Groups work to counter poverty's damage in Salisbury

STEPHANIE CHISLEY

COLUMNIST

Many Salisbury residents are renters who cannot afford to purchase a home because of their financial status. Some of those people have children as well.

“Affordable housing provided by Habitat for Humanity offers a path out of poverty and stabilizes families,” said Molly Hilligoss, the agency’s executive director.

Not only does Habitat for Humanity help families in need, there is an impact on the community as well. Since Habitat began building in the Church Street neighborhood in 2006, the crime rate has fallen by 55 percent. While Habitat cannot claim credit for this, it has certainly played a role by helping to stablize the area.

The economic impact of building one Habitat home results in an average of 2.94 jobs supported annually — and $223,307 of economic output — according to figures recently calculated by SU’s Beacon program, Hilligoss said.

Homeowners are more likely to be engaged and stay involved in their communities. The National Housing Conference recently released a study showing that the homeownership market in Salisbury requires a minimum average household income of $46,143.

Habitat for Humanity serves families who earn far less than that. For example, a food prep worker in Salisbury earns an average of $28,878 annually.

Imagine that worker is a single dad or mom. Homeownership leads into increased graduation rates for a homeowner’s children.

Without Habitat’s program, they wouldn’t be able to realize the dream of homeownership.

Housing and Community Development Department director Susan Phillips said she makes calls to Habitat for Humanity if she has a home that can be demolished, so the city can donate the property to Habitat for Humanity.

Phillips also said Salisbury has about 8,000 rental homes.

“I’ve seen people develop a strong sense of pride when they own property,” Phillips said. “It’s very heartwarming.”

Phillips said the city also has a program called Housing First, which is for chronically homeless people who have mental illness, addiction or other reasons for their inability to find housing.

Through this program, they also receive access to resources they need, including rehabilitation.

Wicomico County NAACP Youth Council president Jermichael Mitchell said Salisbury is seeing an epidemic of heroin addiction, which is also an issue for children. Mitchell said drug dealers are giving dope to juveniles because they will not get in too much trouble for it.

“A kid is going to do whatever they have to do to make $1,000,” Mitchell said. “They tend to not care about going to school when they can make money.”

Some families in the community are so deeply in poverty, they do not have transportation. Salisbury’s only public transportation is Short Transit, but this bus service is not necessarily positioned to take a person everywhere they need to go.

Jeff Dean, head volunteer for the Wheelhouse, said this organization operates as a bicycle donation hub, providing bicycles to those who need dependable transportation — and for parents who do not have economic means to purchase bicycles for their children.

“I think it’s vital,” Dean said. “We do not see a lot of solutions when it comes to affordable, dependable transportation.”

Stephanie Chisley is a senior at Salisbury University majoring in journalism and public relations.