Community members gathered at the Hope Center on the longest night of the year to observe National Homeless Persons’ Remembrance Day.
The national holiday was created to honor those who lost their lives while experiencing homelessness, as well as raise awareness of the trauma that unstable housing inflicts on people.
Lack of access to medical care and prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures are both prevalent causes of death for people experiencing homelessness.
“It doesn't have to be this way. People don’t have to, and no one should, be dying on our streets homeless. Or dying in our shelters. No one should be living on our street and no one should be living in our shelters. And we can make it possible that everyone has a safe place to call home,” said Rachel Stucker, Executive Director of Housing Alliance Delaware.
Her organization works to point people experiencing homelessness toward safe shelters, and affordable housing- but she says state resources are spread thin.
While temporary housing like the Hope Center helps save lives, it doesn’t solve the root problems that lead people to homelessness. Many people’s incomes are unable to keep up with the cost of housing, and affordable housing units are in limited supply.
New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer says the county recognizes that issue.
“We are working with the Hope Center to provide an extended stay program. There’s limited funding to provide emergency housing for a period of time, but there are individuals and families who need to stay here longer than that period of time. So we’re raising money to see if we can fund certain individuals and families whose case workers determine they need to stay here longer the opportunity to stay here longer.”
The New Castle County government also continues to work to address the issue of creating more affordable housing through the Affordable Housing Fund.
Both the Hope Center and the Housing Alliance stress that advocating for more resources to provide housing, emergency shelter, and medical care for those experiencing homelessness remains imperative.
And Meyer adds any individual who would like to get involved in the fight to end homelessness can reach out to those organizations to find direct ways to help.
