Governor Meyer welcomes new affordable housing community in Felton

Felton, Del. – Governor Matt Meyer was joined by developers, state housing officials and residents for the grand opening of the new affordable housing units at Reese Apartments on Thursday.

Meyer said the state is facing a shortage of about 20,000 affordable housing units which he says mean more than just statistics.

“That’s families. That’s individuals that seniors who are simply looking for a safe, stable, affordable place to live,” he said. This starts to make a dent in it.”

For residents, the affordable housing gives them a peace of mind that is priceless.

“I love it. This is. I could call this my home. When I come here, I feel at peace. I’m comfortable. I had no stress, no worries,” Reese Apartments resident Martha Tucker said. “It means a lot to us, because it means that we can afford other things as food and, prescriptions. That’s one of the main things for seniors.”

Carson Development President and Founder Danielle Smith said it was important for her to include key details that make the apartments look and feel like luxury homes. She said including certain light fixtures or making the sinks have goose neck faucets instead of plain, rectangular ones adds an element of design that can make residents feel good about where they live.

“I think it’s really important for our residents to feel proud of where they live and for someone to drive by and not have the stigma that that is low income housing or affordable housing,” she said. “To be able to create a community within the low income housing tax credit, budgetary construction that looks and feels like a market rate, I think is a really good standard.”

Tucker also she feels a sense of peace and community with her neighbors.

“We look out for each other. If we need something, we can go to the next door neighbor and say, ‘I need help with this,'” she said.

Delaware State Housing Authority officials say the agency is working with Delawareans to build different kinds of housing and streamline approval processes to tackle the housing crisis.

“Whether or not DSHA is creating affordability through our programs for people who qualify, we need to make sure that there’s housing available all across the spectrum,” DSHA Director Matthew Heckles said.

Tucker said those who are looking for affordable housing shouldn’t give up.

“Just keep and keep applying,” she said.