Up to $1,500 in assistance available to Delawareans struggling to pay rent or electric bills due to COVID-19

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney and Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) Director Anas Ben Addi on Thursday announced a new program to provide emergency housing assistance to renters affected by shutdowns, closures, layoffs, reduced work hours, or unpaid leave due to the COVID-19 health crisis. The Delaware Housing Assistance Program (DE HAP) will provide eligible households up to $1,500 in assistance, with payments made directly to the property owner or utility company. Applications will be available on DSHA’s website at www.destatehousing.com or at de.gov/coronavirus.

“From restaurant workers and small business owners, to hair stylists and barbers, we know many Delawareans are facing a very challenging time as they struggle with the economic effects of the public health emergency,” said Governor John Carney. “We hope this assistance program will give Delaware families, especially our most vulnerable neighbors, some peace of mind as this situation continues to evolve.”

Earlier this week, Governor Carney issued a Sixth Modification to his State of Emergency Declaration, preventing landlords from evicting Delawareans from their homes during the COVID-19 crisis. Under the order, landlords also cannot charge late fees or interest during a State of Emergency.

“By pausing evictions, Governor Carney has taken the necessary steps to keep Delawareans in their homes, but we know that after the crisis, many of our neighbors will continue to face financial challenges,” said DSHA Director Anas Ben Addi. “This rental relief program is designed to help our neighbors in need now to prevent a wave of evictions in the coming months.”

DSHA provided $2 million in funding for DE HAP, and New Castle County contributed $500,000. “During these difficult times, we need to pull all of our resources together to help those who are struggling financially because of the COVID-19 crisis,” said New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer. “We know this funding may not solve all of the problems our neighbors are facing, but this program is a great step in the right direction. I am pleased that New Castle County is able to support Governor Carney and DSHA in their efforts.”

Several community partners will assist DSHA in processing applications through the program, including West End Neighborhood House, Catholic Charities, Lutheran Community Services, First State Community Action Agency, and the Sussex County Community Resource Center.

“The impact of COVID-19 is unprecedented. Every day, we receive numerous calls from Delawareans who are struggling to pay their rent or utility bills because of an unexpected layoff, a reduction in hours, or the closure of a business,” said West End Neighborhood House Executive Director Paul F. Calistro, Jr. “If we can help our state’s residents stay in their homes both during and after this crisis, it will benefit us all. West End is honored to partner with Governor Carney and DSHA on this worthwhile program.”

To be eligible for DE HAP, applicants must reside in Delaware and have a maximum household income at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for the county in which they reside. The applicant must also provide documentation showing an impact on their employment or income beginning March 10, 2020 or later that is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes such instances as a layoff, reduced work hours, or needing to take unpaid leave due to childcare or other issues arising as a result of the health crisis.

Income eligibility per county is as follows:

For more information on DE HAP and to access an application, visit de.gov/coronavirus or destatehousing.com. 

Delawareans with questions about COVID-19 or their exposure risk can call the Division of Public Health’s Coronavirus Call Center at 1-866-408-1899 or 711 for people who are hearing impaired from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, or email DPHCall@delaware.gov.

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DOVER – Governor John Carney and Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) Director Anas Ben Addi announced the launch of a new homeownership program for recent college graduates at an event recognizing Homeownership Month. The new program, Homes for Grads, will offer discounted rates on DSHA’s down payment assistance loans for homebuyers who have graduated college with a four-year degree or higher in the last three years.

Joining the Governor and Director Ben Addi to launch the program were elected officials, higher education officials, realtors, lenders and housing counselors.

Homes for Grads will provide a reduced mortgage rate of 50 basis points or one-half of a percentage for recent college graduates when they are accessing one of DSHA’s Preferred Plus loans which include down payment and settlement assistance.

“Having an educated workforce is critically important to our state, but one of the economic development challenges we face is attracting college graduates to our state and keeping them here,” said Governor Carney. “The Homes for Grads program is another incentive we can offer to encourage these graduates to make Delaware their home. We think this can have a lasting impact on our state’s economic wellbeing by encouraging our best and brightest residents to stay here in Delaware, contributing to our economy and to our communities.”

With the cost of a college education continuing to rise each year, many graduates will leave school with student debt, including 65 percent of Delawareans. This debt can be a significant barrier to affording monthly payments and saving for a down payment.

“We want to make buying a home a reality for more Delawareans throughout our state. The Homes for Grads program will help us reach this recent college graduate population who may be struggling with student debt and facing other barriers to homeownership,” said Director Ben Addi. “The program will make the home-buying process easy and affordable for those who have just completed their college education.”

