GEORGETOWN, Del. - A normally tense topic took on a surprisingly calm tone during Monday night’s Georgetown Town Council meeting, as residents and officials discussed the community’s growing homelessness issue.
A normally tense topic took on a surprisingly calm tone during Monday night’s Georgetown Town Council meeting, as residents and officials discussed the community’s growing homelessness issue.
For weeks, an online group of Georgetown residents has been calling on town leaders to take stronger action to address what they describe as a worsening crisis. Town officials said steps are being taken to expand support systems and affordable housing options.
Representatives from Springboard LLC, which operates Georgetown’s Pallet Village, also gave an update during the meeting. Officials said that so far in 2025, the Pallet Village program has assisted more than 200 people statewide. Of those, about 40 percent have successfully transitioned into either permanent or transitional housing.
The Pallet Village giving an update during Monday's town council meeting.
Resident Robin Esham spoke about the tensions surrounding the issue and the perception of the town’s response.
“One of the hardest things for the folks who live in town is there’s a lot of outside influences coming in, and we’re being pilloried for being heartless or callous, and that’s not the case,” Esham said. “A lot of us here in town walk around, we talk to people. We see the amount of outside influence coming in. They’re trying to help, but what they’re doing is not helping. It’s a band-aid.”
Despite the online criticism, Monday’s meeting ended without major conflict, with council members and residents agreeing to continue discussions about long-term solutions.