Dover City Council looks at options for short-term homeless relief as winter approaches.
Dover’s main homeless shelter, the People’s Community Center, is not expected to open and offer its typical shelter services this winter - leaving the city looking for emergency options for those who need those services
Kay Sass, Emergency Management and Communications Director for the City of Dover, has been placed in charge of the city’s efforts to fill gaps in homeless services.
Sass told council Monday she’s been in contact with Housing Delaware’s Director Matthew Heckles, meetings she notes were productive.
“They’ve agreed to give us some funding, that’s going to make a huge difference. We’ve been in contact with a couple of different entities with the shelter itself.” she said.
Councilman Brian Lewis is a proponent of state assistance. He called for the new Kent County Hope Center, planned for the former Delaware State University Living and Learning Commons -and former Sheraton Hotel- on Dupont Highway, to be opened early for this winter.
"Where the hell is the state on this? Where is the Governor? And, where is the Director of Housing [Delaware]? Are they going to open the Sheraton, or not?" he said.
Sass notes Housing Delaware is resistant to that plan.
“If they open it now it’s going to delay the improvements that need to be done in order to open the Hope Center to the degree they want it to open. They don’t want to open something before it's ready to go.” she said.
Sass says with that in mind, she’s found another potential location for a replacement Code Purple shelter in Dover. She notes she expects to have that deal finalized this week.
