Monarch Housing Associates

Our Vision: Every person will have quality affordable, permanent housing that fosters freedom, independence and community integration.

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Homelessness and Housing Affordability Connection

Renters on Bottom Rung of Rental Ladder Risk Falling Into Homelessness if Rents Increase Even Slightly Communities where people spend more than 32 percent of their income on rent can expect a more rapid increase in homelessness. This trend is according to new Zillow-sponsored research on the size and root causes of the nation’s homelessness challenge. The research also estimates that the scale of homelessness nationwide has been under-counted by roughly 115,000 people, or 20 percent. This research demonstrates that the homeless population climbs faster when rent affordability – the share of income people spent on rent – crosses certain thresholds. In many areas beyond those thresholds, even modest rent increases can push thousands more Americans into homelessness. Income growth has not kept pace with rents, leading to an affordability crunch with cascading effects that, for people on the bottom economic rung, increases the risk of homelessness. https://youtu.be/jWOYSQ_6Juk Rising Rents and Homelessness in America Read the full article

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Analysis of Healthcare Utilization Post-Housing

NJHMFA’s Program Encourages Hospitals to Invest Healthcare Savings in Affordable Housing A new analysis published by CSH titled, Supportive Housing & Healthcare Utilization Outcomes State of the Literature, outlines the scope of twenty-five studies published between 2002 and 2017 that make connections between housing and the health needs of vulnerable populations. This report was created with the intent of informing supportive housing and healthcare providers with the overarching details and findings across the studies which report on housing as healthcare. The researchers found that the most frequently utilized metrics included Emergency Room (ER) visits and inpatient stays, with hospital bed days, outpatient stays, and ambulance trips referenced less often in the studies. The impact of these measures was that after one year in supportive housing, reductions were found for ER visits, inpatient stays, hospital bed days and ambulance trips.

Supportive Housing & Healthcare Utilization Outcomes State of the Literature With regard to cost benefits, CSH notes that based on the studies reviewed, there is both cost avoidance and cost savings with reduction in service usage with supportive housing tenants. The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency recently announced a $12 million innovation partnership program with hospitals. Through this initiative, hospitals are invited to match the investment in affordable housing in the communities they serve. Read the full article

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Homelessness in America: Focus on Youth

41,000 Unaccompanied Youth Experienced Sheltered and Unsheltered Homelessness in January 2017 Homelessness in America: Focus on Youth shares data insights on unaccompanied youth homelessness, patterns of homelessness among youth experiencing homelessness, and risk factors that are associated with youth homelessness. The report released by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) utilizes a series of data sources such as the 2017 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, the U.S. Department of Education school district data, Homelessness Management and Information System Data, and literature review to provide a comprehensive overview of homelessness among youth and young adults in the U.S. According to the report, approximately 41,000 unaccompanied youth were experiencing sheltered and un-sheltered homelessness in January 2017. Young adults are more likely to experience un-sheltered homelessness as opposed to adults. Unaccompanied youth are also more likely to “couch surf” (staying for a brief period with a friend and family members). The 2015-2016 school year data showed a 25% increase in the number of students experiencing homelessness from the 2013-2014 school year. Students experiencing homelessness were more likely to have low performance in school and tended to have negative experiences while attending school. Youth fall into homelessness for many reasons such as: Read the full article

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Supportive Housing: Renewing Our Commitment

Permanent Supportive Housing A Primary Intervention for Individuals with Complex Needs That Deserves Sufficient Resources The Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC)’s Executive Director Kevin Martone reminded us in a recent blog post that “Permanent Supportive Housing Works.” In his blog post, Kevin wrote about the Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey’s annual conference. “This gathering marked the association’s 20th anniversary, an opportunity to reflect on two decades of work to make permanent supportive housing — i.e., lease-based housing paired with voluntary, flexible services — a primary intervention for people with a wide range of disabilities and for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Many other states, too, have invested time and resources in the successful expansion of this approach for their homeless and disabled populations.” Kevin reminded us that even though The New York Times had recently written about negative stories about how supportive housing hadn’t worked for people with serious mental illness, “Strong evidence nevertheless suggests that people with serious mental illness can succeed in PSH, and that use of the model should indeed be expanded. But there are considerations that must be addressed to ensure that PSH meets the needs of the people it is intended to serve.”

