Will Plummer Center site become affordable housing?

Following the controversial closure of the Plummer Community Corrections Center in Wilmington, the property is slated to be transferred to the Wilmington Housing Authority, potentially opening the door to affordable housing on the site.

Delaware’s fiscal 2027 bond bill appropriates $760,000 to the Office of Management and Budget to demolish the Plummer Community Corrections Center. Once the site is cleared, the legislation authorizes the Department of Correction to transfer the property to the Wilmington Housing Authority for $1.

The bond bill does not specify how the Wilmington Housing Authority would use the property after the transfer. Any future redevelopment would require additional planning, funding and approvals.

However, transferring the land to the city’s public housing agency could provide an opportunity to repurpose the site for housing, including potentially affordable housing.

The provision creates a potential new chapter for the site, which housed a work-release and community corrections program until the Department of Correction closed the Plummer Center in March.

The department cited a 70% drop in the community corrections population as a reason for closing the facility. The decision drew criticism from community members who argued that closing Plummer would disrupt services for people returning to the community after incarceration.

Community corrections programs can provide a bridge between incarceration and independent living by allowing participants to work, access services and establish connections in the community while under supervision.

The potential transfer comes as Wilmington continues to face demand for affordable housing, as well as a need for services and housing options for residents transitioning out of homelessness, incarceration and other forms of instability.