LEWES, Del. - The Tharros Village community holds its 'Opening Day' for successful applicants to begin moving into the tent spaces.
In March, the village had one tent. Today, there are 11 tents on site with 17 more to come.
According to Agnew, the village will close on November 30 with the Code Purple reopening December 1.Â
Executive Director of Tharros Village, Mike Agnew, tells CoastTV that the tents are $1,100 each. The tent costs $500, and the base it rests on costs $600.
Agnew says over the last month, the team has been able to build the site up $1,100 at a time. Agnew credits all the volunteers and donations from churches, as well as the community.
"Last season, we had recreational tents, and while that was good, it wasn't really good enough," Agnew tells CoastTV. "We get a lot of wind in this area, being on the coastline. Those recreational tents couldn't support the strong winds that we have here in this area."
Agnew had supreme confidence in the new tents on site at the village, saying they would provide much more protection from the elements, such as wind, rain, and UV rays.
The village is not just a place for people to escape the unforgiving conditions that the Delmarva coast experiences. Agnew says the village provides people with a place to reset.
"This is really about the journey out of homelessness," Agnew says. "They come in here, they feel safe. They get their life together, and they begin to think about next steps. In some cases, that next step could be returning home to family."
Agnew says he hopes to have the village equipment with electricity, security cameras, internet connection, and hygiene amenities such as water and sewer in the coming weeks.
Living in the village comes with guidelines. The rulebook states that those living in the village are not to panhandle, and they're required to work 24 hours a week either by volunteer or employment.
Some members of the Lewes community, such as Roy Messmer, have some skepticism about the village.
"No, I don't like the location," says Messmer. "It's not leveling out. It's growing exponentially,"
Messmer says the homelessness in the country, let alone in Sussex County, has gotten out of control.