MILFORD, DE -- With no overnight shelter in the city, snowy weather and cold temperatures are brutal for Milford's homeless population. A pallet shelter village could be a solution to the issue, but city officials will not move forward without hearing input from the community first.
James Case III is one of more than 200 people known homeless people in Milford. He is currently living out of two tents downtown.
"I hate being out here like this," Case says. "I mean, I love it, but I hate being out here at the same time."
Martha Gery with Milford Advocacy for the Homeless is one of the few resources for the city's unsheltered population. She says the need for a shelter village is greater now than ever.
"We want to make sure that we are doing something in Milford," says Gery. "Other than Code Purple, which we have during the winter, there is no solution for someone who is unsheltered."
The potential pallet shelter village would be organized by the Springboard Collaborative, a statewide Delaware nonprofit building dignified dwellings and communities that foster well-being for Delawareans in greatest need. The group has already seen success with a pallet shelter village in Georgetown, DE, offering housing, as well as health and social services.
Mayor Archie Campbell says he fully supports the idea, but will ultimately have to make a decision that aligns with what the community wants.
"We need to do something," says Campbell. "What? I don't know. But we need to talk to the public. We can make all these decisions, but if the public and all their constituents don't want it, why have it?"
Local business owner Karen Barner agrees that something needs to be done, but has concerns about how the village could impact the community.
"When it comes to location, that's a very tricky area," says Barner. "I do see the concerns of property owners. I see the concerns of the citizens for our town, the way it looks, et cetera, et cetera."
The Milford City Council is hosting a public meeting Jan. 22 for the proposed pallet shelter village. Mayor Campbell encourages the community to come out and express their thoughts and concerns.