According to Dover’s mayor, Robin Christiansen, officials are close to an agreement to open a state-run Hope Center temporary housing facility in the building that currently holds Delaware State University’s Living & Learning Commons on North Dupont Highway. The project would be one of 15 the state is implementing to improve healthcare across Kent and Sussex counties. What do you think of this idea? Is this the best location for a facility of this type in the city?
No, we need to address a major cause of homelessness. It should be turned into a rehabilitation center with 28-day drug and alcohol treatment. — John Rigby
Twenty-eight days does nothing to help anyone addicted. We don’t have the funds needed to truly do what’s needed to help people. Folks need to want to get sober and be willing to do the work. Without that, it’s a waste of money! Now, we have a bill being passed that taxpayers will pay for these addicts to use clean drug paraphernalia. It’s ridiculous. We are enabling them and now letting every state around us ship theirs here. — Jennifer Rambo
This has been in the works for months, and there have been several posts/articles about it. No one should be surprised. As someone who knows people who have been addicted, I think it is a positive. It gets them off the streets and, hopefully, into rehab. You can’t make an addict go to rehab if he or she doesn’t want to. It doesn’t work that way, no matter how much you care. — Albert Beth Schmidt
Yes, with proper management and resources for those who will reside there. — Ginamaria Lewandowski
It will need lots of oversight and someone reliable to run it. Keep the books open, too. — Tiffany Isabella Demi
I’m all for it, just not that building. There are many cheaper options out there. That money could be used for a lot of help in other ways. That building is very old, and I doubt DSU has taken great care of it. — Robert Zarro
DSU just got it recently. It was a Sheraton, and the university has a middle/high school there. I’m sure it has been maintained. — Amy Reed
The location is too close to tent city. Those in recovery could fail due to the temptation. I do feel there has to be better housing options. We are all just one accident or illness away from possibly being homeless. — Sandy Elizabeth
The same mayor who blames a church that feeds, on average, 50-70 hungry people nightly for being the reason Dover has homeless people now wants to open a 256-room hotel to house them. Well, if a free meal lured people here, what are 256 free rooms going to bring? Didn’t DSU acquire the old library from the city for $1? Maybe the university could sell it back for $1, since it’s still sitting empty, and that site could be put to use for this purpose. Between there and what’s soon to be the old Family Court, there should be plenty of space to provide the shelter, rehab and other services needed to get people where they want to be. — Aerielle Bartlett
Yes, Dover needs a Hope Center, but I don’t think it should be in the same building as a school. — Mandi Rae
What happens when you give homeless individuals with underlying addictions temporary housing at the DSU location, and they don’t want to stop using drugs? Will there be house rules that drugs and drug paraphernalia are not permitted in the shelter? Will there be house rules similar to sober living, with a case management model, and will they be removed from living there or they can voluntarily go into a formal treatment center for drugs or mental health? Homelessness is often a result of untreated addictions and mental health. — Elizabeth Hettinger Larlham
I think that’s a poor choice for location. There’s already issues with that area when certain events occur. DSU shouldn’t have to deal with the additional issues/problems from homeless people. Let’s face facts: The number of homeless individuals willing to follow rules to stay in a shelter is super low compared to the ones who choose drugs/alcohol over a roof over their heads. Dealing with college kids partying, driving and having fun is already difficult for Dover police. Adding additional issues doesn’t make logical sense, in my opinion. — Christin Bingnear
Unless it’s going to also deal with drug treatment, it’s a waste of taxpayers’ money, since a very high amount of homeless individuals have a drug problem of some kind. Now, for ones who don’t use and have fallen on hard times, I 100% support it. But, until you clean up the drug problems in Dover, the homelessness problems will continue. — Jeff Grzeszczak
A Hope Center is needed in southern Milford, also, and in Seaford. These two places do not have enough homeless shelters or drug programs. There’s an old hotel right on the highway in Seaford. — Lisa Rohlfing