“The Homes for Grads program offers a great opportunity for Delaware State University graduates to put down roots here in our state,” said Provost Tony Allen. “Our graduates have the knowledge and skills that Delaware employers are looking for, and this new program provides an additional incentive to encourage them to buy a home and stay in Delaware after they finish their schooling.”

Homes for Grads is being funded with a $10 million commitment from DSHA and will be subsidized by revenues from DSHA’s primary homeownership loan programs. In addition, the program is financed with support from Discover Bank.

“Discover Bank is proud of our successful partnership with DSHA to provide mortgages to low- and moderate-income borrowers throughout our state,” said Bank President James J. Roszkowski. “This Homeownership Month, I am pleased to say that, through our partnership with DSHA, we helped over 2,200 families reach the goal of homeownership last year, with over $350 million in mortgage financing. The Homes for Grads program is an excellent example of DSHA’s creative strategies to improve the mortgage program. Discover Bank has $50 million in commitment remaining to DSHA for mortgage financing in 2019 to support this effort, and others, to help our neighbors, and our communities.”

DSHA will work with its participating lenders to offer the Homes for Grads program to recent college graduates. Tracy Chongling, vice president of mortgage lending at Guaranteed Rate, a participating DSHA lender, said she sees great potential in the new Homes for Grads program and is thrilled to be able to offer it to potential homebuyers. “I hear every day from Delawareans who do not think they will be able to afford to buy a home, including many college graduates who have not been able to save for a down payment due to student loan debt,” she said. “This new program will help so many of these individuals and families achieve the American dream of buying their own home.”

Buyers who participate in the Homes for Grads program must meet eligibility requirements for DSHA’s homeownership loan programs, including credit score and income limits. They will be required to have a minimum credit score of 620. If their credit score is not at this number, DSHA offers financial coaching to help buyers improve their score and get on the path to homeownership.

In correlation with the launch of this new program, DSHA is also adjusting the income levels for its homeownership programs in order to provide more opportunities for residents to purchase homes in Delaware. The new income limits are based on the area median incomes for Delaware’s three counties and are tied to the number of people living in a household. Previously, DSHA used a flat household income limit for all buyers. The new income limits can be found on DSHA’s homeownership website.

Recent college graduates who are interested in learning more about how to participate in Homes for Grads should visit DSHA’s homeownership website or contact a participating lender.

DOVER, DE – For anyone in Delaware looking to buy a home, Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) has launched a new website that provides convenient and detailed information about the authority’s homeownership programs and the home-buying process. The website, www.kissyourlandlordgoodbye.com, connects potential homebuyers in the state with resources on low interest mortgage loans, down payment assistance, the Delaware First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit and more.

“Purchasing a home can be one of the most rewarding decisions someone can make. Owning a home can provide a sense of security, independence and pride,” said DSHA Director Anas Ben Addi. “In addition to the benefits owning a home has for the individual or family, we also know that encouraging homeownership helps strengthen and support our communities and can reduce crime. This new website will be an invaluable tool for DSHA and will allow us to help more Delawareans achieve the dream of homeownership.” 

“This is an incredible resource for our customers,” said Don Byrom Jr. (NMLS#709360), a loan officer at M&T Bank, CRA Mortgage Division. “We often hear from those looking to buy a home that they are unsure of where to start in the process. DSHA’s new website will now be that starting point where potential homebuyers can go for more information to begin their journey to buying a home.”

For potential homebuyers who are ready to take the next step in the process, DSHA’s new website provides information on participating lenders, housing counselors and realtors who work directly with the authority to offer homeownership loans and down payment and closing cost assistance.

DSHA officially unveiled the new website at the 2019 Delaware Homebuyer Fair on April 13, where more than 400 potential homebuyers received information on finding properties, obtaining low-cost financing, down payment assistance, home inspections and maintenance and budgeting.

WILMINGTON, DE – Families and individuals who want to learn more about buying a home can get a wealth of information at the free Delaware Homebuyer Fair scheduled for Saturday, April 13 at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington. Running from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., the fair offers educational seminars on every aspect of buying a home in Delaware, as well as the chance to connect with service providers in the real estate, financing and home buying fields.

Celebrating its ninth year, the annual event typically draws between 350 and 400 people. Registration details and a complete agenda are available on DSHA’s website.

