Report: Homelessness up 40% in Sussex County

SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. – A new report suggests homelessness went down throughout Delaware in 2019, but that wasn’t the case in Sussex County, where the rate increased by 40%.

The report by Housing Alliance Delaware says in Sussex County, 181 people were homeless during a one-night check in.

The report also suggests that homelessness disproportionately impacts African Americans in the first state.

Jim Martin, who runs the Shepherd’s Office in Georgetown, says one way to tackle the homelessness issue in Sussex County is to look at zoning ordinances and building codes.

“The single family home zoning thing is not working anymore, we have to open it up and create multi-home zoning and duplexes and triplexes in higher densities,” Martin said.

Overall in 2019, Delaware as a whole saw a 15% reduction in homelessness from 2018.