Habitat groups receive $1.25 million federal grant

The three Habitat for Humanity organizations in Delaware received a $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

With Sussex County Habitat for Humanity taking the lead, some 180 senior citizens will be eligible for home repairs so they can remain in their homes and age in place.

The entire Delaware congressional delegation – Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester and Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons – attended the grant ceremony Aug. 4 at the Habitat ReStore along Route 9 west of Lewes. They then went to the ribbon cutting of the Springboard Collaborative Pallet Village for the homeless in Georgetown.

Although each of the elected officials spoke, the real message of the day was from Porsche Miller, who benefitted from Habitat funds for home repairs. She said her home project included new, safer steps, subfloor repairs and a new shower door. “My husband now feels safe when he walks on the steps. At no time did I feel humiliated or embarrassed. They understood our situation,” she said.

Sussex County Habitat CEO Kevin Gilmore said the three organizations in Delaware came together to help seniors statewide. “The Delaware way is working together,” he said, adding that a University of Delaware study shows there are 25,000 low-income older homeowners who need home repairs.

“We will do what is needed to meet the needs of our seniors to make their homes safe,” said Maria Bynum, HUD Delaware field office director. “Helping them to age with dignity and helping them stay in their homes is the least we can do.”

“We all want to age in place with dignity,” Coons said. “It's our job to bring the resources together.”

“The DNA of Habitat for Humanity is people helping themselves,” Carper said. “This program will enhance the quality of life for a lot of people.”

Blunt Rochester said the seniors of today are not the seniors of the past. “Many seniors are working, and they need a place to call home,” she said. “Aging in their homes is a blessing.”

Repairs and modifications include items such as grab bars, ramps, tub and shower benches, raised toilet seats and non-skid strips.

All three Habitat organizations – Sussex County, Central Delaware and New Castle County – will start taking applications for the program in October.

For more information, go to sussexcountyhabitat.org.