Camden County won’t create homeless special fund written by Camden Mayor

County opts out of fund, citing poor economy

Officials for Camden County New Jersey say they will not adopt a special fund aimed at aiding the county’s homeless population.

Last September, New Jersey gave its counties the ability to create trust funds for housing projects and programs for the homeless.

To feed the fund, counties could add a three-dollar surcharge to all documents filed with county clerks like deeds and mortgage papers.

Camden County freeholders say the program is inappropriate given the poor economic climate and the amount of money already directed at halting homelessness.

Alison Recca-Ryan with the Corporation for Supportive Housing in New Jersey disagrees.

“It opens up an array of opportunities, which not only then can create housing. But if you’re going to create housing, you also create job opportunities for people. People to actually build that house, deliver the services. So it’s two-fold.”

Recca-Ryan says Camden County’s homeless population is close to 2,000.

The law was written by Camden Mayor Dana Redd when she served in the State Senate.