ARPA funds go to Sussex housing, homeless groups

Four Sussex County nonprofit housing and homeless organizations will receive more than $5.5 million in the latest round of American Rescue Plan Act funding.

The funding announced July 24 will provide:

• More than $2.4 million to the Springboard Collaborative to support the organization’s initiatives to build shelter villages for homeless adults in southern and central Delaware in low-income areas hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The collaborative coordinated the building and management of a homeless transitional village in Georgetown

• $2.5 million to Children & Families First to support an extensive renovation of its Seaford House transitional residence. Seaford House serves youth in foster care who receive round-the-clock support from specially trained staff who provide therapy, case management and life skills training. Planned expansion and upgrades include adding bedrooms to allow for single-occupancy rooms, improving HVAC systems to support appropriate ventilation, building outdoor spaces to accommodate services and recreation, and more

• $470,000 to the Delmarva Clergy United in Social Action Foundation in Ellendale for renovations to expand the number of beds to keep homeless people off the streets in Sussex County

• $350,000 to the Home of the Brave in Milford to renovate the facility to serve more homeless veterans and provide services to homeless veterans in Delaware, including individual case management, mental health counseling, life skills training and educational services.

The act was championed by Delaware’s congressional delegation – Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons, along with Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester. ARPA was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021.

“These capital funds are already at work to build a better future for the next generation of Delawareans. You can see it in our libraries and community centers across the state,” said Gov. John Carney. “The projects will assist some of our most vulnerable neighbors – those dealing with lack of safe and affordable housing. I want to thank the congressional delegation for their advocacy and look forward to seeing significant results from these investments.”

“The American Rescue Plan continues to deliver to help our most vulnerable residents in Delaware,” Carper said. “This will help organizations on the front lines of helping shelter and uplift our homeless.”

“Three years after its passage, the American Rescue Plan is still paying dividends for Delaware communities with the greatest need,” Coons said. “These investments will help build and restore facilities serving families, individuals and veterans experiencing homelessness, and ensure that more of our neighbors can find safe, decent and affordable housing.”

“We know that housing is foundational to everything, from education to employment. That’s why the investment is so critical because it’s going to help give individuals, families and veterans the resources they need not just to survive but to thrive with dignity,” Blunt Rochester said.

Learn more about the Capital Project Fund investments in Delaware at de.gov/cpf.