Newark Transforms Empty Storage Containers Into Homeless Shelters

NEWARK, NJ — Like many other large cities, Newark is facing two big hurdles when it comes to protecting its homeless residents amid the coronavirus pandemic: limited beds, and a need to social distance.

But on Monday, New Jersey’s most populated city made a big dent into both needs with the highly anticipated launch of Newark Hope Village.

Located at 79 Newark Street, the innovative complex represents a new way of approaching an old dilemma. The city has turned seven unused shipping containers into individual homeless shelters, each with their own code-compliant amenities that meet the International Code Council rules.

When people in need of shelter arrive at Newark Hope Village, they’ll find “dorm-style rooms” with a heater, bunk bed with extra storage and a small dresser. Nearby, two utility structures provide people with private shower rooms and a multipurpose area for meetings. And for lunch, residents will get a nutritious and delicious meal courtesy of Newark Working Kitchens.

Those expecting drab, metal shipping containers might be surprised to see what awaits. Knowing that a friendly design is crucial to the success of the program, the city partnered with Newark natives Andre Leon and Robert Ramon of the Rorschach Collective to paint the village in bright hues and vibrant color gradients. Positive messages are written on the floors and walls, and a design that radiates warmth has been created, courtesy of collaborating designers Chantal Fischzang, an assistant professor at Rutgers University, and Rebecca Pauline Jampol, co-director of Project for Empty Space.

In all, the complex can serve up to 24 people experiencing homelessness, a huge deal in a city where an estimated 1,859 people were struggling with homelessness in January 2020 – about 86 percent of the entire total in Essex County.

• See related article: Essex County Has Most Homeless In NJ; Evictions Played A Big Role

It’s a unique solution that has only been used in a handful of places. And that also applies to the way the city is running the “come-as-you-are” shelter.

According to city officials:

“Newark Hope Village is a no requirements-come-as-you-are safe sleeping village where people experiencing homelessness can have access to shelter and supportive services including assistance with transition to permanent housing. Designed to attract individuals that are shelter adverse and have been disengaged from traditional shelters and supportive homeless services, the service model aims to transition chronically homeless individuals through targeted street outreach to an atmosphere within the village that can promote healthy living and a continuum of social service supports.”

“Many of our residents without addresses have been traumatized by the system that was created to serve them,” Mayor Ras Baraka said. “Housing is the key, but we must first re-establish trust with those who have been scarred.”

Newark Hope Village was a true joint effort, coming together with the aid of a dream team of local social service organizations: the United Community Corporation, Bridges Outreach Inc., the Mental Health Association of Essex Morris, the Northern NJ Medication-Assisted Treatment Center of Excellence, Integrity House, Essex County Division of Community Action, the Essex County Continuum of Care.

Other key help came from Homes 4 the Homeless, Custom Containers 915, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Project My Brother’s Keeper and UCC YouthBuild.

Funding is being provided by the federal CARES Act, the Essex County Division of Community Action (through the state of New Jersey Code Blue Grant), and the City of Newark.

“This was truly a joint effort with many partners bringing forth collective resources to address this critical issue,” said Sakinah Hoyte, the city’s homelessness czar.

The new shelters will be a big help in coping with the COVID-19 crisis, which has created an urgent need for homeless housing with private spaces for each resident or family. But the shelters will also be able to help those displaced by disasters, such as fires or flooding, or aid people caught outside during winter “Code Blue” alerts.

“When people are freezing to death, each day matters,” said Steve Schneider, founder of Homes 4 the Homeless, the California-based nonprofit that helped to design Newark Hope Village.

According to the city, designers at Homes 4 the Homeless chose modular steel structures for their robust construction because they’re secure and have the capability for rapid deployment and redeployment.

The structures were manufactured and built to code by Texas-based Custom Containers 915, with a timetable of under 90 days from contract to delivery.

The United Community Corporation will be adding Newark Hope Village to its case management, supportive services and local outreach efforts.

Bloomberg Associates consulted on the project and will help to measure the pilot’s success, at no cost to the city. The Newark Housing Authority has also partnered with the city to provide housing vouchers for the shelter residents.

And work may not be done yet, either.

“If proven successful and philanthropic donations are substantial, the city will aim to add containers to the inventory and retrofit the current containers into housing,” officials said.

Corporate and philanthropic partners interested in contributing to the Newark Hope Village container sheltering program can contact Sakinah Hoyte at hoytes@ci.newark.nj.us, or Kevin Callaghan at callaghank@ci.newark.nj.us.

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NEWARK VS. HOMELESSNESS

Newark Hope Village is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the city’s efforts to battle homelessness.

In February, city officials and developers gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony at the Miller Street Pathways to Housing Center, a former school that is being converted into a 24,000-square-foot facility will provide "24/7" emergency shelter and supportive services.

In all, the shelter will have 166 transitional beds for men, women, and families, with 84 men's and a men's activity room, 44 women's beds and a women's activity room and 21 beds that can be used when a cold weather-related "Code Blue" is called for in the city. There will also be seven individual suites with 17 beds that can be used for families, quarantines or isolation.

• See related article: Newark Is Turning An Old School Into A Huge Homeless Shelter

In recent years, the city of Newark has launched several initiatives and outreach programs in an effort to help homeless residents, some of whom have ended up in New Jersey after relocating from New York City.

• Newark Raises Bar For Homeless Outreach In Coronavirus Crisis
• Newark Wants To Create 300 Units Of Housing For Homeless
• Free Food, Clothes, Help At Homeless Outreach Event In Lincoln Park
• Newark Gives 50 Homeless Residents Jobs ... And Hope (VIDEO)

Earlier in February, city officials announced that Newark has partnered with five developers and service providers to create 100 transitional, permanent and supportive housing units.

Those chosen to partner in the effort include:

• Monarch Housing Associates / Bridges Outreach, Inc.
• Garden State Episcopal Community Development Corporation / North Jersey Community Research Initiative (NJCRI)
• ETTA Investments LLC / Soldier ON, Urban Agriculture Cooperative, Greater Newark Conservancy, CareSparc Consulting Inc., and The Mental Health Association in New Jersey
• Domus Corporation / Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark
• 10th and 11th Street Homes LLC / AIDS Resource Foundation for Children (ARFC)

This story is part of Patch's Headlining Hope series, which profiles local nonprofits and charitable organizations in need of volunteers and resources. If you know about a local organization that should be profiled, contact eric.kiefer@patch.com

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