Building Homes, Building Hope
Transforming Lives Through Affordable Housing
The Hearth & Shelter Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, incorporated and managed in Delaware. Join us in our mission to create affordable housing solutions that empower communities and foster stability across the nation.
Community Initiatives
Discover our grassroots projects that bring sustainable housing to underserved areas.
Policy Advocacy
Learn about our efforts to influence housing policies for a more equitable future.
Our Mission
Compact homes. Strong communities. Real paths to affordability.
Hearth & Shelter believes that we can make housing, a basic human right, more accessible and affordable by making it more compact. When homes are thoughtfully designed at smaller sizes, communities can welcome more neighbors without sacrificing dignity, beauty, or quality of life.
Hearth & Shelter is a properly registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
We have earned the 2026 Candid Bronze Seal of Transparency.
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Why Compact Housing Works
Across Delaware and the nation, households are changing. Many people want:
- Affordable, accessible, dignified housing that suits their needs
- A smaller home that is easier to maintain
- A neighborhood that feels safe and connected
- A realistic path to homeownership, not a lottery ticket
Compact housing lowers the cost of construction, reduces land cost per home, and can make responsible development possible in places where conventional single-family subdivisions are out of reach.
Cottage housing: A proven model
One effective form of compact housing is cottage housing: small, permanent, stick-built homes clustered around shared green spaces.
Cottage neighborhoods are typically:
- Walkable, quiet, and visually attractive
- Designed with porches, paths, and common greens
- Built with clear standards for landscaping, parking, and spacing
Cottage housing supports privacy and independence, while encouraging community and neighborliness in communities that lack adequate workforce and attainable compact housing options.
Hearth & Shelter is actively developing cottage housing communities in Delaware and exploring opportunities to work with town and city councils across the region.
A message from our founder
“We build and support housing solutions that help working families, seniors, and veterans live securely in the communities they call home. Our approach is practical: design housing that fits real budgets, meets real needs, and strengthens the fabric of a town.”
Aftab Cheema, Founder
Our Commitment
Hearth & Shelter is committed to delivering high-quality, permanent homes that respect local character and expand opportunity. Our goal is to help more people:
- Become homeowners
- Build stability and generational wealth
- Stay close to family, work, and community supports
We believe mixed-income communities make healthy, resilient places for families, seniors, veterans, and local workforce to live their best lives.
We pursue affordability while supporting thoughtful design and strong neighborhood standards.
Our Recent Projects
Expanding Opportunity at Mann Elementary
At Hearth & Shelter Foundation, we believe that building strong communities begins with building strong foundations—both literally and figuratively. We were honored to lead a major infrastructure project at Mann Elementary, part of the Mastery Charter Schools network in Philadelphia, where we provided full-service construction management for a critical expansion.
Revitalizing Trinity District with Affordable Housing
At Hearth & Shelter Foundation, we are committed to transforming communities through sustainable and affordable housing solutions. Our recent collaboration with Interfaith Community Housing of Delaware (ICHDE) on the North 9th Street Revitalization Project in Wilmington’s historic Trinity Vicinity neighborhood exemplifies this dedication.
Get in Touch with Us
Phone
Reach us at (302) 222-1034 for any inquiries.
Address
Visit us at 284 Raven Circle, Wyoming, DE, 19934, United States of America
Join Our Mission for Change
Every gift helps Hearth & Shelter build and preserve safe, stable housing in Delaware.
Your support helps move projects from plan to reality, and helps neighbors stay rooted in the communities they love.
Your donation helps fund:
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- Pre-development work that unlocks new housing
- Comunity engagement and local partnerships
- Project design, permits, and early site work
- The behind-the-scenes capacity to deliver homes
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Choose a one-time gift, or become a monthly supporter.