In the last issue of The Housing Journal, Jacqueline McDonald reported on the efforts of Delaware’s newly formed Homeless Planning Council (HPC), an active, cooperative group of public, nonprofit and private sector organizations working together to address homelessness throughout the state.

Thanks to a December 23 HUD announcement, the HPC can report that its first year of hard work has already begun to pay off – a total of $2.4 million in HUD Supportive Housing Program funding is being awarded to seven agencies throughout the state to help fill gaps in services for the homeless! The agencies are: Delaware HIV Consortium; Division of Alcoholism, Drug Abuse & Mental Health; Dover Housing Development Corporation; Independent Living; Ministry of Caring; SBM Housing/Gateway House; and YWCA of New Castle County.

On January 25, 1999, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the HPC is hosting its first formal statewide meeting, to be held at Grace Presbyterian Church in Dover. The purpose of the meeting, which is open to anyone interested in working to address homelessness in Delaware, is to encourage increased, broad-based HPC membership and to plan future activities. During the meeting, a board of directors will be elected to replace the steering committee which guided the first year’s efforts. Meeting attendees will be urged to sign up for one of four committees: Membership and Public Awareness, Gaps Assessment, Resource Development, and HUD Applications.