Kevin Martone But we do know that many people living with serious mental illness have stabilized and rebuild their lives living in supportive housing. “There is plenty of evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of PSH for people with mental illness and for people transitioning from homelessness. Many PSH programs have shown increased housing stability, decreased emergency department and inpatient use, reduced jail days, and significant cost savings compared to homelessness, inpatient care, and other institutional or supervised settings.” And available services are key in supportive housing. “In order for PSH to be successful, particularly for persons with complex needs, services must be voluntary, flexible, responsive, robust, and comprehensive. Furthermore, they must be delivered by well-trained staff who are able to provide the right types of services, in the right locations (i.e., where people live), and at the right times, adapting what is offered to meet individuals’ evolving needs. Providers that struggle to adequately support people in PSH are often those with inadequate staffing, which makes them unable to respond quickly and appropriately.” Kevin writes about all of the reasons that supportive housing is a much better alternative to the days when those with serious mental illness were institutionalized. "With sufficient resources to pay for both rental assistance and robust, flexible services, permanent supportive housing can be a primary intervention for individuals with complex needs. Systems should move forward on bringing well-designed, fully funded permanent supportive housing to scale, so that all who can benefit from living in safe, independent, community-integrated housing have the opportunity to do so.” Kevin Martone's Blog Post NY Times Article Read the full article

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Newark Jersey City Opportunity Zones Top Ranked

National study Ranked 8,000 Opportunity Zones The LOCUS National Opportunity Zone Ranking Report, first of its kind, ranks each of the designated Opportunity Zones based on its Smart Growth Potential (SGP) as well as Social Equity + Vulnerability Index score. Newark had Opportunity Zones in both categories and Jersey City was listed in one. Read the full article

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Homeless Memorial Day Vigil Union County

Interfaith Community Gathers to Remember the Homeless Neighbors we have Lost On December 20. 2018, at 7:00 p.m., a group of non-profit agencies and interfaith congregations gathered at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Plainfield for the third annual Homeless Persons’ Memorial Vigil. This event, which is open to the public, is held on the eve of the day with the least amount of daylight and the longest night, December 21. This day has been chosen as a time to remember all homeless people who died on the cold streets or living in dangerous abandoned buildings during the past year due to their lack of shelter or care. The Vigil in Union County comes on the heels of a successful third annual Homeless Sabbath Weekend held across Union County held December 14-16, 2018. Speakers at the Vigil included. Father Angelo Wildgoose, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Plainfield Father Anthony Randazzo, Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church, Westfield Rabbi Joel Abraham, Temple Sholom, Scotch Plains Rev. Dr. Leanora Colley, New Covenant Church, Plainfield Ghana Khan, American Muslims for Hunger Relief Simeria DeWalt, Family Promise Donna Alexander, Urban League of Union County Laverne Williams, MHANJ Linda Flores-Tober, Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless Amy Jones, Family Promise Rev. Ann Marie Alderman, First Unitarian Society of Plainfield “More often or not, most of us have the opportunity to say good-bye to friends and family on or after our passing and have closure,” said Pastor Angelo Wildgoose of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Plainfield. “The annual Homeless Vigil offers the opportunity to remember those who pass on the streets. St. Mark’s Parish embraces the opportunity to have a hand in helping God’s children in any way we can.” https://youtu.be/Nrm03n-t8HI Tapinto Plainfield Video Tapinto Plainfield provided coverage of the Vigil including this video and photos. "Tonight is the darkest night, cold and wet. How fitting that we remember those who died and lived in the dark night, shunned by the cold shoulder of society, wet with the tears of voices unheard. And so we pray for them and the others to come, not with pious sadness, but with the hope built on our commitment to bring an end to homelessness. Let them not die in vain; with each candle we light, we call on them to be present to us. With each candle, we light the darkness and call on hope." said Linda Flores-Tober, of the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless. On the night of January 23, 2018, 459 people, including 41 people without shelter, experienced homelessness in Union County, according to NJ Counts 2018, the Point-In-Time count. The Homeless Sabbath Weekend organizers believe that no one should be homeless for the holidays or at any time of the year. “The housing crisis is a humanitarian issue that we cannot ignore,” says Geleen Donovan, Executive Director, Family Promise of Union County. “Those of us providing homeless shelter and services witness the onslaught of desperation in numbers that are rising on a daily basis.” The Vigil was organized by caring people from non-profit agencies and interfaith congregations. Read the full article

