The sun shone brightly over the playground near Betsy Ross Circle in Milford, Delaware. Next to the playground: an expanse of land that will soon, thanks to Interfaith Community Housing of Delaware, Inc., be the site for at least 36 – and potentially as many as 96 – three- to four-bedroom single-family homes and one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom mul
tifamily homes. The homes are much-needed in this community, the fastest-growing in the entire state.
The development will be called Lafayette Place, and the groundbreaking, held within months of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, emphasized the place that homebuilding plays in building America. The groundbreaking was held during NeighborWorks Weeks, dedicated to showcasing the collective impact of NeighborWorks network organizations like Interfaith and the power of resident-led change. The celebration included funders, partners and dignitaries, including the state’s two US senators and governor, a state senator, Milford’s mayor, and NeighborWorks President & CEO Marietta Rodriguez.
“Today, we stand here not just to develop property but to create opportunities, stability and a brighter future for families,” said Darlene Sample, Interfaith’s executive director, speaking in a community space before adjourning outside. “To build something on this scale takes a village, and we at Interfaith are grateful for the village represented in this room today.”
Funding for the project came from many sources, including $2.5 million from Congress to cover critical infrastructure costs including roadwork, land gradinga nd utility site preparation. “Anyone who has worked in development understands how difficult it can be to secure infrastructure funding,” she said.
Catherine Davis, Interfaith’s resource development director, stood behind a podium and unfolded a tattered development plan. “You know how much something is loved by how much it is handled,” she said. “And this 
plan has been opened so many times.”
Almost before he said hello when she first joined the organization three years ago, Carlton Bowers, the housing development manager, walked into her office with the plan and said, “please find funding for this project.”
Because of the people gathered at the groundbreaking, she said, “this plan can now stay open.”
Bowers explained that for decades there had been a plan and a vision but no funding. “I pushed and I pushed,” he said. “I came up in the Milford area, raised my kids in the Milford area, and my office used to be in this development. It means a lot to me to have affordable housing here. There’s a need, not just in Milford but in the state of Delaware. It means a lot to me to see this transform. It’s just awesome.”
“Everyone in this room knows what affordable housing can do for a family,” declared Davis. She was right.
What housing can do for a community
“I cannot think of a more important investment we make as a society than quality, affordable, safe, sanitary, decent housing,” said Sen. Chris Coons. “Do you want stronger families? You need better housing. Do you want better schools? You need better housing … Do you want better public health? You need better housing.”
Without it, he said, “nothing else works. But if you give families and folks a floor to stand on, literally and figuratively, they can make progress toward everything else.” He applauded the project and Interfaith, asking for a separate round of applause for Rodriguez and NeighborWorks America, calling the organization “a remarkable partner.”
Transforming lives
“It is so good to work on something that we know will make a difference in people’s lives,’ said Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester. “And especially for such a time as this. I’m incredibly proud to be here. I’m also excited to be at a groundbreaking of Lafayette place on the 250th anniversary of our country. Now, as all of these pieces come together, this is about transforming people’s lives. This is
about transforming community. I think about this place and how there will be children, maybe seniors, maybe veterans who need housing will have an opportunity here.”
She also offered a reality check. “In our country right now, we are 4 to 7 million housing units short,” she said. “For me, because I heard it from you, this has been a No. 1 priority.”
She talked about what it meant as a 10-year-old child to walk into a house that she knew was hers. And how she had spoken to a class of second graders where a student raised his hand and asked if she worked on housing. When she said she did, the student replied: Good. Because my friend lives in his car.”
Gov. Matt Meyer, a former math teacher, said he hasn’t known a student who thrived who didn’t also have stable housing.
We have a crisis in our country,” he said, adding that 20,000 homes were needed in Delaware alone. “What does 96 mean in 20,000? Well I’ll tell you: To those 96 families, it means just about everything.”
Part of the reason for Delaware’s housing crisis is the only state in the mid-Atlantic that is still adding population. With the growth comes added pressure, he said, shining the light on the organizations like Interfaith who come together to meet those pressures. “You raise your hand and you say, ‘let’s fix this.’”
NeighborWorks’ Rodriguez also addressed the group, saying that it was an honor to be in Milford during NeighborWorks Weeks, when organizations are celebrating how residents work together to create opportunity and strengthen neighborhoods to build a better future for their neighbors.
“This project isn’t just about bringing much-needed quality housing, but it will create a pathway
to ownership,” she said. “At NeighborWorks we believe that when individuals and families have access to affordable housing they have, as you’ve heard, the opportunity to thrive; the invitation to become a member of a community that can thrive. We envision a place where every community across the country, regardless of income, regardless of age, can live and work and learn and play with peace of mind. Everyone deserves the opportunity to pursue safe, decent affordable housing, and that is the opportunity that Interfaith is creating right here in Milford.”
Mayor Todd Culotta talked about the continued growth of Milford, including the hundreds of jobs that will come with a new industrial park. “Folks have to live somewhere and we want them to live here,” he said.
Said Rodriguez, “We cannot wait to join you back here for the ribbon cutting to see those first families move into these homes.”
