HOWELL – The Township Council has authorized the sale of a vacant property off Route 9 which has served as a home for individuals who are unable to make other living arrangements.
The resolution authorized the public sale of township owned property not required for public purposes. Mayor Theresa Berger, Councilman Bob Walsh, Councilwoman Evelyn O’Donnell and Deputy Mayor Robert Nicastro passed the resolution on April 17.
Steve Brigham of the Lakewood Outreach Ministry, a non-denominational Christian church, runs what is officially known as the Howell transitional encampment under the auspices of the nonprofit organization Destiny’s Bridge. He addressed the council on April 17.
“I am here tonight to first say thank you to the (council) for allowing the Destiny’s Bridge encampment to exist for a year here in Howell. It has helped tremendously in the lives of real people, men and women, who otherwise would be in dire straits on the streets or living in a car, or in substandard conditions,” Brigham said. “This is the only town in the northeastern part of America to approve a homeless camp.
“In this room right now, we have people who were residents of this encampment for close to a year and some for over a year, and if you ask any one of them they will tell you they were glad the camp was there, it did them good and they would have suffered otherwise. So again this shows, I believe in a real and tangible way, the concerns of our society for the poor, the needy and the underprivileged,” Brigham said.
He said “a lot of people fall through the cracks” and are not being helped by government.
“So there is a need for organizations such as Destiny’s Bridge to step up to the plate and fill in those gaps and to help the poor of our society,” Brigham said.
Berger said she believes the council has acted in an ethical manner with Brigham.
“I believe Councilman Walsh was involved in that (several) years ago and it was done for the right reasons. The other portion of an ethical responsibility is to the township. This property is worth a lot of money for the town and that would help with residents’ taxes, so we are struck by two separate ethical situations we have to think about, 12 people (who live on the property) vs. 55,000 people (who live in Howell),” Berger said.
Berger said she would like to work with Brigham to try and identify another location where the individuals who live on the property off Route 9 could relocate to.
Jon Reilly has lived in Howell for more than 30 years. He said he raised two daughters who became homeowners in Howell and said he has “a vested interest in the town because we (all) live here.”
“We have a problem in America with people being homeless. This is the only place where anybody really did anything substantial to help (homeless) people. I like that. I like being part of that town. I do not want these people just being tossed out, they have been tossed out of Lakewood, let’s not toss them out here,” Reilly said. “Whatever we can do to help these people, I think we are obliged as human beings to do that.”
Other speakers, some of whom were not from Howell, opposed the sale of the public property, but praised Howell officials for what they have already done and advocated for Brigham to continue to do his work in town.
Nicastro said there will be consideration for the people who live in the encampment.
“There will have to be placement for the residents who are in this encampment. I do not want (anyone) leaving (this meeting) thinking that when the property is sold that these people in need are just going to be displaced and put on the street. That is not going to happen,” Nicastro said.
Township Manager Brian Geoghegan said the resolution authorizes municipal officials to begin the process of selling the property. The minimum bid for the land is $1.35 million.
O’Donnell said she and Berger plan to meet with representatives of Destiny’s Bridge and will continue to seek a workable solution as it relates to the people who live at the property. She said the encampment was not a catalyst for the sale of the property.
Walsh said he is not happy about the resolution, but echoed the mayor in regard to the best interests of the town. Berger, Walsh and O’Donnell said they plan to work with representatives of Destiny’s Bridge to find a more permanent solution for individuals who need a place to live.
Berger, who is the CEO of Ocean Health Initiatives, a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center, said, “I would be more than happy to have … my social workers work with the people in the camp (on paperwork or identification). We could help you start that process, we could start you in healthcare as well, if anyone needs any healthcare services. Along with that, I am sure we will take a look and really try to put you on the right track and when I say that I mean on the track toward having a more permanent housing situation.”