Catholic Charities supports homeless in ‘Coming Home’

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen’s Unity Square Community Center in New Brunswick has services that help community members with food insecurities, social concerns and housing resources. Last month, thanks to a partnership with Coming Home, Middlesex County, Unity Square is increasing their efforts to address the issue of homelessness.

Coming Home is an organization that wants to prevent homelessness, even try to end it completely. Coming Home connects people to resources and opportunities and hope that people will find a place to live. Once that is accomplished, the organization hopes this will lead to them living a healthier lifestyle.

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen is an active and essential member of the County’s Housing Continuum of Care. Up until about a year ago, the only option a homeless person had was to call 211, the State’s Homeless Hotline, for help. Last year, members of the CoC decided to expand their options. Instead of just calling 211, there would be physical access sites added in New Brunswick and Perth Amboy. The CoC asked Coming Home to apply for the funding from HUD to operate this “enhanced Coordinated Assessment Process.”

According to their website, Coming Home administers a coordinated entry process where all persons experiencing homelessness call 211 for help or visit a physical access site, such as Unity Square in New Brunswick. They are then entered into the system of helpful providers. Coming Home then uses that system as a tool, to access resources and prioritizes them based on their severity of needs and length of homelessness.

The City of New Brunswick chose Unity Square as the site for Coming Home and someone will be onsite at Unity Square to meet face to face with those who are or at risk of being homeless. Crystal Crawford is an Access Navigator for the County’s System of Care and Ending Homelessness in the County. She will be able to enroll the person presenting with a housing crisis into the Homeless Management Information System and makes the initial referral for services when appropriate.

Crawford will be at Unity Square to assist those in need Monday through Thursday, from 9am-4pm. Those who are at risk of being homeless or are experiencing homelessness are urged to reach out. Unity Square Community Center is located at 81 Remsen Avenue in New Brunswick. They encourage you to call at 732-545-0329.

For more information visit cominghomemiddlesex.org or visit their Facebook @ComingHomeMC.

For more information about Catholic Charities Diocese of Metuchen or Unity Square please visit ccdom.org. Visit Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @ccdom1 to stay updated on upcoming events and ways to help clients get the services they need.

Workman is the Communications Specialist in the Office of Communications and Public Relations.