As cold weather arrives, demand for homeless resources rises

SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - As colder weather settles in, people experiencing homelessness will be able to stay overnight at St. Jude the Apostle Church through the Code Purple program.

Both Code Purple shelters, including the men’s shelter at St. Jude the Apostle Church in Lewes and the women’s shelter at the Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Rehoboth Beach, open Dec. 1 and will remain open through March 15. Each location holds 14 people. Mike Agnew, the site director for Code Purple at the Cape, said he expects the St. Jude’s men’s shelter to reach maximum capacity quickly.

During the day, however, options remain limited. Agnew said he brings Code Purple guests to the Rehoboth Beach Community Resource Center, where they can access basic services. "That's where they can get a shower, they can get the laundry done, get some food, and then they cycle back to us in the evening," Agnew said. The center’s director told CoastTV that mornings are typically the busiest, and they expect demand to grow as temperatures continue to fall.

Lewes officials say they are seeing more impacts. Lewes Police Chief Thomas Spell said in a November Lewes Mayor and City Council workshop and special meeting that officers are responding to more calls related to homelessness. "This year we have had more complaints than previous," Spell said.

Even with the shelter at St. Jude’s, Agnew said the community still needs an additional overnight facility because the demand is there. He noted that Tharros, a seasonal tent village located at the old Troop 7 site off Route 1, is scheduled to close Dec. 1, which is its usual end date. Its closure will leave many people who had been staying there in need of new shelter options.

The growing demand reflects a wider increase in homelessness across Delmarva. In Georgetown, the issue is becoming more noticeable, with people claiming some homelessness in public areas such as train tracks and wooded spaces, residents say their safety is being threatened and they are increasingly confronted or harassed by panhandling. 

The Georgetown Police Department confirmed that it receives daily complaints about panhandling. However, officials noted that sitting on sidewalks and holding signs is considered protected free speech under the law. Without a criminal act, police said there is often little they can do.

In Georgetown, Trish Hill, program manager at the Pallet Village, said the small pallet homes provide heat for residents who would otherwise be without shelter. She added that the village is preparing to offer a community center as winter approaches. 

"I do expect that we will have some times where we will open our community center during the day to people who need a space," Hill said.

Hill told CoastTV that the center is expected to open soon, although it will not operate every day.