Applications open for Starway Village, Wilmington’s largest affordable housing project

A rendering of what the planned Starway Village affordable housing community will look like (Photo-City of Wilmington).

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Applications are now being accepted for Starway Village, a major affordable housing complex set to open its first phase in Wilmington by summer 2025.

Prospective tenants can apply in person on Tuesday until 3 p.m. The event is taking place at the Hampton Inn Wilmington-University Area/Smith Creek Station, located at 124 Old Eastwood Road.

According to the Starway website, applicants should bring two forms of ID (including a Social Security card), a $25 money order for each household member age 18 and older, the first pay stub of 2025 along with 4 to 6 recent pay stubs, and any applicable Social Security or SSI benefit letters. All adults in the household must be present.

Located at 2346 Carolina Beach Road, Starway Village is a public-private partnership and is expected to be the largest subsidized housing development in North Carolina. The $75 million project will feature 278 workforce housing units spread across eight buildings, with a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. Rent will be income-restricted for those earning at or below 60 percent of the area median income—about $30,000 per year—guaranteed for at least 30 years.

The project was made possible with a combination of local and state funding, including $4.2 million from the City of Wilmington, $2 million from New Hanover County, and $9 million in disaster recovery funds from the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency.

Starway Flea Market

Work on the housing project began in December 2023, with city leaders participating in a groundbreaking ceremony in February 2024.

The site was previously home to the Starway Flea Market, and before that, the Starway Drive-In.

For more information, applicants are encouraged to call the property management team at (910) 222-3813.

Categories: Local, New Hanover, New Hanover, News, Top Stories