Released: April 28, 2023
Delaware County is assessing the quality of the County’s housing assistance services and planning for the future. Residents are invited to participate in an online survey regarding housing services in the county. Housing services can include rental assistance, shelters, transitional housing, mental health housing support, drug and alcohol housing support, and many other services.
Last month, Council approved an agreement with S Brand Solutions to access housing services and resources available in the county. The assessment of housing services is being completed as an initial step to develop an overall strategic plan for Delaware County’s Department of Human Services and Community Support Departments. In addition to the community survey, targeted surveys are also being offered to County employees, stakeholders, and recipients of housing services.
Residents are invited to complete the survey through May 1: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DCHHSComm
Some of the key goals of the assessment being done by S Brand Solutions are to:
Understand how the housing programs and services in Delaware County are organized and how they operate to best meet current and future needs
Review the shelter system and the coordinated entry process
Optimize resources to build greater efficiency and effectiveness for housing services as a whole
Identify gaps in the delivery of housing services including the challenges, barriers, and opportunities within those gaps
Recommend improvements in housing services
A key component to the assessment is gathering valuable input from the community and residents are encouraged to take the survey and offer their opinions.
The County, in partnership with several community stakeholders also formed the Delaware County Housing Working Group earlier this year to address the critical issue of safe and affordable housing for all Delaware County residents.
The Working Group first met in February 2023 and is focused on three categories:
1 - The unhoused population in Delaware County
2 - Rapid Rehousing (Rental Housing)
3 - Affordable Housing (Homeownership)