LEWES, Del. - The City of Lewes' Planning Commission is meeting tonight with the Delaware State Housing Authority to open a discussion on viable solutions for more affordable housing in Lewes and receive a presentation.
The Lewes City Manager addresses that this is a need for the city but more specifically for the local workforce who cannot afford to rent or buy in the current market for Lewes.
Daniel Jarabah works at Nectar and drives from Milton since he said living in Lewes was too expensive and affordable options were limited, "We had to do what we could, so it does cause a commute and it's kind of one of those things that adds to your daily plans or whatever. If there was something more near by or closer that'd be pretty cool."
After talking with those like Jarabah who work in Lewes, more affordable housing options like that of Jefferson Apartments or Huling Cove Annex would make it easier to get to work, but the town has some changes they will need to make first.
Lewes City Manager Ann Marie Townshend said that forming a Housing Committee to review current codes is the first step, "One of the things we can do is evaluate our code and look for those obstacles that we may have put in our code for good reasons, not recognizing at the time that they might have unintended consequences."
Thanks to a recent partnership with the Delaware State Housing Authority, more access to research to identify needs and costs will help Lewes make those changes.
"With housing prices on the home ownership side and the rental prices as well in Eastern Sussex County, they do tend to run higher in comparison to other parts of the state. We're actually in the midst of conducting a statewide housing needs assessment that looks at that very localized granular level of data and information." said Devon Manning, Delaware State Housing Authority.
Jarabah just hopes that one day he will be able to purchase a home and remain a server in a city he loves, "Even someone that works super hard and where everything doesn't seem as stable that I can also still have a home that I know I can apply and that I can also achieve a home."
A community of affordable housing is currently underway off of Savanah Road just north of North Atlantic Drive.
Dutchman's Harvest will consist of 142 units and up to 42 of those units being for those who are at or below 80 percent of the area's median income. The rest would be market rate but prioritized for people who are a part of the local workforce.
Townshend said developer Preston Schell and other resources are working with the city to ensure homes for local employees, "It's very easy to build the units and then they can be purchased and used as investment properties, they might become short term rentals long term rentals and may not be part of that supply that we need of affordable housing."
Building permits are expected to begin being issued this Spring but Townshend is hopeful that the units will be available by the end of the year.
For more information on affordable housing in the area, visit here.