Georgetown, Del., March 19, 2024: The foundation to support more affordable housing in Sussex County is firming up with another block of funds.

Sussex County’s Community Development & Housing office on April 1 will begin taking applications from groups that develop new or preserve existing affordable housing. The program, known as the Housing Trust Fund, is one way the County promotes access to and preservation of affordable housing. Developers, groups, and others working toward increasing the affordable housing stock in Sussex County can apply for up to $500,000 grants, with the promise their projects will serve a defined customer base.

Meantime, direct settlement assistance funds continue to be available for individual Sussex County homebuyers through the Housing Trust Fund. Under the program, qualified households can apply for forgivable loans up to $30,000 for help with downpayment and closing costs.

Two million dollars in funding – by way of the federal government’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) relief package to Sussex County – will be available to applicants in the latest round, the third since the program launched in spring 2022. In all, the County has allocated nearly $6 million in ARPA funds for the Trust Fund since its inception, assisting nearly 65 homebuyers, as well as supporting the preservation or creation of more than 175 new affordable units.

“The response to the Housing Trust Fund has been enormous, and we look for that to continue with this latest round,” Community Development & Housing Director Brandy Nauman said.

For more information on the program, visit www.sussexcountyde.gov/housing-trust-fund.

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