Newark Alliance Partners with the City of Newark on New Initiatives to End Chronic Homelessness

With the support of our partners the MCJ Amelior Foundation, Port Newark Container Terminal, the Shipping Association of New York and New Jersey, RWJBarnabas Health, Rutgers Health New Jersey Medical School, the Maher Foundation, and the Prudential Foundation, we are partnering with the City's Office of Homeless Services to facilitate the implementation of two innovative initiatives, the Downtown Metro Outreach Team and the 211 Path Home texting service.

The Path Home texting service provides and tool for those who live, work and visit Newark to alert appropriate, qualified service providers when they see an unhoused person in need, by enabling residents to text "PATH HOME" to (855-11). The Metro Outreach Team uses a multidisciplinary outreach team to deliver psychiatric street treatment to unhoused Newarkers living downtown, with the goal of directly connecting residents to housing and supports.

"The Metro Downtown Outreach Initiative is an important step in providing immediate and comprehensive support to those who need it most," said Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. "By enhancing this initiative with the Path Home Texting Service, we are creating a more effective system for our community to engage directly with those experiencing homelessness."

With a total investment of $310,000, the Metro Downtown Outreach Initiative has received funding from The Prudential Foundation, Maher Charitable Foundation and RWJBarnabas Health. These contributions ensure that the initiative can provide essential services and sustained, long-term support.

"The collaboration between the Newark Alliance, our funding and delivery partners demonstrates the power of cross-sector partnerships in addressing complex issues like homelessness," said Evan Weiss, President and CEO of Newark Alliance. "The Newark Alliance is dedicated to the equitable economic growth of Newark; and, aligned with that broader commitment, we continue to collaborate with the City's Office of Homeless Services to implement solutions that address chronic unsheltered homelessness."

"We are proud to support the Metro Downtown Outreach Initiative and its role in addressing homelessness in Newark," said Balpreet Grewal-Virk, senior vice president of community health, RWJBarnabas Health. "At RWJBarnabas Health, we are committed to providing unhoused individuals with accessible, high-quality care. This initiative plays a key role in improving the health and stability of Newark's most vulnerable residents, helping them achieve a healthier quality of life."

"We hope that this investment in the Metro Outreach Initiative will help to create an environment where Newark's residents can flourish, where individuals have access to essential services and where neighborhoods throughout Newark have the infrastructure needed to support long-term well-being," said Margarethe Laurenzi, Executive Director of Maher Charitable Foundation.

"As an anchor institution in the City of Newark, we are dedicated to addressing critical social issues within our community," said Lata Reddy, senior vice president of Inclusive Solutions at Prudential Financial, chair of The Prudential Foundation and chair of the Newark Alliance Board of Directors. "Our support of the Metro Downtown Outreach Initiative underscores our commitment to helping Newark's most vulnerable residents gain access to essential services and achieve stability."

ABOUT NEWARK
For more information on the City of Newark, please visit our website https://www.newarknj.gov/.

ABOUT NEWARK ALLIANCE
The Newark Alliance, through the combined strength and collaboration of its members, drives inclusive economic growth for all of Newark, N.J. Our members comprise Newark's premier businesses, anchor institutions, and community partners, including Fortune 100 and 500 companies and several of the country's top universities, developers, hospitals, and arts institutions. United by a shared vision, the Alliance and its Members work collaboratively to cement Newark's status as one of America's most diverse, prosperous, exciting, and equitable cities. Visit us at www.newark-alliance.org.

SOURCE Newark Alliance