Georgetown, Del., Jan. 10, 2008: Brandy Bennett is like many young Americans: a recent college graduate now starting a career in the real world.

Finishing school, finding a job and buying a new house are often top priorities for young professionals like Ms. Bennett. It’s buying a new house, though, that can be among the most daunting tasks, especially for new professionals with entry-level incomes in a market of inflated real estate prices.

As Sussex County’s new housing coordinator, it will be Ms. Bennett’s job to help those and other moderate income Sussex Countians achieve the American dream of homeownership.

Since Nov. 1, Ms. Bennett has been on the job in Sussex County’s Community Development & Housing Department, where she oversees the County’s Moderately Priced Housing Unit initiative. The pilot program was established in 2006 to help residents buy new homes in a market where the median home price now stands at $260,000.

A native of Milton, Del., Ms. Bennett said she was fortunate enough to find a job locally that allowed her to move back to her hometown with her family. But many of her friends are facing difficulties trying to find jobs that pay well enough for them to move into homes of their own.

“I know the stress associated with entering the real world,” Ms. Bennett said. “Once you graduate, you sort of ask yourself, ‘Now what?’ ”

“You have to decide where you’re going to work, what you’re going to do, and where you’re going to live,” Ms. Bennett added. “I hope that as the new housing coordinator for Sussex County, this will allow me to alleviate some of the stress for young professionals like myself who are trying to answer those questions.”

Sussex County in early 2006 adopted its Moderately Priced Housing Unit ordinance to encourage developers to incorporate affordable housing in their projects. The goal was to open up the path to homeownership for teachers, police officers and various other middle-income workers.

The voluntary program allows developers to receive density bonuses for their projects, as well as expedited reviews of their plans. In exchange, developers must pledge at least 15 percent of their units will be priced within County guidelines of affordability. The program has already attracted three applications that could yield as many as 500 homes in the next few years, and the County is looking for even more applications in 2008.

Bill Lecates, director of the Community Development & Housing Department, said he believes Ms. Bennett brings the right perspective to the position.

“Brandy could be the poster-person for the MPHU program: a young, local professional wanting to continue to live and work in Sussex County,” Mr. Lecates said. “I believe that gives her the motivation and the passion to see this program through, and make it a success.”

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