GEORGETOWN, Del. - Georgetown Town Council recently approved a rezoning request from Delaware-based nonprofit Little Living to convert two East Market Street lots from highway commercial to urban residential, advancing plans for a 20-unit workforce housing community on a 2-acre site.
The cottage-style development will consist of long-term rentals with monthly rates set by unit size, according to Little Living. The nonprofit said five one-bedroom, one-bathroom homes measuring 476 square feet will rent for $950. Five two-bedroom, one-bathroom homes will be 626 square feet and two stories at $1,100 per month. Ten three-bedroom, one-bathroom homes will be just over 800 square feet and two stories at $1,200 per month. Utilities, along with a stove, refrigerator, washer, and dryer, are included. Little Living added that all leases will be for at least one year.
The organization said the homes are designed for people earning between $45,000 and $70,000 annually. Occupancy limits will allow up to two people in a one-bedroom house, three to four in a two-bedroom, and three to five in a three-bedroom. They added that a management company will oversee the property.
Little Living also said the neighborhood will incorporate solar power, along with a playground and a small garden area at the back of the property.
George Meringolo, president of Little Living, said the nonprofit was founded 18 months ago.
"We started Little Living in August of 2024. It was an idea. It was a plan. It was a dream. Since then, so many wonderful things have happened. Georgetown initially welcomed us with open arms, and then it got a little bit noisy near the end, but I think everything is okay," Meringolo said.
He added that the need for affordable housing is obvious and the time to do something is now.
"They're going to be local people. They may be working at Purdue. These are people that have to drive 30 miles now to get to work, [and] 40 miles an hour to get to work. If they don't have to drive that distance, and they're paying less for their rent, that's more money that they can put into savings for their future," he said.
For Meringolo, the concept of smaller homes is personal.
"I was raised in a little tiny town on the North Shore of Long Island," he said. "We lived in a little 900-square-foot, two-bedroom house with one bathroom. My mom and dad had the one-bedroom. My two sisters had the other bedroom, and my two brothers and I slept on mats on the floor. My sisters were older than I was, and then we were much older, so we couldn't wait for them to get married so we could get the other bedroom. So, small living is not something that's unique to America, and now it's been our history."
"The ordinance requires open space. It requires courtyards. It requires porches, which we will have," he added.
Meringolo noted the organization also received recognition from Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer.
"The governor has given us a proclamation. He's named Little Living by name, one of the leaders in building affordable housing. So to me, it's really a culmination of where we started," he said.
He emphasized the nonprofit does not plan to generate profit from the homes.
"The goal is that every penny that comes in and rents stays in Georgetown. We don't make any profit on these houses. We don't take any money. We don't have any salaries," Meringolo explained. "We're going to set aside 30 percent for future repairs, roofs, [and] siding. 10 years from now, if it needs something major, then we'll have the money set aside, and we're taking 20 percent of our rents, and we're putting that aside for everyday maintenance. That includes the garbage and all of the management company, and making sure that there are no repairs that need to be done on the houses. Our goal is to create the best-looking community on Market Street in Georgetown and keep it that way forever."
Meringolo said between 150 and 200 people have emailed expressing interest in living in the development.
While some people have raised concerns, others support the effort.
"I think something like that project is well overdue, quite frankly. This area certainly needs the housing," said Lee Brown.
The nonprofit said the three lots were donated, with construction funded through a combination of donations and loans.
Before construction can begin, the project must receive site plan approval from the Georgetown Planning Commission. Approval from DelDOT is required for the entrance road into the development, and DNREC approval is needed for water and sewer. Meringolo said their engineering firm is preparing all required documentation for the town's planning process.
"We're planning on building our community exactly as the ordinance requires," he said.
Little Living LLC is hoping to secure approvals by late April or May.
"We're creating a community, not a house," Meringolo said.
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