Pallet Shelter Village to Help Georgetown’s Homeless
The homeless in Georgetown are a step closer to temporary shelter. The Springboard Collaborative and First State Community Action Agency have an agreement the the Collaborative will lease a one-acre site behind First State’s North Railroad Avenue location to construct 44 pallet shelters and accompanying service buildings to house up to 60 homeless individuals. First State will coordinate the provision of wrap-around social services to the Pallet Shelter Village. The lease is a two-year pilot with up to two additional two-year options. The pallet shelters are 64 square-foot sized cabins with beds, electricity, heat and air conditioning units. The Georgetown Town Council gave unanimous support to the Pallet Shelter Village last November. It’s expected to be ready for occupants in the fall.
This project in Georgetown will serve as the first demonstration village in Delaware. Over 60 Pallet Villages have been formed – each supporting 20 to 60 residents – including one in Salisbury.
The Springboard Collaborative says that partners will be able to room together, pets will be welcomed and storage provided for possessions. Each facility will have one or more beds and secure storage. Showers and restrooms will be housed in separate structures and food service, meetings and recreation available in a central facility. The Village will be fenced and monitored by on-site security personnel with OSHA safety standards and COVID-19 mitigation strictly enforced.
Support is needed for this project to help cover one-time capital costs and operational expenses for the first two years – contact Jud Malone – 302-648-2158 or Bernice Edwards – 302-856-7761, x157.
