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New Jersey homeless population increases amid threat of funding cuts

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New Jersey homeless population increases amid threat of funding cuts


From Camden and Cherry Hill to Trenton and the Jersey Shore, what about life in New Jersey do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know.

Homelessness isn’t just a problem in New Jersey cities. It’s impacting many suburban areas as well, but it may be less visible if people without homes congregate in wooded areas and behind shopping centers. Five years ago, 8,097 people were identified as being unhoused during a federally mandated point-in-time count that is conducted annually. Last year, that number spiked to 13,748, an increase of almost 70%.

Data collected during the count, which took place Feb. 4, is used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to determine federal and state assistance for people who are homeless.

Some homeless individuals find shelter from freezing temperatures in train stations, on buses and in warming centers, while others remain outside with their belongings in shopping carts and bags.

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Crystal DeLeon spends much of her time sitting outside a laundromat on the Trenton-Ewing border. She said she has been living on the street for seven years and she cannot go to a shelter because of a spinal issue, but she feels happy to be alive.

“I’m emotionally shook that I made it, because I’m not even supposed to be standing, because I can’t move from here right now,” she said.

Some homeless individuals will ride NJ Transit buses to keep warm during the winter. (David Matthau/WHYY)

Tip of the iceberg

The actual number of people without a home is much higher than the number of people who get counted, said Kasey Vienckowski, leader of the Homeless Planning Team at Monarch Housing Associates. The nonprofit organization assists communities with plans to end homelessness and expand affordable housing.

“They are avoiding service providers, or sometimes during the coldest of the winter months they may find some place to temporarily shelter,” Vienckowski said.

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She said individuals who couch surf, going from friend to friend for a place to sleep for days or weeks on end, are not technically counted as homeless because they are sleeping in a permanent residence for a period of time.

Taiisa Kelly, Monarch’s CEO, agreed that the point-in-time count, which has been done for more than a decade, is really just the tip of the homeless iceberg.

“It does provide a consistent assessment of trends over time, but it doesn’t provide a comprehensive picture of every single person experiencing homelessness,” she said.

Each county has a point-in-time coordinator, and when the count is conducted, multiple teams are dispatched to shelters, parks, train stations, soup kitchens, homeless encampments and other areas, asking individuals where they slept the previous night and offering them referrals to warming centers and various assistance programs.



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Dan Levy’s new Netflix comedy ‘Big Mistakes’ was filmed at these New Jersey locations

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Dan Levy’s new Netflix comedy ‘Big Mistakes’ was filmed at these New Jersey locations


Filming Big Mistakes in New Jersey was no mistake at all.

The Netflix comedy series, which debuted earlier this month, has already hit the streaming service’s Global Top 10 English TV List, making it one of the most-watched shows out right now.

As per Netflix, the comedy series co-created, executive produced, written and starring Emmy winner Dan Levy, follows Nicky (Levy) and Morgan (Taylor Ortega), two deeply incapable siblings who are in over their heads when a misguided theft for their dying grandmother accidentally pulls them into the world of organized crime. Blackmailed into increasingly dangerous assignments, they clumsily fail upwards, sinking deeper into chaos they’re ill-equipped to handle. The dark comedy, which has only eight episodes, has a 79% on Rotten Tomatoes so far. 

RECOMMENDED: Where was ‘Beef’ season 2 filmed? Behind the locations of the dark Netflix comedy

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Set in the fictional New Jersey suburb of Glenview, the series was fittingly filmed primarily in numerous towns and cities in New Jersey, including Caldwell, Cranford, Franklin Lakes, Irvington, Jersey City, Union, Warren and Weehawken for a total of 40 filming locations. (The cartel storyline in Episode 7 was shot in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where its coastline and architecture doubled as Miami’s waterfront, luxury estates and yacht life.)

“I’ve really enjoyed shooting in New Jersey,” location manager Mia Thompson said. “We have quite a number of recurring locations that have all just been wonderful—not only the home owners, but the business owners, the towns, the local police, the local fire departments, the town clerks. It’s been a really great experience.”

More than 300 cast and crew and 500 vendors took part in the production. Ortega, who plays Morgan, is actually a New Jersey native and was surprised to film in her backyard.

“It was surreal getting to film in my home state,” she said. “I grew up in New Jersey and was obsessed with film and television and never thought I’d be returning home for such a major project and moment in my life.”

The show filmed the scenes at Morelli’s Hardware, run by Nicky and Morgan’s mom (Laurie Metcalf), at Edison Millwork & Hardware, a more than 50-year-old, family-owned hardware store in Edison.

