WILMINGTON — More funding was recently announced for the Wilmington Housing Authority making it easier for it to reach its goal of getting all mold-infested units back in livable condition by the end of the year.
The N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency awarded WHA a $2-million grant to be used toward its capital improvement efforts. Executive director Tyrone Garrett said it rounds out the needed funds, following a roughly $3-million combined loan from New Hanover County and the City of Wilmington received in July.
“It’s basically the second half of our remediation efforts for all the units that had mold,” Garrett said to Port City Daily. “This will allow us to finish all the units.”
Of the 150 apartments needing some form of work, about 25 will be considered “back online” by Friday. Thirteen of the first 150 displaced families also have found new homes as of the end of July.
Garrett said that includes some who took advantage of Housing Vouchers and found new living situations in market-rate apartments as well as some who moved back to WHA units.
While WHA initially applied for a $3-million grant, yet received a million less than anticipated, Garrett said contract work is progressing well, so he remains optimistic.
“We should be able to make it work,” he said.
Four contractors started construction at the end of July, and Garrett has a goal to get at least 25 units completed each month.
The NCORR grant will also aid in funding the needed work on about 30 units that were taken completely down to studs and require extensive attention.
“I didn’t want to put contractors to work on those before we had the funding,” Garrett said.
He added he has additional contractors in place but was waiting on the news about the grant before hiring them.
“We might be hard pressed to get those [30] units before the end of the year,” he said. “But that’s still my goal.”
Catch up on past PCD coverage of WHA:
Amid financial crunch, WHA makes cuts, streamlines operations | Port City Daily
Per diem payouts to displaced families reduced to manage WHA’s depleting funds | Port City Daily
City OKs $1.65M to housing authority, less than originally expected | Port City Daily
City, county to temporarily bail out housing authority | Port City Daily
Housing authority’s $13M grant request delayed | Port City Daily
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