 block grant, Peter's Place at Christ Church in Hackensack must close down for the winter beginning Dec. 31. Winter is approaching. I wonder where these people will find warmth and comfort.
I commend also the Interreligious Fellowship for helping to raise funds to feed and shelter the homeless. I recently read that it is sponsoring a concert to benefit the homeless in Bergen.
I don't want to read articles identifying homeless victims of winter dying in the streets or by the Hackensack River. Construction of a 100-bed shelter is just not moving fast enough to save some very needy souls.
Roselyn Altman
Hackensack, Nov. 20
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I have a problem with Lawrence Aaron characterization of Hackensack's "haphazard homeless shelter scheme" ("Another tough break for Bergen's homeless," Other Views, Nov. 17).
This is not a city problem and should not be described as such. Many of the homeless in Hackensack are not former Hackensack residents. They are now, by virtue of the clustering of all homeless problems in the city.
Before homeless shelters existed, Hackensack was a target for the homeless due to being the only town in the county with a 24-hour bus terminal. I can attest to this. When I was a police officer in Hackensack, we would catch police from neighboring towns "delivering" them to the bus terminal in the wee hours of the morning. The homeless would then roam the already struggling business district, causing problems for the already dwindling shoppers and merchants.
Now Christ Church is attempting to bring it full circle by trying to operate a homeless shelter one block from Main Street and the Justice Complex. Where will the homeless be during the day? Right back on Main Street.
Aaron describes the homeless as "unfortunate." However, my experience indicates most either have contributed to their situations or are people with mental illness and were hospitalized before the concept of "community mental health" was born.
Hackensack has suffered enough as a "victim" of the homeless problem. One solution would be for the county to make up the shortfall of funding for Peter's Place. This could be accomplished by diverting money spent putting signs with the county executive's name on everything owned by the county and giving it to Peter's Place.
Robert J. Doherty
River Edge, Nov. 17
