Wilmington City held its third homeowner-repair lottery of 2024 during a live broadcast, randomly selecting 65 homeowners aged 65 and older from 359 registered entrants to receive one major home repair.

"This is a happy time for many people around the city of Wilmington because property owners have an opportunity to have a, major repair," the program host said as council members drew numbers on air. The lottery was run by the city's real estate and housing department with participation from Wilmington City Council members.

City officials described the verification process that winners must complete before work begins. The host said winners will be contacted by the real estate and housing department and "they will ask you to fill out an application" and the city will verify property ownership, age, income and other statistics before awarding work.

Officials listed eligible repairs the program will fund: roof repair or replacement, HVAC repair or replacement, weatherization, window or door replacement, electrical or lighting repairs, plumbing, masonry and structural repairs, handicapped accessibility work and exterior painting. The host summed the benefit as "one major repair to your home" and said awards go "up to about $10,000."

Council members representing districts and at-large seats drew numbers in turn on the broadcast; the president of Wilmington City Council, Trippie Congo, began the selection, followed by district members including Xanthia Oliver (3rd District), Michelle Harley (4th District) and Yolanda McCoy (6th District), and at-large member Leticia Bracey. Ryan Paden, identified on air as a city social media manager, handled the selection bin and assisted with tallying.

The city said winners should expect a mailed letter with instructions and that, after verification, successful applicants will be paired with a contractor and scheduled for work in early 2025. "They will then take you through the next steps. We're gonna verify the fact that you are 65 or older, verify where you live, verify your income, and then we'll move from there," the host said.

City officials thanked the real estate and housing staff who manage the program and WITN for televising the drawing. The program organizers stressed the random nature of the selection and that the lottery was intended to give all qualifying seniors across Wilmington an equal chance to receive repairs.

The city did not provide a breakdown of funding sources during the broadcast, nor did officials name individual contractors at the time of the drawing. Winners or others with program questions were directed to await the letter from the real estate and housing department for next steps.