Sussex County has more than 17,000 veterans. One nonprofit wants more of them to own a home

Veterans Day falls on Wednesday, Nov. 11, and Sussex County has plenty of people to thank. The Census Bureau's estimate for 2020 to 2024 counts 17,767 veterans living in the county.

Owning a home here isn't cheap. The same Census data puts the median value of an owner-occupied home at $382,600 and median gross rent at $1,238 a month.

Nationally, HUD counted 32,495 veterans experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2025, according to its 2025 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress. That's a drop of about 390 veterans, or 1%, from the year before, and 56% below 2009, when HUD first reported veteran data. It's still more than 32,000 veterans on one winter night.

A pledge to build

Overwatch Veterans 6 Inc. told the Ledger it has committed to building at least 100 homes for veterans, first responders and the workforce.

The organization describes itself as an IRS-determined 501(c)(3) public charity.

Its application pages describe eligibility in terms of military service. Applicants need an honorable or general discharge, documented with a DD-214 or equivalent. They also must complete a homeownership-readiness assessment with the organization and be willing to live in Sussex County, according to its about page. Surviving spouses and certain Gold Star families may also qualify, the FAQ says.

Its first community will be in Long Neck, the organization told the Ledger. Its website lists 40 inaugural lots and says 80 or more are in the broader pipeline.

The homes are for buyers. "They own. OV6 is not a rental program," the FAQ says. The organization says it matches a building method to each household, lot and budget, from custom-built and modular homes to 3D-printed concrete.

The FAQ also sets expectations. It calls the effort "a development pipeline, not a waitlist for existing units" and says there's "no guaranteed move-in date until a specific unit is under contract."

Free tools for veteran-owned businesses

The organization also offers help that has nothing to do with real estate. According to its website, every qualifying veteran-owned business gets a professionally designed website "built with AI, deployed, and maintained at zero cost." The site also lists AI software for content, financial planning, marketing automation, benefits navigation and business intelligence, plus a customer-tracking tool, all "at no cost to those who qualify."

The website doesn't spell out what qualifies. The FAQ says the program is separate from homeownership, and the apply page lists "Veteran-owned business tools" as an interest option on its form.

The advisory board

Overwatch Veterans 6 lists six advisors, several with military or public safety backgrounds, on its team page.

Bill Baldwin is a retired U.S. Marine Corps master sergeant with 27 years of service and combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, the page says. He's now a power plant control room operator at PBF Energy, chairs the Local USW Veterans Advisory Board and serves as a trustee on his union local's executive committee.

Matt Dudley, a retired U.S. Army first sergeant, served from November 1993 to December 2013 and supervised 95 soldiers, according to the same page. Thomas Kane, a lieutenant in the Philadelphia Fire Department, has 23 years of public service.

If you need help

The Veterans Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day, and you don't need to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to use it. Dial 988, then press 1, or text 838255. You can also chat online at veteranscrisisline.net.

The Delaware Office of Veterans Services connects veterans with accredited service officers who help with benefits, health care and education. Its Dover office is at 802 Silver Lake Blvd., Robbins Building, Suite 100, and the phone number is 302-739-2792. Appointments with a county service officer are scheduled through the contact page at vets.delaware.gov.

The VA's National Call Center for Homeless Veterans is 877-424-3838. The call is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.