If approved by Wilmington city council, the former site of Wilmington Fire Station 6 will transform into permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless adults with disabilities, including seniors and veterans. The project is a partnership between the City of Wilmington and Good Shepherd Center – the largest provider of homeless services in the region.
The Wilmington Planning Commission will consider a request to rezone the property located at 3939 Carolina Beach Road from R-15 to MD-17 at its Aug. 3 meeting and if approval is recommended, the city will begin the procurement process to demolish existing structures.
Following the meeting, councillors will vote to donate the nearly one-acre property to Good Shepherd for redevelopment with a plan for up to 33 affordable housing units.
The city and Good Shepherd have previously partnered on a the SECU Lakeside Reserve to create 40 housing units.
“Good Shepherd is honored and excited to work with the city to address one of the more acute areas of our local affordable housing crisis—housing for residents whose special needs have contributed to their lack of income, housing instability, and long-term homelessness,” said Katrina Knight, executive director.
“Together we have already demonstrated that, with the right targeted housing intervention, even the most fragile of our neighbors can be helped to achieve long-term housing stability, drastically reduced reliance on the ER and hospital system, and a return to the improved health, mental health, and overall well-being that come with having a place to call home.”
In 2019, the Wilmington Fire Department vacated Station 5 on Wellington Avenue and Station 6 on Carolina Beach Road and consolidated services into the new Station 5 on Shipyard Boulevard.