New Jersey Senator Calls For Permanent Housing To Help Homeless

TRENTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New Jersey's state Senate president wants to make temporary housing assistance for some vulnerable people permanent.

Democrat Steve Sweeney's announced his plan Thursday in reaction to a policy change from Gov. Chris Christie's administration. Advocates say the change has caused some people to lose their homes.

Previously, the state has extended temporary housing assistance for individuals, sometimes indefinitely. The programs are run by county governments.

But now, the state says it wants to assign case managers to those residents and try to foster them into permanent housing options.

Sweeney and anti-poverty groups say the new approach is not fully running and some people have lost their subsidies as a result and some have become homeless.

Sweeney also says homelessness is hurting taxpayers as many suffering from poverty often run up large bills for hospitalization, which is often paid for with public money.

New Jersey had a population of more than 10,000 homeless men, women and children during 2015, according to Monarch Housing Associates.

The Republican governor's office has been heralding its commitment to reducing homelessness.

Earlier this month, Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration announced a $8.5 million-a-year plan to open three new drop-in centers for the homeless in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

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