Trenton's Heroin, Opioid, and Homelessness Crisis

This narrative is seeking to share and educate Trenton readers about this writer's day to day experience with our city's heroin, opioid and homelessness crisis - and some of my views about identifying more substantive pathways to positively mitigate some of the challenges it creates. Admittedly, I am not living with people impacted by the barriers they face, but I encounter their auras everyday. I hope this writing and advocacy will demonstrate, expose and particularly, be heard by the stewards responsible for managing these types of social problems in our city; the police, the CEASe Center, the Board of Directors at the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness, HomeFront, the Rescue Mission, mental health providers and others - that they may know, what we are currently doing, is not working - it is failing miserably. This is not to discount the work these valued groups are doing - but it is to unequivocally state, we have to do better. The city's revitalization hinges on it.

I have four or five real life capsules to share. In each, there are interwoven threads of despair and hopelessness, limited autonomy and dehumanization, and a lack of real time support in perpetuity, because of inadequate or failed responses to people in the vortex of these epidemics.

TAG Resources Inc., is housed at the Conservatory Mansion on East State Street, one block from the Transit Center. Adjacent to the Mansion, going west before North Clinton Avenue is an aqueduct that sits next to the building DOE has recently leased; it's a place of respite for the local wildlife during the summer - unbelievably groundhogs, rabbits, skunks, hawks, many manner of song birds, snakes and others. Next to this aqueduct, if you will, at the rear of lots 546 and 544 I do believe, and contiguous to the Assemblies of God parking lot on the other side of the back fence UNDER THE TREES - there are two tents that are housing drug sales, prostitution/traffiking (?) and very much transient activity.

These domiciles are not visible from the street. People are walking across the empty lots and under the trees to conduct their business. On 10/10, a week ago, two cars, driven by two Caucasian or Hispanic men (I don't know which) who gave a young black youth about 16 - 21 years of age, a pillow as he left one vehicle and then proceeded to walk into the encampment. I caught pictures of him leaving the tent with another gentlemen; they seemed to be gathering different belongings and going back and forth. The cars hung around for an extended period of time - but I couldn't watch them all afternoon. This young man is still there as of this publishing; he's been visited twice this week by his "support system."

At the time, I was witnessing, approximately for the 15th occasion (a conservative estimate) this type of activity. It's been going on for months. It has also been confirmed that a homeless guy, an adult white male, who comes to bi-weekly feedings in the Mansion parking lot was staying there. That situation has now morphed into something else that needs to be rooted out - it was one tent then, now its two. Groups of more than four and up to 10 or twelve have been seen going in and out. I have reported the problem to an officer in the North Ward who was in the State parking lot one Sunday morning a month ago. I have sent a request and notice to the My Block/Crime Registration page on the Trenton Police Department website with the details above - crickets.

I have notified the North Ward Council person with the same information along with pics galore... to her credit, she did advise me that my observation was forwarded to the Police Director, but nothing seems to have transpired and the problem is getting worse. Next steps will be to deliver these concerns before Council this Thursday evening and to send the Trentonian my album of pics and this commentary. I hopefully will have an opportunity to speak directly with Director Medina.

The people going in and out of these tents are of every hue

and gender; they are transient and in need of services. Because they are at risk, our community is at risk.

Addiction at this level, knows no loyalties - it only knows the next fix. After these individuals assault their own bodies and personal space within their own development cycle; after they impact their families, and the children at the day care center on the corner of State and Clinton who pass them everyday - it is the business owners, Trenton visitors and employees of the City and State who pay the costs by having to manage the risks of crime, increased vagrancy, litter and a reduced quality of life for the contributing members of our municipality.

I am not going to delve deep into empirical evidence and data to support these assertions; I have the pictures and the agencies mentioned above have the data; what I am applying here is my voice. Those of you who read this, who are Trentonians, have your own stories to tell. These dire straits get worse when coupled with the homelessness and housing crisis that exists here city wide, and in other parts of NJ.

