Delaware’s Hope Center Tackles Homelessness With a ‘Humane, Dignified’ Approach

An emergency shelter has become a hub for social services and support for hundreds of unhoused residents.

2 minute read

December 20, 2024, 6:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Blue "Welcome to Delaware" roadside sign.

spiritofamerica / Adobe Stock

A Delaware housing complex originally built as emergency shelter could offer a useful model as an “ecosystem of care,” writes Frances Nguyen in a Shelterforce article republished in Next City. “In addition to offering case management and mental health services on site, the center took advantage of its space to accommodate a full medical practice—run by ChristianaCare, the state’s largest hospital system—on one of its floors.”

The Hope Center is one of the largest shelters on the East Coast, with 185 available rooms and roughly 360 clients on any given night. According to Nguyen, “The center has partnerships with local groups to support those families that have school-aged children—including with a network of charter schools in the area, who refer families enrolled in their schools and pay for up to a 90-day stay for them—as well as with the Delaware Division of Family Services, which serves families at risk of losing their children due to their homelessness.”

The housing is pet-friendly and also offers on-site veterinary services, the only shelter in Delaware to do so. And while it primarily serves as an emergency shelter, some residents have lived there for over a year. To assist these residents, the shelter just opened its first supportive housing units, which will occupy two floors of the building and house veterans and people classified as “chronically homeless.”

As Nguyen explains, “Part of the Hope Center’s mission is to not only challenge society’s perception of who the most vulnerable members of their community are, but also to imagine a different approach to tackling homelessness—one that is humane and dignified, and applies resources where they’re most needed.”

Thursday, December 19, 2024 in Next City

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

July 11 - Cities Today