9/11/2018 – Town Hall Meeting on Workforce and Affordable Housing

The Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice brought together a panel of industry professionals and state leaders for a town hall meeting on September 11 at the Trinity Faith Christian Center Heritage Hall in Lewes.  

Panel members included Sussex County Councilman I.G. Burton, developer Preston Schell, Discover Bank Assistant Community Reinvestment Act Director Amy Walls, and Delaware State Housing Authority Director of Policy and Planning Marlena Gibson.

Burton said a major problem is defining the criteria for workforce and affordable housing.  He added that the county council is not currently doing anything to address the problem, but “I’m here tonight and on the council now to try to change that because it’s only going to get worse.”

According to Gibson, the last health and needs assessment conducted by the Delaware Housing Authority showed significant demand for home ownership and rental housing in Sussex County.  

Walls added that some developers have built rental properties under federal programs for lower-income families in eastern and western Sussex counties, but they have not built many affordable homes for sale.

Schell said he is open to ideas and financing strategies to develop local workforce housing.  He is currently developing workforce housing in Lewes.

During the question and answer session, Walls and Gibson urged the audience to contact state and federal representatives about the lack of affordable and workforce housing.

To view the video of the town hall meeting, click here.

Here is a link to the complete article from the October 2 issue of the Cape Gazette.