TOMS RIVER, NJ — On Saturday, approximately 100 protesters gathered at Toms River Town Hall, demanding township’s approval for a plan to transform Christ Episcopal Church into a homeless shelter. The rally, supported by Toms River Councilman Tom Nivison, also backed a larger, county-led initiative to build a massive homeless shelter complex on Route 9, also known as Route 166 in that neighborhood, a bustling thoroughfare in Toms River.
The protest outlined deep local divisions over how to address homelessness in Ocean County.
The Ocean County Board of Commissioners, spearheaded by Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore, has championed the Route 9 shelter project as a solution to house homeless individuals countywide.
It has been alleged that Gilmore had a concept plan with Jack Morris, a developer with close ties to the chairman, to which Gilmore later admitted was in an early phase of planning. Now, that plan is being championed by local and county officials who want to create a homeless complex in the township.
The proposed complex would centralize county and region-wide homeless services in Toms River, a move proponents argue would streamline support for the region’s unhoused population.
However, Toms River officials have fiercely opposed the plan, accusing Gilmore and county GOP leaders of exacerbating the local homelessness crisis. Township leaders specifically point to a soup kitchen operated by Jon Bon Jovi, claiming it attracts homeless individuals from beyond Toms River, straining local resources.
That JBJ Soul Kitchen’s lease is about to expire and it’s uncertain whether or not county officials will renew the lease.
At the heart of the more pressing controversy is Christ Episcopal Church, affiliated with a far-left D.C. pastor known for progressive activism.
The church is seeking a variance to convert part of its facility into a homeless shelter. That application is before the township’s zoning board.
The rally featured impassioned speeches, including remarks from Councilman Nivison, who urged township officials to support both the church’s shelter plan and the county’s Route 9 proposal. “We need real solutions for those struggling in our community,” Nivison said, echoing calls for compassion-driven policies.
Toms River’s resistance stems from concerns about the potential impact of a large shelter on the township’s infrastructure and quality of life.
Township officials argue that centralizing homeless services in Toms River unfairly burdens the community, particularly along the already congested Route 9 corridor.
The soup kitchen, operated by Jon Bon Jovi’s JBJ Soul Kitchen, has become a lightning rod in the debate, with critics alleging it draws transients to the area.
Mayor Rodrick has publicly blamed Gilmore and his sidekick, Ocean County Commissioner Robert Arace of using the issue to create a political divide between Republicans and to create a perception of homelessness in Toms River by importing homeless to the downtown center.
Gilmore denied those claims, but Rodrick said Gilmore could also be seeking to profit from the homeless industrial complex by using federal grants to turn the homeless issue into a profit center for the chairman.
The controversy also carries a political undercurrent.
Some opponents have drawn tenuous connections between the shelter push and broader progressive agendas, citing the activism of Christ Episcopal Church’s leadership. The church’s pastor has been linked to progressive causes, though no direct ties were confirmed to Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, D.C., who gained attention in 2020 for criticizing then-President Donald Trump during a National Cathedral prayer service.
While the county’s proposal aims to consolidate services, Toms River officials advocate for a more distributed approach, arguing that other municipalities should share responsibility. No timeline for a decision on the shelter proposals has been announced, leaving the issue unresolved.
