Press Releases

WILMINGTON, Del. – Officials with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that the City ofWilmington and the Wilmington Housing Authority (WHA) would be the recipient of a $50 million Choice Neighborhoods grant. The funding awarded to the Wilmington Housing Authority will be applied to continue the revitalization efforts currently underway in the Riverside communityand the greater Northeast Wilmington corridor. It will mark a significant effort in addressing equitable, accessible, and affordable housing in the First State.

“This is an incredible, transformative amount of funding and resources, and it will be invested into one of the most deserving communities in our state,” said U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.). “The traditionally underserved and underrepresented Northeast Wilmington community has been evolving thanks to the gifted vision and hard work of Mayor Mike Purzycki, Executive Director Ray Fitzgerald of the Wilmington Housing Authority, and Logan Herring, CEO of The WRK Group (including The Warehouse, REACH Riverside, and Kingswood Community Center). This $50 million influx of federal funding will help further advance the efforts that are lifting up this community. This infusion will provide our community with the tools necessary to continue to address distressed housing, make way for greater economic opportunities, but most importantly, improve the quality of life for residents in Northeast Wilmington for generations to come. As a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, it brings me such joy to have played an integral role in delivering on priorities that are most important to Delaware. I look forward to continuing to yield such positive results for Delaware in the future.”

Senator Coons, his staff, and the partners who delivered the application–TheWRK Group,the Wilmington Housing Authority, the City of Wilmington, and Pennrose–have met countless times over the past five years during the process of developing the Choice Neighborhood Implementation (CNI) grant application. Those efforts had the full backing and support of Delaware’s congressional delegation. The delegation strongly called for the federal agency to invest in the efforts taking place in Wilmington by way of a letter of support which read, in part:

“CNI funds will build on a powerful foundation of assets andpartnerships, help introducenew services and amenities, and capitalize on the remarkable momentum created in the past few years to transform NE Wilmington, the state of Delaware, and Mid-Atlantic region. This program would undoubtedly assist the advancement of locally driven strategies that are aimed to address decades of chronic divestment, severely under-resourced affordable housing and will support an ongoing comprehensive plan focused on community revitalization using the model of Purpose Built Communities.”

While it took years of intense deliberation and effort, the city is about to see those visons turned into reality.

“Strengthening families takes an all-of-the-above approach, and this Choice Neighborhood Grant will help families in the Northeast with housing, education,and economic opportunities,” said U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.). “This is a historic opportunity to make real change, and I applaud the vision of our community leaders who have worked hard to create positive change for generations to come.”

“Today’s announcement is about one word – community. The individuals, families, small business owners, community leaders, young people, and so many others who live in the City of Wilmington make this city strong,” said U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.). “This investment of $50 million in federal funding into the Riverside community will be instrumental to the City of Wilmington, Wilmington Housing Authority, and the WRK Group’s continued revitalization efforts that have brought jobs, education, and more affordable and available housing options to the area. I am so proud to have joined Senators Carper and Coons in supporting this grant application to help continue to fill the affordable housing gap in Wilmington that will bring safety and stability for Delaware individuals and families to live, work, and thrive in Wilmington with dignity.”

“This grant will make a big difference in improving the quality of life for City residents,” said Governor John Carney. “This is another step in our efforts to address equitable and affordable housing in communities that have been long overlooked. I want to thank the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Wilmington Housing Authority, the WRK Group, and our federal delegation for their hard work and commitment to the residents of the City of Wilmington.”

“HUD’s mission is to improve lives and strengthen communities,” said Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Matthew Heckles. “This $50 million Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant is a once-in-a-generation investment in the City of Wilmington and the State of Delaware that will leverage over $400 million through public and private resources, give hundreds of families a great place to live, and create a new and vibrant community in the Northeast part of the city.”              

“A decade ago, Charlie McDowell, Rob Buccini, former WHA Executive Director Fred Purnell, and I visited the country’s first Purpose Built Community in Atlanta and marveled at this unique initiative’s impact,” said Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki. “We were determined to bring this program, encompassing housing, education, community wellness,and community leadership, here to Wilmington to help build strong, economically diverse communities that provide the means to prosper. What our multiparty public-private partnership has achieved so far in Riverside in just a few years is nothing short of remarkable, and this is only the beginning. We are immensely grateful to HUD for recognizing our early successes and for giving Wilmington the means to build on those successes to continue to reimagine communities and transform lives.” 

“For too long, the Northeast Wilmington community has been relegated to the sidelines. Through The WRK Group’s partnership with Wilmington Housing Authority, the City of Wilmington, Pennrose Properties, and the amazing investment through the Choice Neighborhood Implementationgrant from HUD, we plan to change that,” said The WRK Group CEO Logan Herring. “This significant investment in a historically ignored community will transform the Northeast as we know it today. Our new community will feature beautiful and affordable homes, economic development opportunities for local and national businesses, and provide green space for families to grow in, as well as educational and workforce development pipelines. I thank our partners, our congressional delegation, and HUD for their commitment to our community.”