In 2017, WNCLB’s Technical and Advisory Committee was established meeting monthly to exchange ideas, advance policies, coordinate projects and collectively work towards a common goal: Bringing the City of Wilmington’s deteriorating communities back to life. Today, we have over 20 members from local nonprofits, public administration, community members and private investors committed to the transformation of the City’s neighborhoods.

WNCLB acquires, removes and holds strategic properties for our partners to fulfill their revitalization objectives. Some of our contributions include:

• Meet weekly with the City of Wilmington Real Estate and Housing Department to collectively formulate strategic acquisitions/demolitions for large scale redevelopment projects. In 2020, City of Wilmington transferred 76 properties to WNCLB and refined the Sheriff Sale process to directly assign City units to WNCLB.
• Provided $70,000 in funding for acquisition and demolition on the 700 block of Douglas Street to support Cornerstone West CDC Lifelines III Project supporting youth transitioning from foster care.
• Joined together with the City of Wilmington, Cinnaire, and Delaware Valley Development Corporation to target the revitalization of the West Side Community developing a strategic plan to effectively deploy Delaware State Housing Authority’s Strong Neighborhood Funds.
• Supporting the Wilmington Alliance Art-O-Mat project by transferring 503 7th Street.

Additional partnerships include: Cinnaire, Jump Start Program, Habitat for Humanity, NCALL, Woodlawn Trustees, NACA, and for-profit entities to meet the objectives of the City of Wilmington’s comprehensive plan.

WNCLB and the Central Baptist Church CDC joined forces to create a workforce development program to employ the local residents of the East Side community responsible for WNCLB property maintenance. WNCLB funds 8 full-time City residents and the maintenance program which oversees 260 properties including the City and Habitat for Humanity parcels.

With the increasing demand for quality affordable rentals during the economic hardships brought on by the pandemic, WNCLB developed and launched an affordable rental policy based on HUD Fair Market Rental RATES with quality construction standards.

Launched in August 2022, the Lower Hilltop Affordable Housing Initiative focused on transforming a concentrated zone near the 4th Street Corridor in Wilmington’s West Side by acquiring up to 80 vacant units and turning them into affordable homeownership opportunities. Within just six months, WNCLB had purchased over 40 properties, cleared titles, and began rehabilitating homes—with about $1 million in ARPA funds earmarked for 40 units, and Bank of America later contributing $250,000 to complete and sell five more homes.

Planning efforts are underway in the Southbridge neighborhood as part of a broader neighborhood revitalization blueprint that envisions infill housing and parks while protecting community character—though specifics on 30 new townhomes remain in planning phase, potentially aligning with the South Wilmington Neighborhood Plan goals. In adjacent efforts, Southbridge CDC has partnered with Habitat for Humanity on the “SANKOFA” housing project, adding five new homes on New Castle Avenue and B Street to support current residents in becoming homeowners — a model WNCLB may scale in 2025.