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Making the First State a Place to Call Home

Written on: October 16th, 2012 in Guest Posts

Guest Post by Anas Ben Addi of Delaware State Housing Authority

As you may know, at the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) our mission is to make certain Delawareans have a place they can call home. We are constantly working with our partners to ensure we make this goal a reality for all First State citizens. We have been hard at work over the last year to create innovative programs for renters, landlords, homeowners and prospective homebuyers.

As such, we recently launched a free housing locator called DelawareHousingSearch.org, a web-based service that allows landlords to advertise their rental properties free of charge for which renters can also search free of charge. The website has been a great way to connect landlords with Delawareans in order to find the home that’s right for them. It was important to us to have a database of rental units available for individuals who may have unique needs. Through DelawareHousingSearch.org individuals can find housing from private market units to assisted housing units and narrow their search by monthly rent price, zip code, the date the unit will be available among other search options.

DelawareHousingSearch.org is just another important tool we have in our arsenal to drive our mission. We realize that housing is the cornerstone of communities and economic development for Delaware. Not only does DSHA offer individuals with affordable rental opportunities, but we also offer programs to help Delawareans overcome any hurdles on their way to homeownership.

On Oct. 11, 2012 we partnered with Governor Jack Markell for the Governor’s Conference on Housing. We are so thankful the great turnout and to all those who joined us to discuss our programs and the future of housing in Delaware. More than 400 housing professionals and residents from throughout Delaware and surrounding states joined us to take an in-depth look at a gamut of housing topics. I would like send a special thank you to Governor Markell, Senator Tom Carper, Congressman John Carney, Dr. David Crowe, and of course our wonderful keynote speaker, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development Shaun Donovan, for being a part of this day and our discussions.

With an upcoming election, we touched on what any of the outcomes could mean for homeownership programs and the housing market including affordable housing programs. There were several hot topics like foreclosure, of which we’ve been tirelessly working to stem the increase through the Delaware Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program.

While we continue to move forward and make progress, there is still much work to do to ensure Delawareans have the opportunity to quality, affordable housing. DSHA is committed to its mission for the rest of 2012 and to the next year and beyond.

Tags: Delaware, DSHA, homebuyers, housing, quality of life