By Marli Horwitz/The Jersey Journal
on September 07, 2013 at 3:01 AM, updated September 07, 2013 at 3:02 AM

The number of homeless in Hudson County appears to be on the rise, officials at local shelters say.

?I?ve never seen anything like this,? said Emory Edwards, executive director of the Palisades Emergency Residence Corp. (PERC) shelter in Union City, which operated at full capacity all summer.

The number of homeless staying at shelters tends to dip in the warm-weather months, but that was not the case this year, homeless advocates say. Many agree that the majority of their clients are working, but just don?t make enough to be able to afford a place to live.

?We?re seeing an economic squeeze,? said Edwards, who provided 13,000 nights of shelter in 2010 and more than 19,000 last year. ?Hudson County is getting more expensive. Without the right level of education, people cannot compete in today?s job market, and there?s a lack of entry-level jobs.


Read more