UPDATED: Pallet Shelter Village in Georgetown – Going Up!
UPDATED – 10/18/22 – Georgetown’s Pallet Shelter Village is starting to come to life. The land has been cleared behind First State Community Action Agency on North Railroad Avenue and some of the foundations for the shelters have been poured. On Monday several truckloads of pallet shelters arrived in Georgetown and volunteers have been busy working to assemble them into future homes and Mayor Bill West tells The Talk of Delmarva that more will be going up soon! The Springboard Collaborative is a non-profit organization with a mission to build affordable housing communities that foster well-being for all Delawareans in need and has teamed with Pallet to bring this small village to Georgetown’s homeless. Springboard Collaborative co-founder Judson Malone told the Town Council during an update on the Pallet Shelter Village last week that a recent survey shows there are over 60 people interested in living in the village. It’s expected that the Pallet Shelter Village will be occupied in November.
A pallet shelter village planned for Georgetown will take another step towards helping shelter the homeless tomorrow. Volunteers will help to prepare the one-acre site, which has been leased for 2 years by the Springboard Collaborative from First State Community Action Agency. The site will eventually hold 44 pallet shelters and accompanying service buildings and will house up to 60 homeless individuals. The village will be located behind First State Community Action Agency on North Railroad Avenue. Georgetown Town Council approved the project last November. Each cabin has beds, electric, heat and AC and storage space and are expected to be ready for occupants in the fall.
This project in Georgetown will serve as the first demonstration village in Delaware. Over 80 Pallet Villages have been formed – each supporting 20 to 60 residents – including one in Salisbury.
The Springboard Collaborative says that partners will be able to room together, pets will be welcomed and storage provided for possessions. Each facility will have one or more beds and secure storage. Showers and restrooms will be housed in separate structures and food service, meetings and recreation available in a central facility. The Village will be fenced and monitored by on-site security personnel with OSHA safety standards and COVID-19 mitigation strictly enforced.
Support is needed for this project to help cover one-time capital costs and operational expenses for the first two years – contact Jud Malone – 302-648-2158 or Bernice Edwards – 302-856-7761, x157.
