Volunteers fan out across NJ to count the homeless — and the numbers are grim

🏠 Homelessness in New Jersey continues to rise, with the latest statewide count showing the highest number of people without housing since 2014.

📊 Volunteers fanned out across NJ on Jan. 28 for the annual Point-In-Time count, surveying both sheltered and unsheltered residents.

⚠️ Rising rents, evictions and housing shortages are pushing more families to the brink, advocates warn, with no easy fix in sight.

Homelessness continues to be on the rise in New Jersey.

Statewide NJCounts Point-In-Time count tracks homelessness trends

Last week, most communities across the state conducted their annual mandated statewide Point-In-Time (PIT) count (#NJCounts2026) to determine how many individuals and households are experiencing homelessness on a single date and point in time, whether sheltered or unsheltered.

NJCounts is commissioned by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. For the 13th consecutive year, Monarch Housing Associates is coordinating the annual statewide count.

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“It’s really important because it gives us a good idea of not only who is experiencing homelessness, but where they are experiencing homelessness and how we can get additional resources or develop strategies to facilitate getting them out of those homeless situations,” said Kasey Vienckowski, leader of Monarch Housing Associates' Homeless Planning Team.

Volunteers survey sheltered and unsheltered residents across NJ

On the day of the count, which was Jan. 28 for most New Jersey counties, volunteers across the state interviewed individuals and households experiencing homelessness about where they stayed the previous night.

The survey collected information about those staying in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, code blue warming centers, as well as those living on the streets, in abandoned buildings, in their cars, and other unsheltered locations, Vienckowski said.

She was one of the volunteers who went out and interviewed these individuals. What she saw was a lot of vulnerable people who are one crisis away from going down the path of homelessness.

So, it’s important to ensure that the system is there and responsive to catch people before they fall into this crisis of wondering where they’re going to sleep that night, and how they are going to stay warm, Vienckowski said.

Homelessness in New Jersey hits highest level since 2014

In 2025, the NJPIT counted 13,748 individuals experiencing homelessness across 10,408 households in the Garden State. That is an increase of 1,068 persons or 8.4%, over 2024, and is the highest total number of individuals experiencing homelessness the state has seen since 2014, she said.

“The affordability in New Jersey is really difficult for households that make low or very low income. The resources available to provide financial assistance to get people into permanent housing are very limited, and we really have a very low vacancy rate for rental units in the state overall as well,” Vienckowski said.

Unfortunately, she sees this rising trend in homelessness around the state continuing.

Rising rents, evictions and ordinances fuel homelessness crisis

Several factors in recent years have impacted and will continue to affect the experiences of homelessness in New Jersey.

The Cost of Housing – The cost of rent continues to grow at a rate that outpaces the growth of household incomes, leading to increasing numbers of families becoming unable to afford their housing and entering homelessness. The same disproportionate increase in the cost of housing is also making it more difficult to find housing at an affordable price.

Eviction Rates and Prevention Resources – The availability of eviction prevention resources in New Jersey is not keeping pace with the number of households facing eviction. Since the number of evictions being filed exceeds the resources available to keep people in their homes, our systems of care are seeing increasing numbers of households entering homelessness for the first time.

Criminalization of Homelessness – Over the past two years, more New Jersey municipalities have introduced ordinances that criminalize homelessness by making it illegal for people to sleep or store their belongings on local streets or in public places.

People experiencing homelessness have been issued fines that they can’t pay, ultimately leading to arrests. As a result, service providers say homeless people are more reluctant to engage with outreach and service teams for fear of being targeted.

Vienckowski said the solution to homelessness is more housing. Not just increasing the supply of affordable and supportive housing, but also improving access to that housing, and ensuring that persons experiencing homelessness have a voice in the process.

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