The Atlantic City Rescue Mission filed a Lawsuit against the Ocean County Government seeking reimbursement for the over $2 million dollars it claims it shelled out so far in taking care of Ocean County’s homeless. Attorney Jeff Wild, who also represents the homeless in Lakewood’s Tent City, says the ACRM receives money each month but claims that it’s just a token payment. He says “the Atlantic City Rescue Mission has incurred cost of approximately $2 million dollars over the last six years taking care of people from Ocean County and Lakewood. They have been paid $17,500 per year.”
During the interview, Wild would not review what steps, if any, the ACRM has taken previously to collect what they believe is a fair compensation for taking care of Ocean County’s homeless residents prior to the lawsuit.
Wild says the ACRM is not looking to go after Ocean County, however he says they are looking for what he calls “a just solution” in following 300-year-old poor laws. Wild says “the Law says that Lakewood and Ocean County are responsible for providing emergency shelter to the most desperate people. They can’t give them a bus ticket and send these people out of the county.”
However, the members of the County Board of Freeholders and the County Office of Social Services say they provide emergency shelter for hundreds of homeless Ocean County residents every night. Commonly, they’re sheltered in beach resort motels during the off season temporarily. They’re also housed in privately run women’s shelters, a Salvation Army shelter, a shelter for at-risk youth, faith-based shelters, Veteran’s shelters as well as money to prevent homelessness. Unfortunately, many of Ocean County’s homeless have fallen through the cracks.
Wild says “not only the homeless but a coalition of nonprofits, both faith-based and secular organizations, have been trying to get Ocean County to sit down and agree to meet and solve the problem.” He says, “the Freeholders have so far declined to sit down and meet to discuss this problem, as have the people in Lakewood.”
In previous news stories, Lakewood has held off on a court order last year to evict the homeless off public land indefinitely as part of an agreement arranged with a State Superior Court Judge in Ocean County so action could be taken in finding permanent solutions for the Tent City Residents. A number of Tent City resident have been placed in permanent housing through the efforts of the nonprofit group STEPS (Solutions to End Poverty Soon). Read more in WOBM.
wheres preacher?
I remember reading online that tey were offered to live in hotels in Seaside Heights but the homeless weren’t interested. Should they drag them????
Perhaps the residents of Lakewood should sue the county for their garbage pick-up, donne with our tax dollars.
The lakewood tax payers should sue anyone who promoted(didnt have the back-bone to stop) this nonsense from the beginning for any cost incurred, ie; trash pick-up, attorney fee’s, etc.
Any and all law suites should be handed to the pastor, as he made himself their front-man.
This game that is being played by local authorities who dont have the back-bone to finally address the issue is causing the town more money spent. Finally would someone have the stones to put an end to this? Doesnt anyone see that the longer this is allowed, the more trouble comes from it? WE HAVE ILLEGAL SQUANDERS LIVING IN TOWNSHIP WOODS. BRING THE POLICE IN TO TICKET THEM. IF TICKETS ARE NOT PAID = WARRANTS FOR ARREST WILL BE ISSUED, THEN THEY WILL HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE.
**And to anyone who has a problem with this- please feel free to “adopt” one of these homeless folks to live with you in your home, or in your back yard.**
well if we are going after anyone for trash pick up can we please start charging private school for the free trash pick up they get from the township as well. est 1000000 a year that cost us tax payers
whay was my comment about trash pick up not posted
Mr Conservative: I would rather have one of the homeless live in my backyard than you. It must be sad to live in a world of hate as you do. I feel sorry for you and more so for any friends and family that have to be around you everyday.
TO #5 “I would rather have one of the homeless live in my backyard than you.”
Reply:
A. i would never have to live outside. i would have taken the help the county was offering months ago, to go live in a free motel and get help getting a job.
B. actions speak louder than words – TAKE THEM (or at least one) IN!!!!!!!! IF YOUR SO GIVING, KIND, AND BETTER THAN ME- DO SOMETHING. PUT YOUR HIGH-SELF INTO ACTION.
to number 5 be happy that all we have to do is give them busing and garbage pick up no scschools teachers so dont say how much it is costing think how much we are saving !!!!!
To Mr Conversative: You really have no idea whats going on. You really think all these people have turned down help from the county? The county is feeding you a lot of garbage and you are sucking it up.Why do you think the Atlantic City Rescue Mission is suing Ocean County for 2 million dollars for taking care of part of the Ocean County Homeless population. If you get past the hatred you so easly convey than maybe you can figure out that the county is not taking care of the homeless and that is why there is a Tent City and a lawsuit from Atlantic City.
I know this is an old story but I hope someone keeps up on the old ones like I do…..
I hope AC wins because I have been in a situation where I needed shelter for a bit and called Ocean County Social Services emergency housing and they told me I would have to travel somehow from Lakewood to AC and stay in a shelter there. This was a few years ago and now a friend of mine is in a similar situation and they told him the same thing.. Not only is the entire Social Services system messed up and set up so the don’t help the people who need it most and do help the ones who (moderated) it up. but the people who work there don’t want to do there job.
To #11: Thank you for your story and comments. Unfortunately, I have heard the same story and same comments over and over from people in Lakewood who have gone to Social Services for help.
To Mr Conservative: You need to stop believing all the garbage that you are reading. If Social Services was properly taking care of the homeless in Lakewood there would no tent city, no lawsuit against Ocean county for not providing a shelter for the homeless and no 2 million dollar lawsuit by the AC Rescue Mission for taking care of the homeless from Ocean County