Burlington County remains proactive in opioid fight and housing
Burlington County’s fight against opioids is getting a financial boost from a recent state settlement with two pharmacy chains and drug makers, officials said.
“We created an advisory board to suggest ways to use opioid settlement funds coming to our county, and our Human Services Department has also secured more than $2.3 million in grants to help fund our prevention and recovery programs,” Burlington County Board of Commissioners Director Felicia Hopson said, adding the county remains committed to the fight against addiction and the stigma that surrounds all mental illness.
“In 2022, we launched our stigma-free county campaign, and by the end of the year, 17 towns and 20 school districts had passed resolutions supporting the initiative,” she added. “That’s a fantastic start, and we’re hoping to get all Burlington County towns and school districts to join by the end of the year.”
Those towns and school districts include Burlington City, Cinnaminson, Delran, Evesham, Florence, Lumberton, Moorestown, Palmyra and Pemberton Township.
“In addition to our stigma-free county campaign, we also opened a second Peer Recovery Center in Burlington City,” Hopson noted. “It supplements the first recovery center, which opened in 2020 in the Human Service Building in Westampton.”
“Both centers provide a place for people recovering from substance abuse disorders to come and receive support and services,” she continued. “By eliminating stigma and making resources available, we’re saving lives and sending a message of hope across Burlington County.”
Under Hopson’s direction, the county board of commissioners has been proactive in providing services to struggling residents, and those efforts will continue.
“When I first took office four years ago, I promised to do everything in my power to make sure that every resident in Burlington County has a roof over their heads,” she explained. “The first step was to create the Housing Hub, which provides a single location for residents experiencing housing problems to get help.
“Since its launch in 2019, the Housing Hub has provided more than 8,000 services to over 2,000 clients, and its success has been extraordinary. But it also speaks to the housing challenges that exist and why we need a permanent shelter where individuals can receive a warm bed, food and support – not just during the frigid cold — but throughout the year.”
Hopson said another goal is for a permanent emergency shelter and that the county is making progress on that.
