Project To Find Homes For Newark's Homeless Gains Steam.

Jersey's Star-Ledger (NJ) (7/27, Giambusso, Friedman) reports, "One year ago, Newark and Essex County leaders unveiled an ambitious plan to get the county's nearly 4,000 homeless residents off the streets in 10 year," and the plan's first step, "called the Newark 50 Project, was to target the 50 most vulnerable of Newark's homeless - those most likely to die on the streets -and put them in housing by the end of 2012." The first step started last month, and today, "officials said they have been able to provide housing for one woman." The plan entails listing the area's high risk homeless and using around $3 million in HUD vouchers to provide vouchers, "medical care, mental health services and drug and alcohol counseling" which group leader Tonya Bryan says will "stabilize individuals and amend the behaviors that either led to their homelessness or came about after years of being on the street."