The Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank recently hit a milestone as it renovates homes in the Hilltop neighborhood.
The Land Bank focused on the Hilltop neighborhood because there were about 40 vacant homes there which hurt revitalization efforts and affected issues with crime and drug use.
The Land Bank focused its resources on that area by purchasing properties, fully rehabbing them and selling them to homeowners.
The first home was sold in June 2023 and the Land Bank just finished its 30th sale on the 200 block of North Harrison Street.
Bud Freel is the president of Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank, and he says more homes also helps keep the city safer.
"If you really want to address crime you don't do it by putting more police officers on the street. You do it by improving the housing stock, and we have done that by taking these small row homes and rehabbing them and putting homeowners in there. And then you need to try and focus just and make sure your landlords are doing what they're supposed to do to keep their housing stock up. I think it is a blueprint. Hopefully, we'll be able to do it in other parts of the city," said Freel.
Freel notes the Land Bank also worked hard to get streets paved, sidewalks fixed and trees trimmed in that area to help improve the neighborhood.
He says this strategy has made a difference in the neighborhood.
"Level one crimes dropped by almost 60% in that area,” said Freel. “People that have lived there for years now can walk around on the streets even in the evening walk their dogs without any problems. So it's been very successful staying focused on one area, and trying to improve the housing stock in that area."
Freel adds the Land Bank has expanded the footprint to Third and Rodney where five houses are under construction, five getting ready to sale and one just sold.
He says the plan is to move the program south to the Hedgeville neighborhood.
