Housing Alliance Delaware Releases Data on the Statewide 2019 Point in Time Homeless Count

Wilmington, De. (June 24, 2019) Today Housing Alliance Delaware released data from their annual Point in Time Count of homelessness, conducted statewide overnight on January 30th and into the next morning. This year over 130 volunteers and Housing Alliance staff counted individuals and families staying in year-round emergency shelters, seasonal Code Purple sites, long term transitional housing and motels, The teams also located and surveyed those categorized as “unsheltered” in vehicles, emergency waiting rooms, libraries, train and bus stations, tents, sheds and other places not fit for human habitation. Over 10% were unsheltered on a night when the temperature dipped below 5 degrees throughout the state.

Housing Alliance Delaware reports an overall statewide decline of people experiencing homelessness from 1,082 in 2018 to 921 this year, a 15% decrease. New Castle and Kent Counties also saw significant decreases of 25% and 20%. The overall State decline was hampered by a substantial increase in Sussex County, where the number of people experiencing homelessness jumped by 40%, from 118 last year to 181 this year.

This year the percentage of children under 18yrs rose to 24% of the counted population, up from 21% in 2018. The percentage who were youth, defined as 18-24 yrs by HUD, also ticked up slightly from 7% to 8%. The percentage of adults experiencing homelessness with children accompanying them grew from 35% of the population to 39%.

The Point in Time (PIT) Count is a HUD mandated nighttime count every January for communities receiving HUD funding for homeless services. Those communities must maintain a coordinated body of diverse representatives to make funding and policy decisions for efficient use of HUD and other grant funding to end homelessness in their jurisdiction. The governing body, known as the “Continuum of Care” (COC), makes policy and monitors progress and system performance for all the agencies receiving funding. Delaware’s COC board and membership donate resources and volunteer for the annual PIT. Although it is a snapshot of a single night, the COC and other policy planners rely on the PIT statistics, along with other system performance measures Housing Alliance collects and reports, for trends and indications of which programming is achieving success.

Housing Alliance DE Publications

I know that it’s summer but the Code Purple Team is already planning for the upcoming winter season! We wanted to give you a peak at the trainings that will be available. Remember,  we are a volunteer and donation based ministry. We can not do it without the support of the community. Our guests have a warm safe place to lay their heads thanks to all of you! We will continue to update you on the various areas where you can serve in the Code Purple ministry. Check us out on FB and/or send us your email to stay up to date.

We are always trying to make things more streamlined and easily accessible to our volunteers and well, us too! 😉 We thought it may be easier for you to have the ability to sign up for lunches online. It will also make it easier for us to track what days are filled or not filled.

This is for the Seaford area at this time. The CROSS building is located at 703 East King Street, Seaford, DE 19973. You can bring lunch anywhere from 11-12pm.

Lunches can consist of any food you would like to bring for our guests to eat. We have had quite the variety of sandwiches, pizza, pulled pork, salads, fast food, desserts, and drinks. We provide all the paper goods and utensils (from our donations provided by the truly giving people in the community).

You have the option of dropping it off and getting on with your day or staying and hanging out with us. We can always use the extra help and we believe it is imperative that people get to know our guests so that we can change the perceived ideas that society has about people experiencing homelessness.

Remember you have to have this specific link to the calendar in order to sign up! Just click the link below.

Share the word about how the community can get involved with Code Purple throughout the year! If you haven’t yet “liked” us on FB, please head on over there and Like our page to keep updated on our events throughout the year. Thank you again for all your support!

We are pleased to announce that we have partnered with two agencies in order to help bring resources directly to our guests at the CROSS Building. This is helpful on many levels. We all know that anyone experiencing homelessness may have transportation issues and find it hard to make it to another town. There is also an element of trust that is established when meeting with people in their own comfort zones.  The following supports are available:

* Jessica Merrill (Division of Social Services Community Partner Support Unit (CPSU)) will be available every Wednesday 12-3pm in order to help with the following:

• ASSIST application process
• Applying for food benefits
• Medicaid
• Long-Term Nursing Care
• Childcare
• Home Energy Assistance
• Referrals to pertinent partner organizations
• Employment and Training
• Overcoming general barriers

*Bernita Futch (Housing Alliance DE) will be available once a month. Friday, June 14th is the next day scheduled from 12-3pm.

