a new housing center in newark opened
this week and it provides so much more
than shelter the miller street pathways
to housing center offers community
members a range of services from drug
and alcohol counseling to behavioral
health services and there are amenities
on site like washers and dryers for all
those newark residents without a
permanent address melissa rose cooper
reports as part of our ongoing series
chasing the dream focusing on poverty
justice and economic opportunity
attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony
for the official opening of the military
pathways to housing center the 24 000
square foot state-of-the-art facility
will serve as a shelter for residents
who don't have a permanent address as i
travel around the country homelessness
is very difficult around the country
you know i was just at the u.s
conference of mayors
and there are serious panels talking
about our residents without addresses
all over the nation
you know
you see tents in d.c tents in san
francisco tents in l.a blocks and blocks
of tents in fact in la
and many places and i know around the
country people are struggling with
uh trying to figure out in
the richest country in the world
how to deal with homelessness is almost
an oxymoron that we still have to figure
figure that out but uh in newark we're
trying to be as creative and innovative
as possible
to challenge these issues that are
difficult ones and have been plaguing us
for decades the shelter houses 166 beds
which include 84 for men 44 for women
and 21 designated as cold blue given to
those who need it during extreme low
temperatures 17 beds will also be spread
throughout seven suites five of which
will be used to keep families together
the other two suites are specifically
for isolation and quarantine purposes
this shelter will not
require state identification for initial
admission we do not require sobriety
upon entry and we will not screen out
differently abled individuals the
facility also offers a drop in center
for residents who aren't ready to commit
to shelter guests will be able to come
to military pathways and have access to
bathrooms washers and dryers and tvs a
full commercial kitchen is also on site
so residents can prepare meals i'm so
grateful to god that i've never had to
experience homelessness so i don't have
firsthand knowledge of what it feels
like to have to sleep on a sidewalk or
to figure out where my next meal is
going to come from or have to snuggle up
with my
personal treasures and in some cases my
identification
to avoid street abuse or theft
what i do have is a keen understanding
that those things are abnormal in a
society like america and the anxiety
fear pain and trauma that evolves from
living in those circumstances do not
just dissipate upon entry into shelter
so the city is taking it a step further
partnering up with organizations like
catholic charities of the archdiocese of
newark to provide on-site counseling
behavioral health and social services to
residents i know that this new facility
is going to transform
many people here today and most
important way with the service people
receive here at millis street pathways
housing services
to individuals to be able to transfer
their lives
find stability
going back into the workforce getting
their health care and counseling they
need and facing the future with hope and
dignity military pathways is just one of
the city's latest efforts to end
homelessness last year newark hope
village started providing emergency
shelter converting shipping containers
into complete living spaces it's an
initiative officials say is a top
priority with plans to build two more
hope village sites in the next couple of
months because it is simply absurd for
our fellow neighbors to have to sleep on
sidewalks for nj spotlight news i'm
melissa rose cooper
major funding for chasing the dream is
provided by the jpb foundation with
additional funding from the peter g
peterson and joan ganz cooney fund
[Music]
you
