A Model Home for People With Disabilities

(l to r) New Castle County Councilman George Smiley, Delaware State Housing Authority Director Anas Ben Addi, United Cerebral Palsy of Delaware Executive Director Bill McCool and New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon

What a difference Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds can make in transforming a blighted property into a beautiful home! That's what happened to a three bedroom home at 117 Robinson Drive in New Castle County, DE that stood vacant for more than a year and had deteriorated to such a degree that it almost needed to be torn down. The County purchased the property in 2011 and worked in partnership with the United Cerebral Palsy of Delaware (UCP) Inc. to convert the three bedroom home to a two bedroom home that is 100% compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with two bedrooms and two handicapped accessible bathrooms, a shared living and kitchen area. The "model" home for people with physical disabilities was unveiled at a ribbon cutting ceremony on October 24, 2013.

The transformation was funded by NSP program dollars that New Castle County receives and the Delaware State Housing Authority administers. Together the two agencies have used the NSP monies to purchase over 80 foreclosed properties and close over 150 homes for eligible homeowners to buy vacant homes in targeted areas of the county.

The mission of NSP is to help neighborhoods affected by foreclosure or abandoned properties and to provide homeownership and special needs rental opportunities to income eligible households. Since 2008, the County has received $13.4 million in one-time federal NSP funding. In the neighborhood where this newly renovated Robinson Drive home is, the County has been able to purchase and resell 8 houses to eligible homeowners. While many may have run from the property in its rundown shape, the County and UCP thought it was the perfect "NSP" house. Some of the improvements made to the house include a new roof, windows, heating/HVAC systems, new electric, plumbing, sprinkler system and a tank-less water heater among other renovations. The home will remain a deed restricted special needs rental unit for 30 years.

Before and after view of 117 Robinson Drive property
Kitchen and handicapped accessible bathroom

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