Building More Than Homes

Imagine raising your family in a safe neighborhood where homeownership is within reach, where children have room to play, and where generations can build financial stability. For many working families in Milford, Delaware, that dream has become increasingly out of reach as housing costs continue to rise.

Interfaith Community Housing of Delaware (ICHDE) is working to change that with a new development, the Lafayette Project, that will bring 36 single-family homes to low- and moderate-income families in this rural, historic town. A Section 4 grant, awarded by Enterprise, allowed the nonprofit to broaden its capacity to advance the effort. When completed, it will be one of the largest affordable single-family homeownership communities in Kent County, providing families with an opportunity to invest in their futures while strengthening the community they already call home.

Since its founding in 1968, ICHDE has developed and rehabbed over 2,000 affordable homes across Delaware. Beyond housing development, the nonprofit also provides housing counseling through its Homeownership Center, offering services like foreclosure prevention, financial literacy, and credit repair. Its work extends further still through the Community Building and Engagement (CBE) program, which empowers residents to shape their communities through leadership development, youth mentorship, and collaborative partnerships.

Meeting a Growing Need

Milford's proximity to Delaware's beaches, expanding economy, and vibrant downtown have made it an increasingly desirable place to live. While the town's tremendous growth has brought new opportunities, it has also driven up housing costs, placing homeownership out of reach for many local families. Longtime residents and working families who help power Milford's businesses, schools, healthcare systems, and agricultural economy are facing a new reality of being priced out of their hometown.

Milford's challenge is not unique. This is a trend felt in rural communities across the country. A report from Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies found that rural counties, which lost population to domestic migration for years before the pandemic, have since seen a reversal - gaining hundreds of thousands of net residents between 2021 and 2024, driven by fewer residents leaving and a steady pull of homebuyers drawn in by affordability.

Our work is about helping ensure that the people who have helped build this community have the opportunity to remain a part of its future.

Darlene L. Sample, Executive Director, ICHDE

The Lafayette Project broke ground in late May to meet the community's needs. The development features 36 single-family homes with three or four bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and one- or two-car garages. Every home was developed specifically for low- to moderate-income households, creating affordable pathways to homeownership rather than temporary housing solutions.

"A community is more than its newest development: it is the people who have called this community home for decades. When working families are forced to leave, we lose more than affordable housing; we lose neighbors, history, and the character and stability that make Milford what it is," ICHDE Executive Director Darlene L. Sample said. "Our work is about helping ensure that the people who have helped build this community have the opportunity to remain a part of its future."

Building Capacity to Build Homes

A project of this scale required dedicated leadership behind the scenes. Along with federal and local grants, ICDHE used Section 4 funds to hire a full-time construction manager who helped to oversee engineering consultants, coordinate with state and local agencies, manage timelines, monitor compliance, and ensure every milestone is completed efficiently.

"This isn't just about building 36 homes, it's about demonstrating ICHDE's ability to successfully deliver these homes and proving our capacity to take on larger, more complex developments in the future," Sample said. "The construction manager role funded through Section 4 is exactly the kind of capacity we will need to successfully deliver the next Lafayette Project.

"It also supports ICHDE's mission of ensuring equitable access to homeownership for low- and moderate-income families - the very families who play such an important role in building and sustaining our communities."