Former New Jersey Gov. Richard Codey dabbled in homelessness Monday night, disguising his face with makeup and a fake beard, dressing in shabby clothes, and venturing out on the mean streets of Newark in search of shelter. But turns out it's not easy being a hobo, especially if you are mentally ill. NBC New York reports that Codey was posing as a mentally ill man who had just been released from a psychiatric ward. But after calling more than 20 shelters and care facilities in Newark, he could not find a place to spend the night, and many shelters said they would not accept mentally ill individuals, nor would they accept anyone who was not on welfare.
"The indictment here is of a system that says if you’re male, or have an illness that’s mental, they don’t want you," Codey tells the Star-Ledger. "And if you’re not on a public entitlement program, there’s no bed at the inn." This is troubling for obvious reasons, mainly that 90 percent of the state's homeless population suffer from a mental illness. Codey, who currently serves as a State Senator, says that when seeking shelter he was also repeatedly asked if he was on welfare—and that if he wanted a place to spend the night, he would have to sign over his checks!
Having no luck finding shelter, Codey finally resorted to using a personal connection with the Mental Health Association of Essex County to score a coveted space on the floor at the Goodwill Rescue Mission in downtown Newark. He spent the night alongside 20 other men, and tells NBC New York, "For me it was tough, I sleep on my side so by 3 a.m. my hip was hurting." He was not searched for weapons, despite the fact that police were called to the Goodwill Rescue Mission approximately 60 times last year. "(It was) better than I expected, but sad that your dignity is really taken away by having to sleep on a floor with a small bedroll and a blanket, and that’s it," Codey tells the Star-Ledger. Takeaway: Being homeless sucks, and apparently you need connections to even get a place to sleep on the floor.
