On a bright, sunny, hot day in Georgetown, George Meringolo witnessed his faith-filled mission materialize as an eager group gathered to officially mark the start of a project that will open big doors with modest homes for the working poor.
“These people struggle to find proper housing because they can’t pay market-rate rent,” says Meringolo. “Rent is so expensive that if a car breaks down, people can’t eat.”
“My dad was an immigrant from Italy, and he worked hard to put five of us through Catholic schools and college. Working people need the same shot,” said Meringolo.
The retired businessman, Army veteran, custom woodworker, and parishioner of St. Ann in Bethany Beach launched Little Living, LLC, using some of his savings to start the project after surviving cancer, vowing to accomplish something he believes God intended for him to do: use his skills and knowledge in business to help others.
“I want people to come home from work and not only have a house to live in, but a home.”
The official start of construction was celebrated June 23 on the site of Little Living’s first project, Market Street Village, where 22 homes are set to be built on East Market Street, not far from The Circle in Georgetown. The land was largely donated, and donations are being actively sought to support the non-profit project ongoing.
Nearby poultry plants have been supportive, with Perdue potentially contributing toward a playground and an executive from Mountaire giving a sizable personal donation, Meringolo said.
The mission: help those without the economic resources to purchase or rent. Meringolo envisions tenants will range from working mothers and fathers to seniors, working singles, widows, widowers or disabled veterans. Wrote one applicant, “My friend and I are full-time students and full-time employees. Even if we work overtime, places are expensive. We are now living with family.”
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says that decent, safe and affordable housing is a human right.
The Village homes range in size from 400 to 825 square feet with one or two bedrooms, all powered by solar energy. For this project, homes will be rented, not sold, for between $850 and $1,000 a month, including utilities, with completion by mid-2026. Meringolo says rent will support maintenance of the properties, including grass, garbage and snow removal, and plantings to keep the village looking attractive and well-cared for. Homes are not prefabricated or mass produced, but rather, built from the ground up. That’s why Meringolo brought on someone he could trust to lead construction. Ken Lloyd, of Ken Lloyd LLC, who has decades of home-building experience, is happy to be heading the Village’s construction because it makes him feel good.
“This is what we have been dreaming about. We are giving something to the community that it needs.” Lloyd says, “People just can’t afford the $2,000 a month rent everywhere. We want to help out with that, and it feels good to be able to do it.”
In a report released in April, Delaware’s Affordable Housing Production Task Force said the state faces a shortage of more than 45,000 affordable housing units for low-and-moderate income residents to keep up with population growth through 2030. “If you don’t have housing security, your risk of being homeless quadruples,” says Michele Williams, board member of LittleLiving.org. and executive director of the Fuller Center for Housing of Delaware.
“Affordable housing is not just a Georgetown problem, a Sussex County problem or a Delaware problem. It’s a nationwide problem,” says Delaware State Sen. Brian Pettyjohn (R – 19th District, Georgetown). “We really want to see how this concept might work.”
The topic is currently an active conversation among Delaware legislators, as the Delaware General Assembly considers several housing bills addressing affordable housing, manufactured housing, accessory dwelling units and homelessness.
“A coordinated effort is under way among state agencies and legislators to develop a playbook of 20-25 creative or alternative housing ideas. Then, each municipality could pick what works for them,” says Georgetown Town Manager Eugene Dvornick.
This is not a “one and done,” Meringolo says. A second, even larger Little Living village is envisioned for Milford, if donation of former farmland comes through. And there could be more.
“If people donate small or large, it will help us develop more villages,” says Meringolo.
“This is not my idea. It came from above,” said Meringolo. “I have a master planner. That’s God. He’s my master planner.”
To donate time, talent or treasure, or learn more about the project, visit LittleLiving.org.
