Everyone needs a place to rest their head, and that has been the firm belief of the PERC Homeless Shelter in Union City since its inception.
PERC, located at 108 36th St., which offers emergency housing for Hudson County’s homeless population, and just last week opened Hudson County’s first family shelter, which will provide emergency housing for a full family unit.
“I feel like I just gave birth, this is like my baby,” said Matt Kamin, director of PERC, last week. Kamin, who first came to PERC (Palisades Emergency Residence Corporation) over two years ago, had envisioned this family shelter from day one.
“I am extraordinarily proud,” said Kamin. “This apartment will make a needy family feel really good, coming from the streets to actually having somewhere nice to stay.”
Construction for the project began in July and took four months to complete, but had been in the works for almost two and a half years.
PERC was awarded a grant of about $90,000 for the shelter from the Department of Community Affairs on New Jersey (DCA) two years ago, and it was delivered to them earlier this year.
PERC’s Family Shelter, which will currently house one family, will eventually house a maximum of two families including a single parent with a child, and a full family with two parents and multiple kids.
Some final inspections by the city are pending, and then PERC’s first family should be ready for move-in this December.
All the comforts of home
The two-floor property acquired for the shelter, which also houses the shelter’s thrift store, is adjacent to the main shelter.
The shelter apartment comes fully furnished with hardwood floors in the living room, tile throughout the kitchen and bathroom, and carpeting in the bedrooms. The kitchen is also fully stocked with appliances and food.
There are also homeless shelters in Hoboken and Jersey City, but they are for single men and women. St. Lucy’s Shelter in Jersey City also can refer women with children to Hope House in Jersey. Families can qualify for low-rent apartments at St. Jude’s in Jersey City. There are six apartments with a number of families on the waiting list.
There is also a waiting list for PERC’s family shelter, and Kamin stresses that it is still a shelter and does not provide an emergency solution.
“It’s on an emergency basis, if you are out on the street and have nowhere to go,” said Kamin. “It will vary on a case by case basis, but we would like [people to stay for] a maximum of three months. Case workers, which we have hired just for the family shelter, will also be meeting with the family and working with them intensely.”
PERC will also be offering all the same services as in the main shelter, including educational workshops and after-school care for the kids, starting in January.
“This is just the start; this is a drop in the bucket,” said Kamin. “[At the moment] this only house one full family, and it is not addressing the issue of the county.”
PERC is looking at the families on the waiting list to assess their needs.
PERC is also currently working on 34 units of affordable housing for some of their needy patrons.
Design
Contracted for the project was Taborda Construction, who came highly recommended by the county.
“As soon as they told me that it was for a shelter, I decided to get involved,” said Gustavo Taborda, general manager. “It makes you feel good to know you are doing something to help others, and we were there to help in everything.”
“He’s been the most incredible guy for this project, and he did so many extra things for us,” said Kamin. “Everything is brand new from the roof to the basement,” said Taborda. “There is a new heating system and insulation, new windows, new roof, and even new siding outside.”
He added, “Matt also picked out the colors for each room to make it a different and comfortable environment.” For more information, call PERC at (201) 348-8150 or check out www.PERCshelter.org. The shelter is located at 108 36th St.