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HUD Shuttered by Trump Wall Fight

Federal Government Shuts Down. What Does it Mean for HUD Programs? Last week, we reported that Congress and the President had agreed to an extension of the Continuing Resolution (CR) until February 8th. Instead after President Trump declared he would veto it if it did not include $5 billion for a southern border wall, Congress failed to pass a stopgap funding measure, causing parts of the government including HUD to shut down at midnight on December 21, 2018. In response, the House passed a CR that attached $5.7 billion for the border wall and $7.8 billion for disaster relief. The Senate did not hold a final vote on House’s version of the CR, assuring the government would shut down. Lawmakers, knowing there weren’t enough the votes in the Senate to pass the bill, agreed to hold no further votes until a bipartisan agreement is reached. With Congress at an impasse on how to resolve the controversy over border wall funding, it remains unclear how long the shutdown will be. President Trump threatened via Twitter that the shutdown “will last for a very long time.” Congress and President Trump must still reach an agreement on how to fund federal programs, including affordable housing programs, for the remainder of fiscal year 2019. Lawmakers have already indicated that they are hoping to pass full-year spending bills instead of passing another CR to end the shutdown and reopen the federal government. Read the full article

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Teenage Girls Invent Solar-Powered Tent for Homeless

“If your parents miss X amount of bills, you can fall into homelessness, too." High School students growing in the Los Angeles suburb of San Fernando and attending San Fernando High School see an increasing number of people experiencing homelessness living outside. Mashable recently reported “How 12 teens invented a solar-powered tent for the homeless.” “People live on a main thoroughfare near the school, at a nearby park, and below the off-ramps and bridges in her hometown of San Fernando, which is about 20 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. In the San Fernando Valley, homelessness increased 36% to 7,094 people last year, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Agency's annual count. Daniela (Orozco) and her friends wanted to help, but giving money wasn’t an option.” The girls themselves are part of low-income families without the means to give or donate money to those experiencing homelessness and in need.  Instead, the girls invented a solar-powered tent that rolls up into a backpack.  What is probably most impressive is that “The girls and 10 others from their high school had never done any hands-on engineering work before, but with the help of YouTube, Google, and trial-and-error, they got it done.” Next June, the girls will be honored for their inventing and “do it yourself” skills and have the opportunity to share the tent” at MIT as part of a young inventors conference. The teens, none of whom had coded, soldered, sewn, or 3D-printed before they joined forces, won a $10,000 grant from the Lemelson-MIT Program to develop the invention.” DIY Girls, a nonprofit that teaches girls from low-income communities about engineering, math, and science, to go after the grant recruited the female students. The girls came together to not only invent the tent but also to create close friendships among themselves.  Some among the 12 girls will be the first in their families to go to college. "I knew I wanted to apply for it, but I needed a team," says Evelyn Gomez, 29, the executive director of DIY Girls. "I went back to my calculus teacher at my high school and did a hands-on recruitment activity." Coming from low-income families, the girls know all too well, how fine the line between having a home and becoming homeless can be.  "Because we live here, we see it growing constantly. If your parents miss X amount of bills, you can fall into homelessness, too." Maggie Mejia says of the homeless population and how For her, it even hits close to home How 12 teens invented a solar-powered tent for the homeless Read the full article

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Third Annual Successful Homeless Sabbath Weekend

Multi-Faith Congregations Assist the Homeless with Basic Needs and Remember That They Are Our Family Over the weekend of December 14-16, over eighteen multi-faith congregations in Union County participate in a Homeless Sabbath Weekend. The Weekend served as a reminder that “No one should be Homeless for the Holidays.”

