Rep. McBride, Senators Coons, Blunt Rochester Celebrate Nearly $1 Million Investment in Affordable Housing for Kent and Sussex Counties

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Sarah McBride and U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester (all D-Del.) celebrated a $940,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development grant for Milford Housing Development Corporation. The funding, awarded through the USDA Rural Development's 523 Mutual Self-Help Housing Technical Assistance Grant program, will support the construction of two dozen new, energy-efficient homes for low-income families in rural communities throughout Sussex and Kent Counties. Over a two-year period, the grant will help Milford Housing Development Corporation continue its self-help housing program and expand access to affordable homeownership in rural Delaware.

"Every Delaware family deserves access to a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home," said U.S. Representative Sarah McBride. "This grant will help Milford Housing Development Corporation build 24 energy-efficient homes, continuing their work to make homeownership more attainable for working families in Kent and Sussex counties. I am proud to join Senators Coons and Blunt Rochester in celebrating this investment to expand affordable housing opportunities in rural Delaware, and I look forward to continuing to work together to bring down housing costs across our state."

"Affordable housing is about more than building homes, it's about creating opportunity. Thanks to this $940,000 investment, the Milford Housing Development Corporation will help more Delaware families realize the dream of homeownership in our rural communities," said U.S. Senator Chris Coons. "I'm grateful for USDA's continued partnership in creating safe, decent, affordable housing that strengthens neighborhoods, lowers energy costs, and builds a brighter future for the next generation."

"Good homes are the foundation of strong communities - because without a roof over your head, the promise of good-paying jobs and high-quality education are out of reach," said U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester. "That is why I'm so excited for communities in Kent and Sussex Counties, who will be receiving two dozen new energy-efficient homes through this grant. Alongside Senator Coons and Representative McBride, I am committed to making housing more attainable and expanding opportunity for all Delawareans."

"We are incredibly grateful to continue our long-standing partnership with USDA Rural Development in expanding access to affordable homeownership opportunities" said David Moore President/CEO Milford Housing Development Corporation. "Through the Self-Help Housing Program, individuals and families who might otherwise be unable to achieve homeownership invest their own "sweat equity" by working together to build not only their own homes, but also those of their neighbors. This unique approach fosters a strong sense of community while making homeownership attainable and affordable. Along the way, participants gain valuable construction experience, financial education, and the confidence needed to become successful, informed homeowners, creating lasting benefits for themselves, their families, and their communities".

This $940,000 investment represents an ongoing effort by Coons, Blunt Rochester, and McBride to secure more federal investment to address the cost-of-living crisis and to expand access to affordable housing opportunities, especially in rural and low-income areas across Delaware. Recently, the congressional delegation voted to pass the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in their respective chambers - the first comprehensive housing affordability bill to pass Congress in three decades. The congressional delegation will continue working to secure resources that increase housing supply, strengthen rural communities, and help more families achieve the stability of homeownership.

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