Georgetown, Del., June 4, 2024: Sussex County is framing up another addition to its efforts to build the supply of affordable housing in southern Delaware.

County Council on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, approved $1.6 million in grants from the County’s Housing Trust Fund for projects to build or preserve more than 100 affordable housing units. Three recipients each will receive $500,000 in grants, with another receiving a $100,000 grant, for projects planned in and around Bridgeville, Laurel, Georgetown, Greenwood, Milford, and Milton. Recipients include Cheer Inc., Homes for America, and Sussex County Habitat for Humanity, each earning $500,000, and the Laurel Redevelopment Corp. receiving $100,000.

Established in 2022 to boost the County’s affordable housing stock, the Housing Trust Fund was seeded with more than $6 million in funding, much of that by way of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds from the federal government, to aid individual homebuyers, as well as assist developers and groups working to create more affordable housing options. This is the program’s third round; $2 million in grants were awarded in 2023, on top of the initial $2.5 million in 2022.

“Affordable housing is top of mind for everyone, from buyers and builders to employers and elected leaders,” said Brandy Nauman, director of the County’s Community Development & Housing department. “The County’s continued investment aims to satisfy some of that need.”

Under the developer portion of the trust fund, groups applying for grants must build or rehabilitate housing units, either rentals or owner-occupied, and market them as affordable toward individuals and households meeting income eligibility requirements.

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

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