“The conference is the flagship event for a hub that CCRS and IPA (Institute for Public Administration) have built,” said Steve Metraux, director of the Center for Community Research and Service (CCRS).

Ending homelessness in the First State

Article by Sophonie Milord Photos by Maria Errico and Christopher Ginn October 20, 2025

UD research centers partner with state housing leadership to address homelessness in Delaware

For 37 years, the University of Delaware has served as a cornerstone for research, public service and efforts to address homelessness in Delaware. In 1988, UD’s Center for Community Research and Service (CCRS) began reporting on homelessness and its implications in Delaware.

In 2018, CCRS and the Institute for Public Administration (IPA), both research centers in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, began collaborating on a series of events, research and technical assistance focused on the public policy issues impacting affordable housing and homelessness in the first state. CCRS director Stephen Metraux and IPA director Jerome Lewis established a housing policy team to connect service providers, policymakers and stakeholders across the state to collaborate on reducing homelessness and increasing housing access and affordability.

Public service in action through statewide partnerships

In August, the centers jointly hosted the Homelessness in Delaware 2025: Local and State Responses Amidst Federal Retrenchment conference to promote dialogue among state and local agencies, nonprofits, private sector developers and other stakeholders on homelessness and affordable housing issues. This forum offers a platform to share relevant data, innovative solutions, policy options and partnership opportunities across sectors and geographies.

“The conference is the flagship event for a hub that CCRS and IPA have built around disseminating research, policy guidance and technical assistance specific to housing and homelessness in Delaware,” Metraux said. “Beyond that, we also seek to create a space that brings together the diverse stakeholders involved in this area, in the hopes that from this we will be better able to collaborate and coordinate resources.”

Convening conversations on homelessness

This year’s conference provided a productive forum to discuss current challenges and actions being taken to mitigate and end the experience of homelessness. Morning sessions covered potentially replicable models to support individuals experiencing homelessness or at immediate risk of homelessness in securing housing. They also included an extensive discussion of potential impacts in Delaware from the recently issued Executive Order 14321.

Conference speakers represent organizations including the Wilmington Housing Authority (WHA), New Castle County Hope Center and Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA).

Afternoon sessions spotlighted progress made over the past year in developing vehicles to address homelessness among Delawareans through systems change. One of those initiatives includes the Governor’s establishment of the Delaware Interagency Collaboration to End Homelessness, a cabinet-level body focused on reducing and ending youth homelessness within the next five years. It also includes the 2025 Blueprint for Solving Homelessness, developed by the Delaware Continuum of Care to help inform the work of the Interagency Collaboration and other stakeholders.

A call to action

Keynote speaker Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), emphasized the potential impacts of federal policy on those experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness, on the collective ability to address those needs, and the urgency of continuing the work in the face of adversity and uncertainty.

“We need planning. We need grit. We need determination. And it looks like you all here in Delaware have been working on that with more to come,” said Oliva.

Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), delivered the keynote address at the Homelessness in Delaware 2025: Local and State Responses Amidst Federal Retrenchment conference.

Her final warning was a call for vigilance, as federal funding for essential programs, including Permanent Supportive Housing and over 60,000 vouchers, is currently at risk due to shifts in congressional budget priorities. She urged attendees to band together to protect these critical resources.

“Wins are made possible by the power of sustained advocacy, smart planning and the dedication of experts, especially experts with lived experience of homelessness,” Oliva said. “First, by working together, we can inspire faith that ending homelessness is possible. Second, we must lead with love, equity, and respect for our unhoused neighbors in everything that we do. That means authentic partnerships with people who have experienced homelessness and the systems that we're trying to change. It means creating community, supporting each other, and loving on people who need it most. And third, by working together, we can bring people home.”

Metraux, a nationally recognized expert on homelessness, and CCRS housing initiatives coordinator Mimi Rayl organized and moderated the conference, which brought together leaders dedicated to mitigating and eradicating homelessness nationwide. The conference was the second of its kind, building on issues of leadership, planning, and the need for more mutual action raised at last year’s conference. Based on the increase in registered conference attendees and the range of sectors represented compared to the previous year, interest in addressing homelessness in Delaware remains high.

Metraux and Mimi Rayl (pictured at podium) organized and moderated the conference, which brought together national and local organizations, including representatives from the Wilmington Housing Authority (WHA), New Castle County Hope Center and Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA).

Setting the stage for solutions

Throughout the year, CCRS and IPA contribute to research and public service projects to support some of the state’s most vulnerable populations. Among those populations are youth, Medicaid-enrolled clients, Delawareans who have been involved in the criminal justice system, those who have been evicted and LGBTQ+ youth. CCRS also manages KIDS COUNT in Delaware, a national and state-by-state effort by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to track the well-being of children in the United States.

Looking forward

Collaboration is key as Delaware works to reduce homelessness. UD’s research centers and state partnerships are some of the foundations for these efforts. The University connects leaders, programs and residents by providing data, hosting events and leading discussions, empowering them to create and sustain innovative solutions that turn shared aspirations into tangible results for Delaware and beyond in the fight against homelessness.

You can watch the conference on homelessness here: Welcome, Overview, and Challenges in Securing Housing Panel, Executive Order on Homelessness: Impacts and Responses Panel, 2025 Blueprint, and closing remarks.

About the Center for Community Research and Service

The University of Delaware’s Center for Community Research and Service (CCRS) works to create more just and equitable communities and enhance the well-being of underserved populations in Delaware and beyond. Through its work as a research and public service center in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, CCRS engages with communities and the health and social service systems, thereby contributing to identifying solutions and improving policy. It strengthens its partners' ability to enhance their well-being and builds and supports community leaders and researchers through professional development.

About the Institute for Public Administration

The University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration (IPA) adds partners to the policy, planning and management team by integrating applied research, professional development and the education of tomorrow’s leaders. As a research and public service center in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, IPA collaborates with state agencies, municipal governments, nonprofits, communities and businesses to examine complex policy issues and improve quality of life in Delaware and beyond.

About the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration

Established in 1961 and named in 2018 for the University of Delaware’s most distinguished alumnus, the 46th President of the United States, the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration prepares students with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in research and public service to improve the quality of life in communities around the world. Biden School faculty, staff, students and alumni create and use interdisciplinary, nonpartisan research, and empirically based analysis to inform effective decision-making and policy and to improve leadership and administration. The Biden School partners with organizations from all sectors to discover innovative and equitable solutions to the critical challenges of our time.

Follow and engage with @UDBidenSchool on Facebook and Instagram and connect on LinkedIn to stay updated on the latest with research initiatives, academic activities and more.