Islamic Center of Union County “ICUC”, Union The Homeless Sabbath Weekend was planned and coordinated by a group of caring people from non-profit agencies and interfaith congregations – Community Access Unlimited, Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless, Family Promise of Union County, Gateway Family YMCA, HomeFirst, Iris House, the Urban League of Union County, the Union County interfaith Coordinating Council and Monarch Housing – who are asking you to please join us for a multi-faith “call to action” on the third annual Homeless Sabbath Weekend December 14-16, 2018, on behalf of all people who are homeless in Union County! The organizers asked congregations to include prayers and readings in their services held on December 14th, 15th and 16th, 2018, at your respective house of worship. Across Union County, congregations collectively pray for all homeless people and for the commitment to end homelessness in our community.

Islamic Center of Union County “ICUC”, Union The Islamic Center of Union County (ICUC) shared pictures and reported that over the past couple of nights, a handful of ICUC volunteers preform a: midnight drop to feed the homeless and distribute care bags of socks, a hat, scarf and gloves along with a hot meal Members of the congregation also visit neighbors and other people who might be the most vulnerable in their community. Temple Sholom of Scotch Plains/Fanwood reported that over the Homeless Sabbath Weekend, its sixth-grade students led their worship. The theme was family. They also talked about how the families experiencing homelessness that the congregation is hosting next week who will be a part of our Temple family. On the night of January 23, 2018, 459 people, including 41 people without shelter, experienced homelessness in Union County, according to NJ Counts, the Point-In-Time Count. As many of us continue to celebrate the holiday season in our homes, please remember the many individuals, families and children who do not have a home for the holidays or throughout the year. Please give them a voice, hear them, help them. Read the full article

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Opportunity and Revitalization Council

Treasury Department Should Establish “Regulatory Guardrails” to Guarantee That Low-Income People Will Benefit from Opportunity Zones On December 12, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, to be chaired by HUD Secretary Ben Carson. The primary purpose of the Council will be to target existing federal programs to Opportunity Zones, distressed communities where capital gains tax relief will be provided to individuals and corporations that invest in them. Opportunity Zones were created by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Representatives from 13 federal agencies will comprise the Council, which will be convened by the vice chair, Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy Andrew Bremberg. Secretary Carson will designate a HUD officer or employee to serve as executive director. The Council’s expenses will be met from HUD’s existing appropriation. Read the full article

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Bold Housing Bill seeks Major New Investments in HTF

Senate and House Versions of the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act of 2018 Seeks Significant New Funding for HTF Senator Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) “American Housing and Economic Mobility Act,” which proposes to increase funding for the HTF, now has companion legislation in the House of Representatives, introduced by Representatives Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), and Elijah Cummings (D-MD). The bill proposes new solutions to the ongoing affordable housing crisis in America by expanding or improving several vital programs, including a major increase in funding to the national Housing Trust Fund (HTF) to build and preserve homes for the lowest income households in America. The American Housing and Economic Mobility Act is a comprehensive bill aimed to combat the affordable housing crisis that continues to plague our nation. Having stable, affordable housing is life-changing and brings the promise of economic freedom to all. This legislation aims to provide that for millions of American families, namely African American communities who have been historically and systematically left without stable housing. I applaud the work of Senator Warren on introducing this bill in the Senate and am honored to carry the torch in introducing it in the House. Senator Warren, who introduced the “American Housing and Economic Mobility Act” in the Senate in September stated, “I’m excited to fight alongside Representatives Richmond, Lee, Cummings, and Moore for bold new legislation that confronts the shameful history of government-backed housing discrimination and is designed to benefit those families who have been denied opportunities to build wealth because of the color of their skin.” The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and Monarch Housing enthusiastically supports this bold bill, applauding its major new investments in the HTF. NLIHC’s report Getting Started shows how the HTF is being used by states to build, rehabilitate and preserve homes for extremely low-income households with incomes at or less than 30% of area median or less than the federal poverty line. More than 1,880 organizations nationwide have signed on to a letter calling on Congress to expand the HTF. Join these efforts and endorse the National Housing Trust Fund campaign today! Press Conference Video American Housing and Economic Mobility Act NLIHC Overview of Bill Endorse the HTF Read the full article

