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Camden County commissioners have approved construction of a $3.1-million facility to address homelessness in Camden.
The Multi-Agency Center for the Homeless is intended to consolidate county services in an area with a sizable population of homeless people. This 8,125-square-foot building is to rise off South Broadway and Liberty Street, flanking a tattoo parlor at the intersection.
The vacant land currently has a homeless encampment, according to plans for the county project.Waterfront South: Revival planned for South Broadway landmark
“In its purest form, this will be an outreach center to prevent and combat homelessness,” county spokesman Dan Keashen said, noting that the center will not offer housing.
Future tenants could include the county’s Board of Social Services, its One-Stop Career Center, and programs that help to address mental health and addiction problems.
“The location was seen as ideal to be within a close proximity to the surrounding shelters, so that when individuals leave the facilities, they can access the center and the tools and resources inside of it,” Keashen said.
The center would be across Liberty Street from a shelter operated by Volunteers of America Delaware Valley.
“(Our nonprofit) welcomes this sort of investment in helping our neighbors thrive,” said a spokesperson for Volunteers of America Delaware Valley. “Camden County has always been a great partner to us, and a community-focused multi-agency center is very aligned to our mission of bringing services directly to those who need them.”
The history of the long-vacant property reflects the changes and challenges that have confronted this now-impoverished South Camden area.
Originally developed before 1885 with homes, sheds and stables, the site has held an ice cream manufacturer, rag and junk storage facilities, and, from at least 1927 through 1943, a hat-cleaning business. The property most recently was owned by the city and a local church.
An estimated 600 people are homeless or are close to losing shelter in Camden County, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Much of that population is scattered in tented encampments along South Broadway.
“This is a new concept for the county that has been researched and is very effective in Hackensack, Trenton and Philadelphia,” Keashen said.
He said Julia Orlando, the county’s consultant on homelessness, “showed us how it worked in Bergen County when she worked with their county government to bring the homeless population down to functional zero, which is our goal. “
Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. noted that the center “was at the top of the list” when the county last year announced a plan to address homelessness.
“Now we are seeing it come to fruition, and we believe it will be successful,” he said in a statement.
Among other measures, county officials’ plan calls for partnering with nonprofits that provide resources for homeless people. It also supports efforts to “reduce (the) stigma that plagues the unsheltered in our community.”