New Georgetown Senior housing addresses a critical gap, as the number of older residents is rising faster than anywhere else in Delaware

GEORGETOWN, Del. (Oct. 29, 2025) — CHEER, a Sussex County nonprofit that has provided meals, transportation, social programming and in-home support to older adults for nearly 55 years, on Tuesday broke ground on a major expansion of its 34-acre CHEER Gateway East Senior Residential Village—a project leaders say will add affordable apartments and a centralized services hub to meet the needs of the county’s fast-growing senior population.

Delaware State Housing Authority Director Matthew Heckles and state Sen. Brian Pettyjohn delivered remarks at the ceremony at the CHEER Community Center, which also drew other elected officials.

The expansion is designed to address a critical gap in Sussex County, where the number of older residents is rising faster than anywhere else in Delaware and affordable, age-friendly housing has lagged demand. By placing new apartments and a consolidated support-services headquarters on the same Georgetown campus, CHEER aims to put housing, case management and programs within easy reach of seniors in the geographic center of the county. The move also frees up space inside the Community Center to expand classes and activities while improving recruitment and training for in-home services staff.

The project’s first phase includes two buildings: Gateway East Apartments 1, a 59-unit residence for low- to moderate-income seniors and the first of four planned buildings that will ultimately add 236 new low-income senior apartments; and a CHEER Administration and Support Services Building that will unite administrative and in-home services personnel now spread across multiple sites and eliminate leased office space.

“This project is not just a construction site, it’s a foundation for the future,” CHEER CEO Beckett Wheatley said. “Sussex County’s senior population is growing faster than anywhere else in Delaware — and with that growth comes responsibility. The Gateway East Village is not just about buildings. It’s about people — ensuring that every older adult has access to safe, affordable housing and the services they need to age in place.”

Construction is expected to be completed by October 2026. The Gateway East campus is currently anchored by the Community Center and a CHEER-owned 60-unit low-income senior apartment building. CHEER leaders said the expansion will position the nonprofit to serve an increasing number of older residents for decades.