Homeless

Homelessness in Delaware is not an abstraction. It is measured in real numbers — in the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count conducted each January by the Delaware Continuum of Care (CoC code: DE-500), which provides a snapshot of the state’s unsheltered and sheltered population on a single night. It is documented in federal HUD datasets, in local shelter intake records, and in the stories of individuals navigating a system that is under-resourced relative to the scope of need it faces.According to recent PIT data, Delaware consistently counts over a thousand individuals experiencing homelessness on any given night, with Wilmington and New Castle County accounting for the largest share. These figures almost certainly undercount the full population — particularly those in doubled-up housing situations, couch-surfing, or otherwise invisibly homeless. The chronic and episodic homeless populations require different interventions, and Delaware’s service providers work across that full spectrum with limited and often inconsistent funding.The causes of homelessness in Delaware are as varied as the people who experience it: job loss, domestic violence, medical crisis, substance use disorder, mental illness, aging out of foster care, discharge from incarceration or hospitalization without adequate transition planning. No single program or policy response is sufficient on its own. What works is a coordinated, well-funded continuum of care — one that begins with immediate crisis response and extends all the way to permanent, supportive housing with ongoing services.This category serves as the central editorial hub for homelessness-related coverage on this site. Articles here draw on real data from HUD, the Delaware Housing Authority, the 211 Delaware service network, and other primary sources. You will find PIT count analysis, policy commentary, resource guides for individuals in crisis, and updates on statewide advocacy efforts.Friendship House approaches this topic with both urgency and care. Behind every statistic is a person — and this space is committed to honoring that reality while fighting for the systemic changes Delaware needs.