UPDATED: Pallet Shelter Village in Georgetown – Open and Occupied

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UPDATED – 08/04/23 – A ribbon cutting was held Friday for the Springboard Collaborative’s Pallet Village on Kimmey Street in Georgetown. While the Village has been open since late January, Delaware’s Congressional Delegation has recently announced $2.4-million in ARPA funding, which will also be used to assist in village replication in other parts of the state – like Milford, where officials there are looking to open a pallet village to help combat homelessness. The Georgetown Pallet Village has 40 low-cost cabins which are providing many a dignified shelter while they work to get back on their feet with a job and more permanent housing.

Additional information from Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester:

A project that had been in the works for three years, the cabins – 64 square feet each and all recently painted vibrant colors in July thanks to community volunteers – provide transitional housing and allow for wraparound service providers to visit a single location, increasing impact and reach. Springboard and partners First State Community Action Agency (FSCAA), Healthy Communities Delaware, and other agencies are collectively helping our most vulnerable neighbors build new lives.

“When we were working on the American Rescue Plan, we knew that a major need back home in Delaware was safe housing,” said Senator Carper. “I am proud that we could help Springboard Collaborative provide housing and resources for those that need it the most in our communities. When I visited the pallet village months ago, I met with residents and learned so many are veterans, like myself. This village will provide a helping hand to so many in our community that have been struggling for too long.” 

“Housing – secure, stable, accessible housing – is the foundation upon which everything else is built,” said Senator Coons. “One of the most common sources of pain I’ve heard during my time working with those facing homelessness is the pain of feeling unseen, ignored, ‘less than.’ Efforts like this from The Springboard Collaborative and Co-Founders Jeff Ronald and Judson Malone shout from the hilltops, ‘We see you and are here working to help.’”

“Safe, affordable, reliable housing isn’t just about stability, it’s about dignity,” said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester. “Housing is foundational – from education to employment. The Springboard Collaborative’s efforts to create more available housing in Georgetown is exactly the action we need to help fill the affordable housing gap in Delaware. I’m proud to be one of the partners in helping make today’s ribbon-cutting come to fruition, and I know that the village’s impact will reverberate across the First State for years to come.”

“Springboard Collaborative’s projects will assist some of our most vulnerable neighbors – those dealing with lack of safe and affordable housing,” said Governor John Carney (D). “I want to thank The Springboard Collaborative team for their commitment to our communities.”

“We all deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, especially our folks experiencing homelessness. They deserve compassion, a listening ear, and they deserve to be embraced and not live on the margins of society. The Springboard Pallet Village is an important step on a person’s journey to recovery and resilience. Thanks to The Springboard Collaborative, First State Community Action Agency, Town of Georgetown, Mayor [Bill] West and Council, and local leaders, individuals have transitional housing, a community, and a place to have basic needs met – a hot shower, counseling, and even services for a beloved pet,” said Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long (D). “As we know through the work with Delaware  Behavioral Health Consortium, we cannot address mental and behavioral health concerns without considering the full picture of a person’s situation. Where do they lay their head at night? Do they have employment, food? It’s about addressing the social determinants of health. When people have basic needs met, it helps individuals to stand strong and empowered and move on to the next phase of their journey in a safe, supported environment. This initiative does just that.” 

“USDA Rural Development is proud to assist this transitional housing village with a $722,300 grant towards the costs of food and meals over three years for residents here from the Emergency Rural Healthcare Grant program,” said David Baker, USDA Rural Development Director. “The outpouring of community support for this project reflects the concerns of so many to help our residents with a helping hand.”

“We can create a future where homelessness is rare, brief, and nonrecurring.  More than a moral imperative, it also makes smart economic sense for our communities; it is who we are as Americans,” said Jeff Ronald, The Springboard Collaborative Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board. “No one should endure the inhumane conditions of unsheltered homelessness. This is a systems approach: a dignified dwelling, plus resources to cultivate better health, plus job opportunities to advance. This is an innovative cross-agency collaboration – emulating proven models nationwide. Our vital demonstration project, with solid outcomes thus far at six months, needs state support to flourish.”

“It’s more than a safe place to call home; these villages empower people with new educational and job training opportunities to achieve self-reliance and pursue their full potential,” said Judson Malone, The Springboard Collaborative Co-Founder and Executive Director. “The cost of ignoring homelessness is far, far greater; we can cultivate a lasting end to homelessness, statewide, starting in Sussex County and with state support.”

“A dignified dwelling plus wraparound services empowers disadvantaged Delawareans to stabilize, rebuild, and strive to lead successful lives,” said Bernice Edwards, FSCAA Executive Director. “The partnership between [FSCAA] and Springboard is a model for other community action agencies across the country. We envision a more equitable society that provides all vulnerable Delawareans the resources to attain their full potential.”

“One of my top priorities as a state legislator has been to continue working with our federal, state, and community partners in providing housing for our homeless population,” said State Representative Ruth Briggs King (R), who represents the area in which Springboard is located. “A safe shelter is a basic human right and what we’re doing today will go a long way toward helping members of our homeless community with the necessary services they need in order to have a more stable future.”

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UPDATED – 10/18/22 – Georgetown’s Pallet Shelter Village is starting to come to life. The land has been cleared behind First State Community Action Agency on North Railroad Avenue and some of the foundations for the shelters have been poured. On Monday several truckloads of pallet shelters arrived in Georgetown and volunteers have been busy working to assemble them into future homes and Mayor Bill West tells The Talk of Delmarva that more will be going up soon! The Springboard Collaborative is a non-profit organization with a mission to build affordable housing communities that foster well-being for all Delawareans in need and has teamed with Pallet to bring this small village to Georgetown’s homeless. Springboard Collaborative co-founder Judson Malone told the Town Council during an update on the Pallet Shelter Village last week that a recent survey shows there are over 60 people interested in living in the village. It’s expected that the Pallet Shelter Village will be occupied in November.

A pallet shelter village planned for Georgetown will take another step towards helping shelter the homeless tomorrow. Volunteers will help to prepare the one-acre site, which has been leased for 2 years by the Springboard Collaborative from First State Community Action Agency. The site will eventually hold 44 pallet shelters and accompanying service buildings and will house up to 60 homeless individuals. The village will be located behind First State Community Action Agency on North Railroad Avenue. Georgetown Town Council approved the project last November. Each cabin has beds, electric, heat and AC and storage space and are expected to be ready for occupants in the fall.

This project in Georgetown will serve as the first demonstration village in Delaware. Over 80 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.

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