WHILE Ocean County continues to formalize its plans for the upcoming Code Blue winter season, additional funding for the program will be made available through the first of its kind appropriation from the Ocean County Homelessness Trust Fund.

The fund's Advisory Council recently approved an appropriation of $35,815 to be used toward the Code Blue program which helps provide warming centers throughout the County for homeless individuals.

"When we created this trust fund in 2023, one of the key uses for the money was to help fund the Code Blue program which provides overnight warming centers for the homeless when temperatures fall below freezing," said Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners Barbara Jo Crea. "These centers also provide resources and services needed to put our residents back on the road to self-sufficiency. This is an important step by the Trust Fund's Task Force that will help our residents."

The appropriation will be added to the $225,000 appropriated by the Ocean County Board of Commissioners and $130,000 from the New Jersey Division of Family Development providing a total budget of nearly $400,000 for the season.

Crea also noted that the County is committed to providing a dedicated county-owned facility to make sure there are enough beds available at warming centers to provide for the homeless seeking assistance during a Code Blue period.

"At this time, the Ocean County Board of Commissioners is formalizing its plan for the Code Blue season. And I want to emphasize this – I assure you we will have enough beds to take care of Ocean County's homeless during this winter's Code Blue season," she said. "I will release additional details of our plan once it has been formalized which will be very soon."

The plan is expected to be before the Board of Commissioners for approval by mid-October. The county anticipates that the facility it provides can accommodate from 30 to 50 people.

"Working with Director Crea, our Department of Human Services and a host of agencies that work to diligently help our residents, we believe anyone needing to access assistance in the upcoming Code Blue season will be able to do so," said Ocean County Commissioner Frank Sadeghi, liaison to the Department of Human Services.

Based on the responses from partnering agencies to date, Sadeghi said the County anticipates at least 150 code blue beds to be available, across five warming centers including the dedicated county-owned facility.

The highest use of Code Blue beds during the 2023-2024 season was 85 per night, or 55 percent of the countywide bed capacity. Factoring in a 30 percent increase in need for this coming season, the County's Plan requires a minimum of 110 beds at peak use.

"We believe the anticipated available beds for 2024-2025 will adequately address projected Code Blue needs," Crea said. "It's imperative people have a safe place to go in the winter and at the same time access the help they need."

The Code Blue activation period is from Nov. 1 to March 31 with the greatest risk from December to February.

Crea noted that the Homelessness Trust Fund approved by the Board of Commissioners last year is now providing funding to assist the county's homeless population.

Under the Homelessness Trust Fund, a $5 surcharge is applied to most recorded instruments with the Ocean County Clerk's Office for deposit into the Trust Fund. The money stays in Ocean County to support ongoing programs. Of the $5 surcharge, $2 is earmarked for the Code Blue program.

Crea noted as per the trust guidelines provided by the state, the funds cannot be used by the County to build a homeless shelter.

"These funds will now help in many other areas including supportive services, prevention services, and also better engagement with homeless individuals seeking accommodations during Code Blue to determine their needs and provide them with the services that can help them," she said.

She also offered her appreciation to the Task Force as they begin to implement the Trust Fund.

"The Task Force is made up of representatives from our communities, the County and non-profits that are working together to implement the best options for the funds that are being collected," she said. "These individuals are helping to advance our efforts to help the needy and vulnerable in Ocean County that may not fit into the federal and state requirements of programs already available."