Dover, Del. Tuesday, April 9,  2024 – Today, the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) announced an additional $100,000 in funding awarded to the Eviction Defense Project (EDP). The funding will continue supporting housing stability for low-income, at-risk renters. 

The EDP is a partnership between Delaware’s nonprofit civil legal services providers and other justice community partners to provide free legal assistance and representation for Delaware tenants in eviction and loss of public housing/housing voucher cases. Members of EDP include: 

• Legal Services Corporation of Delaware, Inc.
• Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI)
• Delaware Volunteer Legal Services, Inc. 
• The Delaware Bar Foundation
• The Delaware State Bar Association
• The Delaware Combined Campaign for Justice

Since 2021, DSHA awarded EDP over $200,000. With these funds, over 150 households have been assisted in remaining stable, avoiding legal judgment and/or eviction, and keeping their housing subsidy. 

“CLASI fights daily to keep low-income, at-risk tenants in their homes because we know that housing is a foundational building block in a person’s journey,” said Sarah Rhine, Managing Attorney at CLASI. “With this additional funding, our team will be able to build capacity and continue helping Delawareans statewide.”

The award is funded by the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which U.S. Treasury allocated to the state of Delaware in January and May of 2021.

“We’re proud of the difference the Eviction Defense Project has made with this funding to date,” said Cynthia Karnai, Director of DSHA. “Their programs are not only community-minded but also efficient and intentional. We look forward to seeing how this additional award builds on their success.”

For more information on the Eviction Defense Project, please visit delegalhelplink.org or call (302) 478-8850.

SUCCESS STORY

Mr. G is an individual with disabilities who holds a housing voucher through the New Castle County Housing Authority (NCCHA). He and his mother were on the voucher together and lived in the rental with no issues for many years.

In 2023, Mr. G’s mother, his primary support person, passed away, causing him to fall behind on his rent and lose communication with NCCHA.

He started the healing process recently and contacted CLASI for help with his nonpayment eviction case. His landlord was willing to enter a 6-month repayment plan to settle the pending eviction case; however, Mr. G’s only source of income is Social Security Disability Income. As a result, he would have had to pay over 50% of his income towards housing.

By working with CLASI and the Eviction Defense Project, Mr. G used settlement assistance funds to make the repayment plan viable. The funding provided allowed Mr. G to:

1. Preserve his voucher.
2. Avoid eviction.
3. Retain stable and safe housing.
4. Maintain his mental health.

About Delaware State Housing Authority 

The Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA), formed in 1968, provides quality, affordable housing opportunities and appropriate supportive services to low-and moderate-income Delawareans. In addition to its role as the State’s Housing Finance Agency, DSHA is unique in that it serves as a Public Housing Authority and a Community Development and Planning Agency. As a Public Housing Authority, DSHA receives funding from HUD to build, own, and operate public housing in Kent and Sussex counties, two of Delaware’s three counties.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control encourages Delaware non-profit organizations, conservation districts, community organizations and homeowners’ associations to submit project proposals to be considered for matching grant funds from DNREC’s Community Water Quality Improvement Grants program.

Funding for grant award projects in this cycle is expected to range from $25,000 to $75,000. Projects recommended by DNREC staff for funding through a competitive grant process will be presented to the Delaware Water Infrastructure Advisory Council. Applicants may submit up to two project proposals per grant cycle. Project guidelines and the grant application can be found at de.gov/envfinance.

Community Water Quality Improvement Grants assist in implementing projects or programs that improve water quality on developed lands with specific watershed improvement plans and strategies. Programs and projects selected for these grants must demonstrate innovative and sustainable methods, techniques, and/or practices for water quality improvements, with cost-effective and measurable results.

Eligible projects may include:

• Enhancement or restoration of water quality within an impaired watershed
• Community stormwater management improvements in existing developments in partnership with municipalities
• Non‐regulatory or voluntary plans involving pollution control strategies, watershed-based restoration plans, whole basin management preliminary assessments, or community‐based stormwater permits.

Past projects that received Community Water Quality Improvement Grant funding have included: a green roof installation; living shoreline installation and marsh enhancement to stop erosion; a stormwater retrofit project featuring a wetland and bioswale to manage stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces; stream bank restoration to reduce erosion and sedimentation; and green stormwater improvements on Conwell Street in Seaford.

Grant proposals should be submitted by email to NPS.grants@delaware.gov with “Community Water Quality Improvement Grants” in the subject line. Emailed proposals must be less than 10MB. All grant proposals must be received by DNREC close of business (4:30 p.m.) Tuesday, Nov. 7.

