homelessness is a growing problem in Ocean County yet it remains one of the few counties in the state that has no homeless shelter but this week an ordinance was passed by the Ocean County Board of Commissioners to create a homelessness trust fund that's an account that will help individuals and families struggling with homelessness by providing rental assistance and so much more and as Ted Goldberg reports for some that support could mean the difference between an apartment or Life Behind Bars I was homeless I actually slept on the park benches for about a week after I got out in October of 2011 and that was how committed I was to not doing anything that was going to put me back in jail or prison Paul Williams has served two prison sentences he says self-determination and resources from Ocean County have kept him off the street and out of prison for the past 12 years it was probably the best taxpayer dollars ever spent on me was putting me up in a stable and decent housing situation and that transitioned into me getting some help to get an apartment and I haven't really looked back since Williams says being homeless played a big role in reoffending Ocean County is hoping a new homelessness trust fund will help keep people like Williams out of trouble I mean men and women don't have a safe decent place to have her to have over their head the there's anything that can happen who knows what could happen uh when survival instincts kick in oh Commissioners have voted to Cree clerk's office they expect to raise between 300 and 400 thousand dollars a year to help provide resources for people experiencing homelessness and to help prevent homelessness the county is New Jersey's 13th to set up this kind of fun the county run homelessness trust fund gives us the ability to look at real-time economics and have great funding flexibility providing help where some State and federally funded programs may not Hud's definition of homelessness and our definition of homelessness is totally different so that's when they don't qualify for assistance so if they're staying at a motel if they're staying and couching on a certain Couchsurfing that doesn't count for homelessness even though technically they're actually homeless they don't they're not eligible for any other services we can use the funds raised by the homelessness more flexibility to provide rental assistance vouchers Supportive Services and Prevention Services Elizabeth Gala leads Family Promise of the Jersey Shore a non-profit that helps with people experiencing homelessness or on the verge of it she says leaders have dragged their feet on this issue in Ocean County one of the few New Jersey counties without a full-time homeless shelter I think in general the county has been not wanting to admit that there's a homeless problem and we're seeing at least for our agency we're seeing over 300 families a month that are in need so clearly there's a problem after a quick vote director McCarron yes I'm making unanimous God bless you all thank you the trust fund became official earning praise from homelessness Advocates who stopped by Wednesday's meeting I'm so proud to hear what I'm hearing today um I'm happy I'm a happy guy and I appreciate what all of you have done this is Justice Carson um because this is adding some money and but we have to do much more it's so overjoying to see this because it needs to happen um you know ocean county is moving in a good direction I don't get really excited when the government says that they're here to help um but I have to say that this is absolutely a step in the right direction the ordinance does not allow for funds to be used for a permanent shelter something Advocates want to see created down the line fees for the fund go into effect on September 1st in Toms River I'm Ted Goldberg NJ Spotlight News [Music]