With temperatures in Essex County expected to fall below freezing through Monday, December 8, New Jersey officials have issued a Code Blue alert for nighttime hours, from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
The Livingston Senior/Community Center at 204 Hillside Avenue will remain open during its regular business hours. The center is available as a resource for residents seeking shelter from the cold.
Additional warming centers and shelters are available throughout Essex County. These include the Irvington Neighborhood Improvement Corp. at 346 16th Avenue in Irvington, which accepts single men and women; Joi’s Angels at 114 S. Arlington Avenue in East Orange, also accepting single men and women; and the YMCA of Newark & Vicinity at 600 Broad Street in Newark, which serves single adults as well as families.
A Code Blue alert is declared when temperatures drop below freezing and conditions threaten the safety of unsheltered individuals. During these periods, agencies across New Jersey work together to provide access to shelter for people experiencing homelessness. “When temperatures drop below freezing and conditions pose a threat to unsheltered individuals, a network of agencies throughout New Jersey help people obtain shelter. During times such as these, County Offices of Emergency Management together with municipal government will often initiate and communicate a Code Blue Alert which enables authorities to make shelter arrangements for adults experiencing homelessness. The shelter arrangements may include the opening of Warming Centers for this specific need. The Code Blue activations, deactivations, and Warming Center listings that you find on this page are based on what NJ 211 receives from the individual counties,” according to information provided by local authorities.
For further assistance or information about available resources during Code Blue alerts, residents can call the Statewide Homeless Hotline by dialing 2-1-1 or 877-652-1148 (or 1-877-746-5211 if using a rotary phone). Additional details can be found online at https://www.nj211.org/njcodeblue.