Behind the Bell Building, near the now locally infamous tire repository at the Bank of America building, in the alley between Hanover and East State, there are make shift living situations where dope is being sold as well; "u alright?" the woman asked as the brother next to her stated "weed, coke and dope," after I walked by them (the site in the lead pic above). This is right in the back of the 222 East State Street, outside of the old City of Trenton, Community and Social Services/Department of Health and Human Services offices, where I was a Program Specialist, under GCADA and OSAPE funding during Palmer's incumbency before Mercer County grabbed Trenton's drug prevention money some years back. Ironic that they're behind that building, isn't it?

The police patrol for the North Ward is not aware of this activity, in what is bandied as one of the premier development sites in the city? The Arts District? I've long bitched about art on walls not being a viable replacement for building the social capital of people and it certainly is no replacement for police patrols in places where residents tell them dope is being sold. You've got my name and address. I am not afraid to be identified as an advocate. Do something.

Let's add to this deteriorating scenario, the transient (this really is not the right word, though I keep using it, as transiency is impermanent; and the wellness of or lack thereof, of many of the individuals described in this writing, is not temporary), but never the less, the transient hub is the train station... the premier gateway to our city. It is a go to point for the disenfranchised from all over the region, from Philadelphia and areas far North of Trenton. The panhandling never ceases, the filth outside and around the station is ever accumulating, even after cleaning. The traumas and acting out with members of the public is available for all to see. I myself have stopped a drunk and very high panhandler from harassing white female visitors for change in McDonald's, these ladies were obviously in fear - not sure how much of it was real - but never the less; Mr. Man was out of order.

See, after the drugs are bought under the tents, and behind the buildings in the Arts District, the Historic Cemetery entrance and outside the train station on Wallenberg Avenue, are the places to nod. Further downtown, it's the Veteran's Park on Broad and State and under the overhang on the defunct Parking Authority Building directly across from Mill Hill Park. These depictions are the impacts of addiction and the effects of lack of response for incalcitrant homelessness, that Trentonians are faced with. They illustrate, in my opinion, the underbelly of the drug economy and its effect on the community - and they indicate that the current constellation of resources and coordination is failing; I must repeat that.

Then there is Jay. Jay is a 54 year old white gentlemen who has been sleeping in the causeway or pedestrian path adjacent to the parking lot behind the unemployment office. Jay is a nice enough man, who has been sleeping on a metal bench, directly in front of the rear entrance of the State and WPVI offices for the last year or so. Before that, he slept in Robert Torricelli's parking lot, directly across from the Station, for only God knows how long. I feed him when I can, provide comfort and cigarettes when I have the resources, space and time. He is filthy, but a gentle enough soul. I don't know him very well, but we converse on occasion. I've asked him if he could get services, what help would he need? Jay is very critical of local services that are provided for people in his situation. I have sent direct requests to CEASe to address his concerns following their last large infusion of cash... three million or so - crickets. Jay had nothing nice to say about CEASe.

Jay is somewhere on the continuum of mental illness, but he clearly has a lot of sense about not wanting to pursue improving his circumstance within the constellation of local referrals and government resources for the homeless; and now after getting to know him a little, it is clear, he has just given up. He has a distended belly that requires medical attention; I thought it was a hernia, but he called it something else that I cannot recall. He is a veteran and says he has not been treated fairly by the VA either. He speaks of his academic degrees and involvement in politics with fervor and authority, dropping different names. Jay needs help or he will die on that bench. I've watched him for at least four winters now.

Or I could tell you about Chris... I met Chris in my own sojourn through homelessness, which is actually how I began the bartering of my caretaker services at the Conservatory a couple of years ago, for a place to stay and to house my business. Chris some years ago, seemed healthier and more vibrant; when he would stand at the door inside of Dunkin Donuts. It is clear to me that he has been battling alcoholism and has begun to saunter into the more regressive stages of the disease. I assist him as well, when I can. I told him of the hiring being done by Snelling at the Conservatory and elsewhere; on the spot; seems everyone gets hired; with transportation to the warehouse everyday - he's yet to stop by... I suspect he's in a place in the disease where he drinks before he eats and cannot function without ingesting.

