WILMINGTON — As the new year approaches, a lofty goal for the Wilmington Housing Authority to return all displaced people to their homes is coming up short.
Half of WHA’s 150 families have been placed into permanent residences as of the end of the year. It’s shy of executive director Tyrone Garrett’s original plan to have them all home after nearly two years of being displaced due to the mold crisis that plagued at least 150 units.
READ MORE: Though years out, WHA starts planning to demolish Hillcrest, update Solomon Towers
“The goal we set to have all the units online was unattainable,” he said. “But what leader goes in and says we can’t attain something? I’m always going to push and see the glass as half full. I’m optimistic as to what we can achieve on behalf of our residents.”
The families have been living in hotels, corporate apartments or with family members during the remediation process, which began this summer; however, most have been temporarily housed for well over a year. About 73 families are still in limbo.
A fifth of the families took advantage of the housing voucher program, which allows applicants to find a residence outside the public housing system, using rental assistance. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds the program to provide financial aid to low-income families. The amount of assistance paid is based on the family’s income, the amount of rent the owner is requesting, the utilities for which a tenant is responsible, and the voucher size issued.
Garret’s goal was to have at least 30 families apply to use housing vouchers, removing them from the public housing system.
“We hit that target,” he said. “That took some pressure off of getting all 150 units back online. It gives us a little space and room to breathe.”
The move also allowed WHA to focus on units that were easier to renovate, rather than the 30-plus that have been stripped to the studs and need complete rebuilds.
The WHA board unanimously approved hiring ARP Restoration during its Dec. 6 meeting to the tune of $2 million for the more extensive work. The contractors are expected to begin at the first of the year, Garrett said.
The funds come from the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency grant awarded to the housing authority in September.
“We didn’t want to identify a contractor until we knew the money was in place,” Garrett said.
Each unit costs roughly $84,000 to repair, with the average less-intensive work and mold remediation totaling about $25,000 or less per apartment. WHA is spending nearly $3 million in New Hanover County and City of Wilmington loans to fund the latter.
By the end of the year, WHA will have 68 units ready for families, with another 48 either under construction with mold remediation or in the inspection phase.
Also at the Dec. 6 meeting, the board voted to hire a firm, BBG Assessments LLC, to handle a physical needs assessment of all eight of WHA’s properties, including those recently renovated and remediated. WHA paid the company $177,000 for a one-year contract and work should begin in January.
“They will do the entire portfolio, but we are concentrating first on Solomon Towers and Houston Moore, as well as Hillcrest,” Garrett said.
The contract process should take about 30 days after an initial meeting to go over what WHA wants from the analysis. Garrett said after that, the plan is to jump in at an “accelerated pace” to get one of the sites renovated by spring.
He’s prioritizing the rehabilitation of Solomon Towers and working with HUD to sort out the details. The complex, built in 1972, has never undergone major rehabilitation. Next in line would be Houston Moore, with a complete overhaul of Hillcrest slated for the future.
Others likely need work as well, Garrett surmised, but he will have a better idea on which 1,200 units from its properties should be tackled first and in what order following the assessment. He plans to apply for a grant from the New Hanover County Endowment next year to help cover costs.
Garrett said he decided against applying for the $10 million available during first round due to its $250,000 cap and to have a better plan in place.
“When we apply, we want to make sure it’s something that’s sustainable and carries over,” he said. “The multi-phased redevelopment — that’s where you get the biggest bang for your buck
Work continues on the mold-ridden units which should be wrapped by the end of spring, with the Woodbridge complex having some of the last needed repairs.
“By this time next year, we won’t be having this conversation,” Garrett said.
Tips or comments? Email amy@localdailymedia.com.
Want to read more from PCD? Subscribe now and then sign up for our morning newsletter, Wilmington Wire, and get the headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.
