MILFORD, Del. - Community leaders, housing advocates and elected officials gathered in Milford Friday to celebrate the groundbreaking of Lafayette Place, a new affordable housing development expected to bring dozens of homeownership opportunities to working families in Kent County.
The development will be located near the existing Colony Center affordable rental community, which has served Milford families for more than two decades through Interfaith Community Housing of Delaware (ICHDE).
Supporters of the project say Lafayette Place comes at a critical time, as rising housing costs continue to impact families across Delaware.
Milford Mayor Todd Culotta said the city’s rapid growth in recent years has increased demand for housing.
"We've seen a lot of growth in a short period of time, and the great migration from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, places like that have really contributed to our economy in a good way, but also put pressure on housing prices," Culotta said.
Developers say Lafayette Place could include up to 95 affordable homes once complete. The homes are expected to target families earning around 80% of the area median income.
Catherine Davis with ICHDE said affordable housing needs extend far beyond what many people may realize.
"There is a huge need in populations that you don't even think about," Davis said. "We don't think about our seniors in that way. We don't think about our veterans. But there is housing need everywhere."
Before homes can be built, developers say major infrastructure work — including roads, sewer systems, and utilities — must first be completed. A $2.5 million federal grant awarded through the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2026 will help fund those improvements.
"This is harder because it's roads and it's sewer systems and it's infrastructure, and that is very difficult," Davis said. "So it's almost impossible to find funding for this."
ICHDE leaders say the project is about more than housing construction — it’s about creating long-term stability for families and building stronger communities.
"It’s stability," Davis said. "You have a home and that’s where things start."
Developers say infrastructure work will begin immediately, with the first homes expected to become available for purchase in 2028.
