IPA Policy Scientist Participates in Sussex County Bus Tour

In October, Sean O’Neill​, policy scientist at the Institute for Public Administration (IPA), collaborated with the Sussex Housing Group to organize and lead a bus tour of three communities in Sussex County. The tour focused on communities working to improve affordable housing and community development issues. Attendees included elected officials, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) officials, representatives from central banks, and policy leaders from state government. The tour began in Georgetown, Delaware, at the First State Community Action Agency (FSCAA), where attendees learned of the purpose and mission of Sussex Housing Group, a housing advocacy group. Tour attendees later met with Laurel Town Manager Jamie Smith and the Laurel Redevelopment Corporation members to discuss the primary housing challenges that the town is currently facing. The overall purpose of the Laurel stop was to highlight the need for investment in western Sussex communities that have often been neglected. Attendees visited West Rehoboth to meet with West Side New Beginnings, where they learned about the neighborhood’s profound historical challenges in terms of socioeconomic barriers and newer challenges with gentrification. West Rehoboth is a primarily Black neighborhood with residents who have been a part of the community for decades and are now being forced out due to rising housing costs and the high demand for new home development in the area. The tour stop in West Rehoboth was led by Diaz Bonville, who led the group on a walking tour, showcasing the changes taking place and sharing an impressive mural that highlights the history and culture of the historic Black community in Rehoboth. Upon returning to Georgetown, attendees joined Bernice Edwards, executive director at FSCAA. Edwards discussed the work of FSCAA as the first and only community action agency in the state of Delaware since 1965. Some of FSCAA's programs focus on addressing the root causes of poverty in the state, providing emergency services for clients in need, offering housing assistance, supporting community development assistance, and serving the Spanish-speaking population in areas such as Georgetown. The day ended with an optional walking tour of the Springboard Collaborative Pallet Village (TSC), led by its executive director and co-founder Judson Malone. TSC is a statewide Delaware nonprofit building dignified dwellings and communities that foster well-being for Delawareans in greatest need, while also connecting compromised populations with community resources to build a better life. The Institute for Public Administration is a research and public service center in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration.

Article by Sophonie Milord. Originally posted in UDaily's For the Record​.​​