GEORGETOWN, Del. - Georgetown’s Supportive Housing Issues Committee continued work Wednesday on possible recommendations for Town Council, including a state-supported client tracking list, a local navigation center and a clearer approach to affordable housing.
Committee members discussed creating a tracking system with help from the state to better monitor what services people are using. Members said the goal would be to prevent people from receiving duplicate services, reduce abuse of the system and make sure resources are being used properly.
Committee member Dennis Winzenried said a tracking system could help officials better understand what services people are using while reducing duplication. “A good concept of where these people are, what services they’re utilizing, what they need, and trying to eliminate duplication of services,” Winzenried said.
The idea builds on a recommendation discussed earlier this month, when the committee considered tying some grant funding to participation in a statewide client tracking system.
Members also discussed the possibility of a navigation center in Georgetown. The center could help connect people with services and could include temporary housing, depending on the site and available resources.
Much of the conversation focused on where such a center would make sense. The now-closed Bryan Allen Stevenson School of Excellence was discussed as one possible location, though members acknowledged there would likely be challenges with acquiring the building. Some members also said they would prefer a site closer to the center of town.
One committee member referenced a similar situation involving a charter school building in Camden as members discussed whether a former school property could be reused for community services.
The committee also discussed outreach to high school students as a way to warn young people about the realities and dangers of homelessness.
Another topic was the creation of an affordable housing task force. Members said that group could focus on how Georgetown could work toward the 20% affordable housing goal called for in Senate Bill 23, while also reviewing redevelopment opportunities within town limits.
Winzenried said affordable housing remains one of the biggest pieces of the issue. “Affordable housing is going to be the key to getting the unhoused into permanent housing and keeping them from becoming chronically homeless,” Winzenried said.
Committee members also discussed the need to clarify key terms, including the difference between affordable housing, homelessness and being unhoused.
The committee is expected to meet again in late July, when members plan to draft a rough final list of recommendations. The committee will continue refining that list before presenting it to Georgetown Town Council.
