SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. — A newly formed Sussex Economic Development Action Committee is collecting firsthand accounts from workers struggling to find housing near their jobs as rising costs continue to push employees farther from where they work.
Damita Smith, a travel medical assistant, said she has been unable to find affordable housing in Sussex County, particularly near the coast where jobs are concentrated.
CoastTV asked Smith what she has found for housing in Sussex County.
"Nothing, to be honest with you,” Smith said.
Smith currently stays in Dover and commutes nearly an hour each way for work. She said short-term rental options closer to her job are out of reach.
“Right now I’m traveling an hour — actually staying in Dover — so I’m traveling almost an hour to get here,” Smith said. “If I was to stay, I would have to stay in a hotel because I can’t afford to do the Airbnbs every week. I was paying $1,200 a week to stay in an Airbnb.”
Stories like Smith’s are what the Sussex Economic Development Action Committee, or SEDAC, hopes to gather as it looks at workforce housing challenges across the county.
Stephanie Moody, a member of the committee and a part of the Sussex County Association of REALTORS, said many workers are in a tough middle spot.
“We want people to know that we are talking about people who live and work here in the county, but they may make too much to qualify for affordable housing and too little to really compete in today’s real estate market,” Moody said.
Moody said the committee is focused on outreach and collecting real experiences to help inform future growth decisions, noting employers in education and health care are struggling to hire because of a lack of nearby workforce housing.