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Photograph: Spencer Pazer, courtesy Netflix | Big Mistakes filmed at a mom-and-pop hardware store in New Jersey

“It’s one of the few mom and pop hardware stores that are left anywhere, really, so it was really great to find this location that fits very perfectly with our story,” Thompson said.

The show was also filmed at Wyoming Presbyterian Church in Millburn—the backdrop for Nicky’s day job as a pastor and his living space. 

Big Mistakes filmed at a real church in New Jersey. Dan Levy is pictured behind the camera in his pastor costume
Photograph: Spencer Pazer, courtesy Netflix | Big Mistakes filmed at a real church in New Jersey

“We’ve utilized every inch of space of that church inside and out,” said Thompson. “They’ve enjoyed the experience just as much as we have.”

Other spots they filmed at include Deerfield School, Essex County Airport, Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, Hatfield Swamp, Springfield Municipal Building and the Crystal Inn in Eatontown.

Big Mistakes on location at the inn
Photograph: Spencer Pazer, courtesy Netflix | Big Mistakes on location at the inn

“One thing about New Jersey is that it’s so diverse. The various neighborhoods offer different kinds of looks and aesthetics,” said Thompson. “You have everything that you could ask for.”

See Jersey in all eight episodes, streaming now on Netflix.



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ACLU featured at Bruce Springsteen No Kings show in New Jersey

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ACLU featured at Bruce Springsteen No Kings show in New Jersey


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There will be No Kings at the Monday, April 20 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band show at the Prudential Center in Newark but the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey will be there.

The group will be the “featured organization” for the New Jersey stop of the band’s Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour.

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“We’re honored to have the opportunity to work with New Jersey’s own Bruce Springsteen to advocate for the rights and freedoms that all people deserve,” said ACLU-NJ Executive Director Amol Sinha in statement. “This moment requires all of us, and we are grateful to Bruce, who is using his platform to fight against authoritarianism and for our rights. We share a love for New Jersey and a desire to make the Garden State safer and freer for everyone who calls it home. Our team is thrilled to connect with everyone who shares our mission to protect and defend civil liberties, and who knows the power that art and music have to change the world.”

Springsteen said the American Dream is under attack by “our wannabe king and his rogue government” when he announced the tour on Feb. 17. Promotional posters for the tour features the phrase “No Kings,” a reflection of the national anti-President Donald Trump protests that have taken place in the last year.

The tour kickoff was March 31 at the Target Center in Minneapolis and it included 27 songs over three hours. The show also featured some direct talk from Springsteen on the state of the country. The setlist included the newly composed “Streets of Minneapolis,” written after the fatal shooting by federal agents of Renee Good and Alex Pretti of Minneapolis in January.

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ACLU-NJ representatives will be at the Prudential Center to talk to concertgoers about its work. The American Civil Liberties Union previously released an ad with the Springsteen classic “Born in the U.S.A.” featured on the eve of the Supreme Court case where the ACLU is challenging the President Trump’s executive order attempting to overturn the current interpretation of 14th Amendment, which grants automatic citizenship to those born in the U.S. regardless of their parents’ legal status.

Visit www.aclu-nj.org for more info on the ACLU-NJ.

Subscribe to app.com for the latest on the New Jersey music scene.

Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at cjordan@app.com



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NJ Lottery Pick-3, Pick-4, Cash 5, Millionaire for Life winning numbers for Sunday, April 19

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The New Jersey Lottery offers multiple draw games for people looking to strike it rich.

Here’s a look at April 19, 2026, results for each game:

Pick-3

Midday: 8-7-3, Fireball: 9

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Evening: 5-0-8, Fireball: 0

Check Pick-3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick-4

Midday: 4-7-7-9, Fireball: 9

Evening: 5-9-7-8, Fireball: 0

Check Pick-4 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Jersey Cash 5

20-25-35-38-45, Xtra: 35

Check Jersey Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Millionaire for Life

32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Quick Draw

Drawings are held every four minutes. Check winning numbers here.

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Cash Pop

Drawings are held every four minutes. Check winning numbers here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the New Jersey Lottery drawings held?

  • Pick-3: 12:59 p.m. and 10:57 p.m. daily.
  • Pick-4: 12:59 p.m. and 10:57 p.m. daily.
  • Jersey Cash 5: 10:57 p.m. daily.
  • Pick-6: 10:57 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
  • Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a New Jersey Sr Breaking News Editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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