• VI-SPDATs
• Working with housing issues.
• Helping with shelter searches.
• PSH/RRH referrals.

These resources in addition to food, showers, and laundry access will go a long way in helping so many in the community find a sense of well-being, hope, and ultimately a place to live. Thank you all for the support you have given us over these last several years. We could not do it without the community’s help!

We are pleased to announce that we have been offering showers, laundry and lunch to our guests and new friends that are experiencing homelessness. The current days available are Wednesdays and Fridays from 12-4ish. This is such a necessary piece to the puzzle for our guests to be able to get jobs, fellowship with others, staying nourished, and well, just a little time to feel “normal” for a while.

We have some needs in order for us to be able to continue this piece of the ministry. Our guests do not have a lot of clothing, so we would love to have t-shirts and sweatpants/pajama pants for them to keep at The CROSS (they will be labeled and stored separately). This would allow them to have something clean to change into after they get out of the shower while their clothes are getting washed and dried.  Some of our guests have a need for flip flops/slides so if anyone wants to help with that mercy item, they would be very grateful. There are also times when new guests come in and do not have a backpack so that would be another mercy item. Since our guests are out in the heat and sun, ball caps would be appreciated as well.

We are sending food with our guests since we are not open each day of the week. This has pretty much depleted our to-go food. There is a complete list on our donation page found here. Donation Needs List PDF

Finally, we would LOVE to have help with providing lunch for these two days. (Hoping to add more eventually.) Two of us have been the sole providers since the end of the season and while we don’t mind, we would be very thankful for your help! You can message us on FB or email us at codepurplesussexcounty@gmail.com if you would like to help us provide lunch for our guests.

Items can be dropped off to The CROSS at 703 East King Street, Seaford, DE 19973. Lunch is also served at this location. The lunch is served at the same location. It is only available to people experiencing homelessness at this time.

Please look for further updates on this piece of our ministry. We will have ongoing needs and praise reports. This is an awesome time to come serve with us in a more mellow setting. This is an opportunity to “get your feet wet” and see if this is where the Lord is leading you to serve!

We will open tomorrow, Tuesday March 26, 2109 and Wednesday March 27th in Seaford for men (St. Luke’s Parish Hall) and Bridgeville for women (Gateway Fellowship). We will serve dinner at The CROSS (703 East King Street, Seaford) at 7pm. Must be checked into the shelters by 9pm.

This looks like the last time that the temps will be under 32 degrees this season. We appreciate all that you, the community, has done to keep us open and operating smoothly! Our guests have been fed well and more importantly loved well!

We will open tomorrow, Saturday March 23, 2109 in Seaford for men (St. Luke’s Parish Hall) and Bridgeville for women (Gateway Fellowship). We will serve dinner at The CROSS (703 East King Street, Seaford) at 7pm. Must be checked into the shelters by 9pm.

As March warms up, we wind down at Code Purple. We are always sad to say goodbye to our guests that we have grown to love as our very own family.

We will be open tonight (18th) and tomorrow night (19th) in Seaford (men) and Bridgeville (women). The temps beyond that are all above 32 degrees.

We are so grateful to everyone that has poured into our ministry this year. Please continue to pray for our guests as they make their way out into the world. It won’t be easy for some of them. We trust that the many prayers they have received this season have already paved the way for them to find the redemption that God offers.

Even though we are approaching the end of the season, we still have new volunteers stepping up to help us serve those in the community that are experiencing homelessness. We wanted to share one’s testimony after spending last night with the guests in Milford.

“Man, I wish I would have started a long time ago! Beautiful ministry. Hard to watch them go this morning. Would’ve sat around all day with them if allowed. Lord willing, I will take a night each week next year.” -New Volunteer

We love it when people join us and see just how great it is to serve alongside us at Code Purple.  Don’t miss your blessing!