Sussex County awards $7.5 million in ARPA funds

Affordable housing agencies and the three healthcare systems in Sussex County are among those benefiting from county American Rescue Plan Act funds.

At its June 28 meeting, Sussex County Council voted to distribute $7.5 million in federal ARPA funds awarded to the county. The funds, as required by the act, are aimed at assisting local healthcare providers, nonprofit groups and others in the ongoing coronavirus recovery.

County Finance Director Gina Jennings said grant applicants were evaluated on a point system based on criteria outlined in the ARPA guidelines. All projects must be completed or under contract by Dec. 31, 2024.

Affordable housing grants of $500,000 each were awarded to:

• Better Homes of Seaford, 36 rental housing units for the elderly

• Milford Housing Development Corp., 20 home ownership units in Lewes

• Milford Housing Development Corp., 10 home ownership units in Greenwood

• Millsboro Housing in Progress, rehabilitation of 38 rental units in Millsboro

• Sussex County Habitat for Humanity, 10 home ownership units throughout the county.

The housing awards, totaling $2.5 million, are expected to yield more than 100 affordable units.

Nonprofit grants were awarded to:

• Bayhealth, $615,000, for medical equipment for a new emergency center west of Lewes

• Beebe Healthcare, Lewes, $750,000, for a rural healthcare program to build public health capacity and address rural workforce needs

• Tidal Health, Seaford, $950,000, to provide wrap-around services that address social drivers of health and expand healthcare delivery and access in rural, low-income communities of disadvantaged populations

• Children’s Beach House, Lewes, $570,000, for expansion of its youth development program to provide year-round programming for 100 children

• Community Resource Center, Rehoboth Beach, $500,000, for a program to keep low-income families in housing by preventing eviction and utility disconnects

• Easterseals, Georgetown, $665,000, to replace an outdated, inefficient HVAC system

• Montessori Works, Seaford, $950,000, renovation of the campus barn to provide space for remedial education, social and emotional assistance, and health screenings for the school and community.

The grant awards are part of a larger package totaling more than $45 million the county received during the past year from the federal government under the ARPA program. In March, county officials detailed a plan to utilize the funding for a host of priorities, including wastewater infrastructure, public safety, economic recovery and more.

For more information on the county’s use of the funds, including a breakdown of allocations and list of award recipients, go to sussexcountyde.gov/arpa.