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NJ Legislature Approves Emergency Assistance Bills

Network Sees Victory on Bill Critical in Assisting Individuals in Crisis Needing Emergency Assistance Yesterday, the New Jersey State Legislature voted favorably on three of the Housing and Community Network of New Jersey (the Network)’s policy priorities including lifetime emergency assistance! The Network thanks everyone who called and e-mailed their Senators and Assembly members. Your efforts and hard work paid off. Two of the bills will now advance to the Governor's office to be signed into law and one has been signed and set to be enacted. The Mission of the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey, of which Monarch is a proud member, is to enhance the ability of members to create and preserve long-term affordable housing and build strong communities in New Jersey through: Read the full article

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CR for Federal Budget Extended to February 8th

Year-Long CR Would Put Thousands of Families at Risk of Losing Access to Stable Housing The U.S. Congress has only a day to reach an agreement to fund the federal government for the remainder of FY19. An agreement would avoid a government shutdown before the current stop-gap funding measure, known as a continuing resolution (CR), expires on Friday, December 21. The latest wrinkle would include a short-term CR until early February according to the Washington Post. A CR carries forward funding levels from the previous year. Congress has failed to enact several federal spending bills for FY19, including those that fund affordable housing and community development programs. The main issue preventing lawmakers from reaching a year-long spending deal is President Donald Trump’s insistence that any agreement includes $5 billion for a southern border wall, which Democrats strongly oppose. Please call your lawmakers today to urge them to enact clean, full-year FY19 spending bills for HUD. You can click here for the staff members who cover housing issues and phone numbers for New Jersey’s Senators and Representatives in Washington, D.C. Lawmakers have discussed several options to resolve the impasse. Read the full article

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Housing First Pilot Project Launches in Middlesex County

DCA’s Growing Initiative with Non-Profits and Healthcare Providers Will Address Health-Related Social Needs of Individuals Who Are Homeless, DCA Provides 25 Vouchers On December 13, 2018, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) joined representatives of major healthcare and social service providers in Middlesex County to announce the launch of a two-year Housing First pilot program. Read the full article

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National Homeless Persons Memorial Day in NJ

Remembering the Homeless in Atlantic, Bergen, Hudson, Mercer and Union Counties Towards the end of this year, timed around December 21, 2018 which marks the longest night of the year and the beginning of winter, communities across New Jersey will hold homeless memorials and vigils. National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day is observed on the first day of winter and created to remember those who have passed away in the past year while experiencing homelessness. Monarch Housing Associates is just one of the non-profit organizations working in partnership with many faith-based communities to host the Homeless Memorial vigil in Union County. The Homeless Memorial will take place on Thursday, December 20, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Plainfield. Click here for more details. Other memorials and vigils taking place across the state include events in the following New Jersey counties: Read the full article

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HUD Reports Homelessness Unchanged in 2018

But Even Slight Increase in People Experiencing Homelessness Points to American Housing Affordability Crisis On December 17, 2018, the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, Read the full article

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Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. Tours Bridges Project Connect

Site Visit at Bridges Project Connect with Representative Donald Payne, Jr. was an Opportunity to Make the Case that Opportunity Starts at Home and Increased Federal Housing Funding is Critical On December 17, 2018, U.S. Representative Donald Payne, Jr. (NJ-D-10) visited and toured Bridges Project Connect in Newark. At Project Connect, professional case managers work with homeless clients individually to create an attainable set of goals that will lead to better health, and ultimately housing, a job and independence. Bridges offers services that will lead to more consistent care and a healthier life, with the ultimate goal of housing and independence for our homeless friends. Congressman Donald Payne, Jr. had the opportunity meet with Bridges Executive Director, Richard Uniacke, Project Connect Case Manager Jaleesa McEachin, and clients visiting Homeless Connect that morning for services. The clients told the Congressman about their own experiences with homelessness.

Richard Uniacke, Tyrone Cummings, Jaleesa McEachin, Theresa Pringle, Christian Spruill, Ricky Blue and Brian Anglin. Seated Theresa Pringle and Christian Spruill, The Project Connect offices include: Read the full article