Some who had gone there were pushed into the Backwoods encampment, which is not visible from the road. Camden County believes the area is owned, in part, by NJ Transit.
Advocates for the homeless say they would like to see less focus on herding people and more on addressing substance abuse, mental illness, and the lack of affordable housing, issues that can lead to living on the street.
"We should be working together to figure out the best way to utilize the money we have available," said Allison Recca-Ryan, president of the New Jersey Advocacy Network to End Homelessness.
She said Camden County freeholders should follow the lead of more than a half-dozen New Jersey counties and create a Homeless Trust Fund, which would pay for housing and other programs via a $3 fee on documents recorded by county officials.
The freeholders have said they were "keenly aware" of the homeless problem, but called the fee the equivalent of a tax. County officials would prefer to distribute federal, state, and county money for programs and services, they said this spring.
Contact staff writer Matt Katz
at 856-779-3919 or mkatz@phillynews.com.
