Milford hearing Jan. 22 on proposed tiny home village for homeless, like Georgetown site
A village of tiny homes like the one in Georgetown for people experiencing homelessness has been proposed in Milford.
A public hearing on the plan by the nonprofit Springboard Collaborative is scheduled at the Milford City Council meeting, 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22, at City Hall, 201 S. Walnut St.
Springboard has requested that the city provide land for the project, but private land could be used if the location meets requirements, said Sara Bluhm, Milford economic development and community engagement administrator, in a press release.
All services would be provided by Springboard, and no city funds are projected to be used to support the project, Bluhm said.
The proposal for the tiny home village would require conditional use approval from the City Council and another public hearing.
Public hearing also available online and by phone
The meeting can be viewed online at these links: zoom.us/j/94877121629 or www.cityofmilford.com/553/Watch-Public-Meetings.
People online who want to comment during the meeting must register before the meeting by calling 302-422-1111, ext. 1300 or 1303, or by emailing cityclerk@milford-de.gov and providing your name, address, phone number and what you wish to comment on.
People can also listen by phone by calling (301) 715-8592 and using the webinar ID number 94877121629.
About the Springboard Collaborative and pallet village
Springboard Collaborative was founded in Delaware in 2020, inspired by Denmark and Finland’s programs to house everyone along with approaches to ending homelessness. Those include the “collective impact” method described in the Stanford Social Innovation Review and the website of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.
In Delaware, 2,369 people were experiencing homelessness, according to a one-night survey in February 2022, and the number of people experiencing homelessness has doubled since 2019, according to Springboard.
The goals of the nonprofit are:
Provide dignified dwellings for short-term crises and attainable solutions for long-term housing.
Connect residents with physical and mental health services, safety services and food programs.
Connect residents with education and/or employment opportunities, including trade or professional training to achieve self-reliance and their full potential.
The group’s executive director and co-founder is Judson Malone of Georgetown. He worked as a consultant for the Howard Hughes Corp. in Columbia, Maryland, and contributed to a new master plan for Columbia's underdeveloped core. As a member of the Baltimore chapter of the Urban Land Institute, he chaired the Regionalism Committee and organized regional planning workshops.
Malone did not immediately return a request for comments Jan. 19.
The president of the Springboard Collaborative board is Randall “R.L.” Hughes, emergency management coordinator at Beebe Healthcare, and former Georgetown police chief, state police officer and deputy principal assistant at the Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
In 2023, the nonprofit partnered with the social purpose company Pallet and opened the Springboard Pallet Village in Georgetown.
The village includes 40 cabins on the property of the First State Community Action Agency behind the agency’s Georgetown headquarters.
More: Pallet village for homeless opens in Georgetown. First of its kind shelter in Delaware.
Each cabin has heat and air conditioning, one or two beds, storage space and a lockable door. Partners may room together. Pets are welcome.
The fenced-in village has restrooms, showers, a building with food service and offices, and is monitored by on-site security.
“Springboard Pallet villages stabilize and engage those experiencing unsheltered homelessness and economic hardship throughout Delaware,” the group's website said. “These dignified cabin dwellings provide a safe, comfortable stepping stone on the path to lasting housing.”
While at the village, residents can learn about resources such as food programs, health care, education and employment programs.
“Evidence demonstrates that people are more likely to embrace and effectively utilize wrap-around services after they are in a secure and supportive setting,” the website said.
Reporter Ben Mace covers real estate and development stories. Reach him at rmace@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Milford hearing Jan. 22 on proposed tiny home village for homeless