About DNREC

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Environmental Finance team administers Delaware’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund, making funding available to municipalities, the private sector, nonprofit organizations and individuals. The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov

DOVER, Del. (April 18, 2023) — The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) announced that beginning on April 19, 2023, the Delaware Council on Farm & Food Policy (Council) will accept grant applications for the second cycle of the First State Food System Program. Through this program, funding is available to Delaware farmers and a diverse range of food supply chain entities. Awarded funds will aid local entities to expand capacity, coordinate with partners in their communities, and do their part to build resilience in Delaware’s food system.

The Council awarded $670,000 in 2022, funding 14 projects across Delaware. Projects addressing food retail and distribution received roughly 14%, food storage and aggregation projects encompassed 21.5%, while 43% funded food production and processing projects. The remaining funds were awarded to research, tech, and education-based projects.

This year, applicants should describe how the project may benefit more operations than one – how the project will enhance the local food system and foster cooperation or facilitate resource sharing. Applicants should also have a sustainability plan to continue the work beyond the grant funding.

All applicants must complete registration through SAM.gov and provide a Unique Entity ID (UEI). Applicants must meet this requirement before receiving funding. Please allow sufficient time to complete this process, which may take several weeks.

Like last year, farmers and food supply chain entities may apply. To be considered for funding as a producer, the farm operation must have an annual sales value of at least $20,000. The farm must actively produce no more than 300 acres of fruits, vegetables, other specialty crops, or other products for human consumption. Larger-scale producers can apply, but projects should include partnerships or collaborations with other local entities or initiatives.

While not an all-inclusive list, examples of eligible supply chain operations include:
• Storage: food hubs
• Transportation: fleet coordinators, logistics
• Processing: incubator facilities, commercial kitchens
• Distribution: retail outlets, pantries, food trucks, single or multi-site grocery stores, cooperative grocers, corner stores, mobile markets, restaurants, farmers markets, on-farm stores

The First State Food System Program will again offer grants from $2,500 to $150,000. Projects may last for less than one year or multiple years. Funds may be used to make specific, one-time purchases for equipment or other capital expenses or expended in numerous ways to cover various operational, administrative, and or capital expenses. All grant applications must be submitted by Monday, June 19, 2023.

The Council is working with the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF) to facilitate the First State Food System Program through its grant application portal. This partnership allows applicants to apply to this grant program more efficiently and learn more about additional opportunities available through DCF. While DCF is facilitating the grant application process, this is not a grant program of the DCF.

The online application is available at https://delcf.org/grants. Click “Apply Now” anywhere on the page to log in or create a new profile. Once logged in, click “Apply” at the top of the page. Select “Delaware’s First State Food System Program” from the list of open opportunities to complete and submit an application and upload supporting documentation.

The funding for this program is provided through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), signed into law by President Joe Biden and championed by members of Delaware’s congressional delegation – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester.

Contact Delaware Council on Farm & Food Policy for grant program questions at DDA_farmandfoodpolicy@delaware.gov. Complete program information can be found at https://farm-and-food-delaware.hub.arcgis.com/. For technical assistance using the DCF grant portal, applicants can contact Kelly Sheridan at ksheridan@delcf.org.

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The Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) has been awarded an $809,000 federal grant to purchase one propane and three electric school buses for the Colonial School District through the federal Clean School Bus Rebate Program. Nationally, these awards are part of the first $1 billion of a five-year, $5 billion program created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, championed by Delaware’s Congressional delegation of Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) and signed into law by President Joe Biden in November 2021.

The department — which qualifies the same as a school district as an applicant for this rebate because the state is a funder, purchaser and title owner of almost 500 school buses – submitted rebate applications for Colonial and four other districts. The award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was from a random generation of grant applications from around the country, and Colonial’s was the first on the lottery list among the Delaware districts.

“Reducing transportation-related emissions is a key part of our Climate Action Plan, and we need to expand cleaner types of transportation across our state,” Governor John Carney said. “Thank you to President Biden and our congressional delegation for supporting continued investments in cleaner transportation – an important step in our efforts to address greenhouse gas emissions.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Rebate program incentivizes both electric and propane school bus purchases since both are cleaner than diesel engine buses. Delaware school bus fleets already contain about 108 propane buses. These will be Delaware’s first electric school buses.