He sleeps at the Rescue Mission and has taken to sitting on the patio at City Hall behind the bus stop recently. He says he's close to getting SSD and an apartment. There are many others... Some years ago, when living in East Trenton, I watched two small Central American men, who would sleep on Chambers Street, on the porch of an abandoned house under some blankets... My heart would break for these guys, under prepared for the economy, with language barriers; and bonafide alcoholics who needed to pass out to sleep outside in the dead of winter cold.

I too have slept on floors, in locker rooms, well concealed, in the lion's den, for many months, because there was no other choice. I was homeless, but was heated, grateful and protected, always hungry and too often despondent. Many days, I was ready to sign off. But I have since learned, for me at least, it was a time of pruning and development, character building and consciousness raising. A time of re-calibrating needs, wants and learning to establish spiritual and metaphysical priorities for self. I was a bit distracted running a campaign, for nary to nothing; and for a long time was feeling defeated. But I have learned the benefits of a mantra my mother in-law stressed upon me, many years ago... "sometimes less is more."

I guess that patch of homelessness, clearly the most critical and debilitating, I had ever faced; with no support system and a lot of pride, for I had learned to live well and had done well for a kid from the Bronx, not knowing his birth parents, a ward of state. But even in the most dire situations, I had the benefit of stealth, poise, research on how to survive, street wisdom, opportunity... a masterful tongue, and let's not forget, I have marketable skills that are in demand. Some people took advantage of those, and others helped in their way, but in the interim, my constitution was strengthened and I've learned I have some fight left in me... today, I am fighting for the homeless and addicted, dammit.

I understand the people I've described have to want change, but others must understand that a collective vision for how to change Trenton's current challenges with homelessness and addiction must come to fruition, or we will all be living with the impact of lives out of control; day in and day out. TAG Resources is incrementally impacted because of its location at the Mansion, though we are clear these epidemics are citywide.

Surely, there are other models and pathways for investigating the re-purposing and calibration of our continuum of care in the City - toward something that works? I applaud the Tiny Houses investigation and planning that has begun here; it's at least - a start. Another, might be encouraging the Rescue Mission to take some of that new money and develop private or equity revenue streams to provide long term housing for clients with mental health and daily living needs support, including drug abuse counseling.

Perhaps a conversation can be had with Amtrak's community development offices to design a strategy that might reduce the concentration of homelessness around the Transit Center. The monthly or bi weekly gathering of service providers is nice, but what happens after that initial contact; what is the follow up? Is there training and resources for Amtrak police officers to be able to facilitate referrals and intakes at some of the city's shelters and with mental health providers? Are there dedicated slots for these type of referrals? And while we're asking Amtrak for things, why not remind them of the gas leak problem on the Chestnut Street Bridge going over the tracks? Amtrak needs to invest in the City of Trenton better than it has been doing. The homelessness crisis around the Transit Center should be leveraged as a strategic point of discussion by our City's Departments of Health/Human Services and Housing/Economic Development.

Lastly, where is the commitment to helping men in this city? There are far too many men who are displaced, addicted, under employed, under trained, soliciting or in the worst cases, preying on the people of our city? I know UIH Family Partners is doing their best work to attack this issue one man at a time, but more is needed. A constellation of services needs to be provided for men 16 - 65 who are caught in cascading chronic underachievement in this city - many of whom are abusing drugs, under adjudication and/or are homeless. This is one area where I think more research is needed in developing strategic interventions and policy guidance that works. The others, specifically homelessness, heroin and the opioid usage, as matters requiring attention, have goo gobs of empirical data and case studies to support interventions. The people with influence in these sometimes parasitic industries, need to revamp their play book and think differently about serving the needs of Trenton citizen's and then commit to crafting a collective response with dedicated resources; less administrative overhead, and more service delivery.

I don't believe the problem is a failure of resources - if thought leaders are creative. I think its a failure of commitment. Trenton is a poverty economy. So for all the accolades given to works and accomplishments of the many members of our local and regional social services matrix, the organizational outcomes are ultimately designed (and perhaps not on purpose), but nevertheless, to elevate perpetual existence of the entity, its administration, its growth and ability to touch people, not necessarily solve the particular social problem. A paradigm shift will be required. In the mean time, can the police and someone from the the City come get the dope fiends and the tents from under the trees?