“The Homebuyer Fair offers a great opportunity for people at all stages of the homebuying process to get all the information they need,” said Delaware State Housing Authority Director Anas Ben Addi. “We make it as easy as possible for potential buyers to become better prepared and feel comfortable with buying a home.”

Seminars will cover topics such as finding properties, obtaining low-cost financing, down payment assistance, home inspections and maintenance and budgeting.

“As a mortgage lender, I’m a proud supporter of the Delaware Homebuyer Fair,” said Kevin Jornlin, past president of the Delaware Mortgage Bankers Association. “The fair provides valuable information for potential homebuyers and connects them to countless resources throughout the state.”

Attendees can earn credit toward HUD Homebuyer Education Certificate requirements.

Registration is free and breakfast and lunch are provided. Attendees can register at www.destatehousing.com or by calling toll-free at 888-363-8808.

The Homebuyer Fair is presented by the Delaware State Housing Authority in partnership with the Delaware Federation of Housing Counselors. Sponsors include 92.9 TomFM, Andrea Harrington Realty Group, Caine Mitter & Associates, Cozen O’Connor, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, FHLBank Pittsburgh, George K. Baum & Company, Guaranteed Rate, Inc., Greenberg Traurig LLP, Hilltop Securities, Lakeview Loan Servicing, Meridian Bank Mortgage Center, Office of Attorney General Kathy Jennings, $tand By Me, Team Stewart Realty, Trident Mortgage Company and Xfinity (Comcast).

New 1.15 megawatt solar farm will save WHA $1.2 million and provide clean, renewable energy to housing authority residents

WILMINGTON, Del. – The Wilmington Housing Authority (WHA), joined by Mayor Mike Purzycki, Governor John Carney and other local and state officials, today officially dedicated its new Southbridge Solar Park at 900 South Claymont Street. The 1.15 megawatt solar installation will save the housing authority money and provide clean, renewable solar-generated electricity to WHA residents. The solar array – developed, financed and constructed by New York-based Ecogy Energy— is currently the largest, privately-financed, public housing solar project in the United States.

Located at the site of the former 180-unit WHA Southbridge Extension, the solar farm is estimated to produce 40 million kilowatt hours of electricity over the lifetime of the project. The clean energy produced by this solar project is equivalent to the polluting CO2 emissions from more than 69,000 barrels of oil or nearly 33,000,000 pounds of coal burned. In addition to managing the construction of the solar park, Ecogy Energy will monitor and maintain the facility.

“We’re honored to have been able to authorize this important energy-saving program,” said Karen Spellman, Interim Executive Director of the Wilmington Housing Authority. “Working with Ecogy and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), we have been able to turn an unused lot into a radiant ‘sun-garden’ that will save the housing authority $1.2 million over the life of the energy contract. In turn, we can focus those savings on the needed maintenance of our existing housing stock.”

The savings to the WHA will come from virtual net energy metering, through which the WHA will receive credit for any additional energy being produced to supply multiple WHA-owned properties. The WHA houses ten percent of Wilmington’s population (or approximately 7,000 residents) in 4,000 multiple and single housing units via the Low-Income Public Housing (LIPH) and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programs throughout the city.

“We’re happy to help celebrate this innovative project, which will create jobs, build on our efforts to promote sustainability, and reduce emissions,” said Governor John Carney. “Thank you to the Wilmington Housing Authority and Ecogy Energy for their leadership in partnering on this important work.”

“I applaud WHA and Ecogy Energy for their commitment to this innovative project,” said Mayor Purzycki. “This project has leveraged private capital to create local jobs, contribute to state and local sustainability efforts, and assist the largest direct provider of affordable housing in Delaware in saving money on energy costs.”

“As a company, we are invested in helping bridge the gap of inequality that exists in owning and using solar energy,” said Ken Becker, Partner at Ecogy Energy. “The Wilmington Housing Authority has stepped into a national leadership position with this project, and will be using the economic benefits of the project to improve housing for our lowest income population.”

The Southbridge Solar Park project is currently a contender for the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Prize as part of the Solar in Your Community Challenge, a $5 million contest that supports innovative and replicable community-based solar business models and programs that will bring solar to underserved communities. The final prize announcement will be made in January 2019.

Also participating in today’s event were State Senator Harris McDowell, City Council President Hanifa Shabazz, 4th District City Council Representative Michelle Harlee, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer, Chairman of WHA Board of Commissioners Steve Martin, Maria L. Bynum of the HUD Wilmington Field Office, and Marie Reed of the Southbridge Civic Association.

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