Sussex County in last year of ARPA funds

Sussex County is in the last year of spending its $45.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. Gina Jennings, director of financing, said all monies must be committed by the end of this year.

Jennings provided an update on the funds during Sussex County Council’s March 19 meeting; she said council’s spending priorities include affordable housing and infrastructure.

Under ARPA, Sussex County received federal assistance aimed at COVID-19 pandemic recovery, and the county has since earmarked that funding for a variety of initiatives, including public safety, affordable housing, wastewater infrastructure, low-income services and other qualifying programs.

The county allocated $25 million for sewer infrastructure, $9.2 million for affordable housing and low-income services, $5.7 million for nonprofit grants, $3 million for security upgrades to sewer infrastructure, $1.4 million for emergency operations center and emergency service medical employees, and $300,000 for the kitchen incubator project.

It also provided $900,000 to assist low-income homebuyers with down payments. Jennings said so far, 20 settlements have occurred.

In addition, $2 million was used for home repairs including emergency repairs, roofing and weatherization. To date, 138 projects have been completed, with 23 under construction and 21 applications in process, for a total of 182 homes receiving ARPA funds.

Using Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act funds and ARPA funds, the county leveraged $326,156 to assist homeowners with payments to avoid eviction and payments to avoid utility shutoffs for 191 households.

All of the programs are under the Sussex County Community Development and Housing Department.

$750,000 to Food Bank

Council voted March 19 to award $750,000 to the Delaware Food Bank to purchase food.

“Sussex County has a long track record of helping those in need, whether that’s through offering tax-assistance programs, or with our annual Caroling on The Circle food drive program each holiday season,” said County Council President Mike Vincent. “We are proud to continue those efforts with this award, which will make tremendous strides in supporting the Food Bank of Delaware’s mission to put food on the table and help strengthen our communities.”

The grant will be 100 percent directed to purchasing food items to stock the Food Bank’s shelves at its Milford facility and be distributed to recipients who live in Sussex County.

Low-income housing grants

Jennings said the last round of low-income housing development grants opened April 1, when the county’s community development and housing department started accepting applications from groups that develop new or preserve existing affordable housing.

The program, known as the Housing Trust Fund, is one way the county promotes access to and preservation of affordable housing. Developers, groups and others working toward increasing the affordable housing stock in Sussex County can apply for up to $500,000 grants.

Meantime, direct settlement assistance funds continue to be available for individual Sussex County homebuyers through the Housing Trust Fund. Under the program, qualified households can apply for forgivable loans up to $30,000 for help with down payment and closing costs.

Up to $2 million will be available to applicants in the latest round, the third since the program launched in spring 2022. In all, the county has allocated nearly $6 million in ARPA funds for the Housing Trust Fund since its inception, assisting nearly 65 homebuyers and supporting the preservation or creation of more than 175 new affordable units.

“The response to the Housing Trust Fund has been enormous, and we look for that to continue with this latest round,” said Community Development & Housing Director Brandy Nauman.

For more information on the program, visit sussexcountyde.gov/housing-trust-fund.

Sussex ARPA funds

$25 million for wastewater infrastructure

$5.7 million for nonprofit grants, including $3 million for health partnerships and $2 million for low-income partnerships

$3 million for cybersecurity upgrades

$2 million for housing rehabilitations

$900,000 for buyer’s assistance

$6 million for home ownership and rental assistance

$300,000 for assistance relief funding

$300,000 kitchen incubator project

$1.4 million for public safety employees

$805,000 for administration