Work is underway to build a second permanent housing facility in Wilmington for homeless veterans and their families.
The Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans opened its first permanent housing facility, the Pearl Center, in 2018; that facility has 51 units and houses roughly 80 people, though most residents are single.
Now, construction is underway on the organization’s next facility: a 60-unit apartment building to be called the Carolyn Center. It’s likely to open in 2024 and to accommodate a growing demand for homeless veterans with families, the center will include some larger 3-bedroom units.
Executive Director Roger Bungy notes veterans with recent evictions make up a rising share of those referred to the Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans for support.
“We’re getting a lot more people who, because of COVID, lost their jobs and were able to stay in their apartments but are now getting evicted," he said.
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs provides vouchers to veterans in need of housing assistance, but because an eviction record is generally a barrier to finding a standard apartment, the VA has looked to Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans as a housing provider willing to take veterans who can’t otherwise find housing with a voucher.