“Thanks to our historic investment in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, electric school buses are soon coming to communities across our nation,” said Senator Carper, chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “Today’s announcement means that the Colonial School District will be able to replace dirty school buses with cleaner alternatives. Importantly, these updates are going to result in cleaner air for students to breathe, more good-paying jobs, and a better future for our planet. I commend EPA Administrator Michael Regan and the Biden Administration for their continued commitment to deploying clean school buses, especially in disadvantaged communities.”

Senator Coons said he is grateful for the administration’s support in replacing diesel-burning school buses and creating good-paying jobs in manufacturing nationwide: “Investments in the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to modernize our school bus fleets will help us combat climate change and bring down fuel costs for schools, all while ensuring students in Colonial School District and every state across the country ride to class without breathing in harmful pollutants.”

Said Rep. Blunt Rochester, “With the transportation sector representing the single largest source of carbon emissions in the United States – we know that we have a tremendous opportunity with fleet and large capacity vehicles to help in our mission to reach net zero emissions. That’s why the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program – which I was proud to vote to create through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – is such a critical tool to modernize the vehicles that bring our kids to and from school every day while reducing our carbon footprint. I want to commend the Colonial School District for putting together a compelling plan to win this grant from the EPA – and I look forward to seeing these low and zero-emission school buses out on the roads of Delaware.”

The Clean School Bus Program will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save money for school districts and produce cleaner air. Diesel air pollution is linked to asthma and other conditions that harm students’ health and cause them to miss school, particularly in communities of color and Tribal communities. Phasing out these diesel engines will ensure cleaner air for students, bus drivers, and school staff working near the bus loading areas, and the communities through which the buses drive each day. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from these bus replacements will also help to address the outsized role of the transportation sector in fueling the climate crisis. The program will also save school districts money as they upgrade school bus fleets, replacing older, heavily polluting buses with brand new clean school buses, while freeing up needed resources for schools.

“We are constantly looking for ways to improve our services to our students and families, while making the bus environment more appealing for our drivers,”  Colonial Superintendent Jeffrey Menzer said.

The EPA rebate program requires that the new clean buses replace older school buses that are currently in service, with the primary category for replacement being diesel buses from 2010 or before. Delaware has engaged in a concerted effort to replace older school buses over the last few years with newer, cleaner ones, and 99 percent of the state-owned buses were already newer than 2010, with 76 percent 2016 or newer.

Media contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, 302-735-4006

SMYRNA, DE: Do you know a nonprofit organization in Delaware that may be interested in grant funding for security enhancements? Nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status may be eligible to receive funding through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). This federal grant program provides funding for physical and cyber security enhancements and other security-related activities to nonprofits that are at risk of a potential terrorist attack. The NSGP also seeks to integrate the preparedness activities of nonprofit organizations with broader state and local preparedness activities.

Application details

Eligible nonprofit organizations must apply through the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA), who then applies to FEMA on behalf of the nonprofits. All application materials must be submitted to Mark Dworkin of DEMA at Mark.Dworkin@delaware.gov by 5pm on June 1, 2022. No applications will be accepted by DEMA after 5pm on June 1, 2022.

The application packet for NSGP must include the following documents:

1. a completed Investment Justification
2. a Mission Statement on letterhead
3. a Vulnerability Assessment specific to the location/facility for which they are applying for funding
4. Optional: Nonprofits may also submit supporting documentation with their application packet that further demonstrates the organization’s risk

Award details

Nonprofit organizations with one site may apply for up to $150,000 for that site. Nonprofit organizations with multiple sites may apply for up to $150,000 per site for up to three sites, for a maximum of $450,000 per nonprofit. The maximum award is $150,000.00 per project application. If a nonprofit organization applies for projects at multiple sites, regardless of whether the projects are similar in nature, they must submit a separate Investment Justification (IJ) and vulnerability assessment unique to each site.

DEMA Application assistance

FY22 NSGP information and resources, such as the FY22 NSGP Program Guide and Investment Justification, can be found under Nonprofit Security Grant Program in the Resources tab on DEMA’s website (dema.delaware.gov). Additionally, self-assessment resources from the Delaware Information and Analysis Center (DIAC) and Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are available on DEMA’s website to assist nonprofits with the completion of their vulnerability risk assessments.

FEMA Application assistance

FEMA is hosting an Informational Webinar Series for FY22 NSGP technical assistance. Additional NSGP information like the Notice of Funding Opportunity, resources, and registration for upcoming webinars can be found on the FEMA website (https://www.fema.gov/grants/preparedness/nonprofit-security).

For questions regarding the NSGP, contact Mark Dworkin (mark.dworkin@delaware.gov).