The mission of Project H.O.P.E. is to improve the health and well being of homeless persons and others i n need within the greater Camden, New Jersey area by providing primary, preventative, and related health services.
Project H.O.P.E., Inc. serves the medical and social needs of the homeless population in Camden County, particularly Camden City. The City of Camden is the largest urban center in southern New Jersey, with a population of 78,675 residents, and is ranked as the most economically depressed city in New Jersey and one of the most economically depressed cities in the United States. For the past thirteen years Project H.O.P.E. has fulfilled its mission by assisting more than 11,000 homeless persons in their journey to permanent housing and self-sufficiency. Project H.O.P.E. is unique in that it is the only provider of medical services specifically for the homeless in Camden County and one of five Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) homeless projects in New Jersey. In 2010, Project H.O.P.E. had a total of 6,691 encounters for 1,773 unduplicated homeless patients. The outreach team was responsible for 1,337 outreach contacts. More than 60 percent of Camden’s residents receive some form of public assistance, and an estimated 29,000 residents live below the poverty level. Camden is also ranked as the second most dangerous city in the United States according to CQ Press. According to the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, in one year, fifty-five percent of all Camden residents visited the emergency department, compared to the national rate in United States cities, which is approximately 25-30%. Project H.O.P.E. serves the medical and social service needs of the homeless population in Camden County, particularly Camden City. In 2007, according to the Continuum of Care Survey, there were 666,295 homeless persons in the United States and 17,314 homeless individuals in the state of New Jersey. Camden, the poorest city in New Jersey and one of the most economically depressed cities in the nation, has a homeless population of over 3,700 men, women and children living on the streets, in shelters, transitional housing or doubled up with family or friends. |
 Project H.O.P.E. Executive Director/CEO Patricia |
Given the intense need that these staggering statistics portray, financial and social barriers often render primary health care services inaccessible for the homeless of Camden. As the only healthcare provider specifically for homeless individuals in Camden County, Project H.O.P.E. is working to dismantle these barriers thereby increasing access to primary health care services for the homeless by increasing the enabling services that are being offered.
