[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6047043,"mediaKeyId","3539076-faf65fa7bbddc6980637964e7340c43b","parentId",3539076,"title","Committee releases escrow ordinance to create city‑managed rent escrow account; administration raises cost and liability concerns","audioSeconds",1265,"startMs",750000,"endMs",2015000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3539076-faf65fa7bbddc6980637964e7340c43b&start=750&end=2015","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3539076-faf65fa7bbddc6980637964e7340c43b/thumbnail_750000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6047043/Wilmington-City/New-Castle-County/Delaware/Committee-releases-escrow-ordinance-to-create-citymanaged-rent-escrow-account-administration-raises-cost-and-liability-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6047043-5bee2a951c9102b0063d3e815adeca91/orig.mp4?Expires=1770421677&Signature=Q0OH2Jav-PpIs2d9GkJyYOYJJEpBp3OakJjwxZ4U-23M7toEOQATQMGNUazFkOgMZjaQueNYPwQXxvFD5A-p1JRPdFIvBf1ha-DD85kdyOrdpv5fh-BF6WykiFr8ssabeZB85mYRAKle5vURhMO3xwlAEYXpPsInCmRF~FSppAl7jmcJp~5VPlmr1xSlHzEq-LgSm70ycI5YQtULUDE08Ar42Jq1CFoyl5wP-h2WqPVRQ0BN8ZRECxwN1661l8zACH71h-UBmF6zA78POetN2ArX6FqqbDZ8VxxLJrARw1Hx6ThgmVWF2eKTRKFevpmmqmR5o3dCurGGoP0SS7cs1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Wilmington, DE","date","2025-05-09T00:00:00Z","article","The Wilmington City Council’s Community Development and Urban Planning Committee voted May 8 to release Ordinance 25‑18, an amendment to Chapter 34 of the city code that would establish a city‑managed escrow account for tenants who withhold rent while pursuing habitability repairs.

Councilmember Yolanda McCoy, the ordinance sponsor, described the escrow account as an alternative to tenant withholding that would provide a secure place for withheld funds, notify landlords, and allow the city to hold funds until inspection and agreement that required repairs are complete. \"So instead of just keeping the money for yourself, the tenants can now put the withheld rent into a secure account managed by the city, and this shows that they are not just skipping payments, that they're serious about the problem and wanna get it fixed,\" McCoy said.

McCoy told the committee she intends to work with the administration on operational procedures and said she would not advance it to a full‑council vote until the administration and sponsor had ironed out details. \"I will not be moving it to the full floor until we have all of the procedure worked out,\" she said.

Daniel Walker, deputy chief of staff for policy and communications, told the committee the mayor’s office opposes the ordinance as written and flagged administrative impacts. Walker said the mayor’s office estimated an initial fiscal note for its responsibilities at more than $250,000 and warned that Land Use and Planning and License & Inspection staff would face new responsibilities for eligibility, compliance and determinations that could expose the city to liability.

Supporters, including some council members and tenant advocates, said an escrow account would give renters accountability and a secure means to hold funds while awaiting repairs. Opponents — including landlord groups and several individual landlords who testified — said the city already has enforcement tools, including L&I inspections and civil fines, and cautioned that the ordinance could slow enforcement and deter investment.

Action: Motion to release Ordinance 25‑18 to the full council was made, seconded and carried with all present voting in favor. Committee members emphasized the release does not mean final language is set: the sponsor plans to continue meeting with the administration and stakeholders to refine operational procedures before pursuing a floor vote.

Next steps: With the committee release complete, the escrow ordinance will be scheduled for full council consideration; sponsor McCoy and administration staff said they will continue to collaborate on administrative procedures, fiscal estimates and enforcement protocols before the council floor vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Wilmington Community Development & Urban Planning Committee Meeting | 5/8/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Wilmington City Council’s Community Development and Urban Planning Committee voted May 8 to release Ordinance 25‑18, an amendment to Chapter 34 of the city code that would establish a city‑managed escrow account for tenants who withhold rent while pursuing habitability repairs.","taxTitle","Wilmington City, New Castle County, Delaware","taxId",12638,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6047047,"Wilmington committee advances rent-stabilization ordinance, setting up full‑council vote",11146,2030000,13176000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3539076-faf65fa7bbddc6980637964e7340c43b&start=2030&end=13176","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3539076-faf65fa7bbddc6980637964e7340c43b/thumbnail_2030000.jpg","/articles/6047047/Wilmington-City/New-Castle-County/Delaware/Wilmington-committee-advances-rent-stabilization-ordinance-setting-up-fullcouncil-vote","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6047047-1ef63f3207713619eaab120d24eb205b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770421677&Signature=VJj1n1MoTnVeXzqU0CE6ZH21nY311MlQrP3TuNOby~PUEHq7NYFHC9W2pu7mDYzOS-sgV2humLf1syW9l3cUEC23VmCzYNGM7aeBXPxrBq2szHqRj~osS-5plaiy7J-9aOXMLHIFSq3ePkGn4XqYeAnGnsjokwTtPmMF-OlmGxa~E~fJyyfTILgOqxTstXOq3igURpq0zcj-~cm3dCFAynwUH0AR83U9Y0BhDivxEvJ1t37X0PsnW1X8ifeCMXIJRTIqXJqWSA34stF2qKx-hItmKizHY1~XLHmgNXwpzALW0bbUyn3I1jP~Qdpf2-jFGqqBJh5PDcBHJXyYGVBG3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Wilmington City Council’s Community Development and Urban Planning Committee on May 8 voted to release substitute No. 1 to Ordinance 25‑06, a rent‑stabilization measure sponsored by Councilmember Shanae Darby, sending the proposal to the full City Council for consideration.

Darby, the ordinance sponsor, said the draft does not freeze rents but seeks to limit “excessive” increases while preserving mechanisms for landlords to request higher raises. \"This ordinance does not stop rent increases and simply says you cannot increase rent excessively,\" she said during the committee discussion.

The measure matters because Wilmington is a majority‑renter city and committee members and public speakers said residents face frequent, often large rent hikes that contribute to housing instability. The substitute includes a set of exemptions — affordable or government‑subsidized housing, properties of three units or fewer with owner occupancy, and new buildings for a 10‑year period — and establishes a process for landlords to request increases above the cap for specified reasons such as increased property taxes, insurance, major renovations required by health and safety codes or material changes in operating expenses.

Committee debate focused on implementation and potential fiscal and operational impacts. Daniel Walker, deputy chief of staff for policy and communications in the mayor’s office, said the administration opposes the ordinance and raised staffing and cost concerns, including a fiscal note his office estimated at more than $250,000 and additional staffing and technical responsibilities for Land Use and Planning and the Department of License and Inspection. Walker cautioned that Land Use and Planning staff are not trained to make determinations about investors’ expected returns and that the city could face liability if staff were asked to adjudicate complex financial claims.

Supporters, including several council members and tenant advocates who testified, said the ordinance balances protections for renters with flexibility for landlords. Councilmember Kobe Owens and others said the bill preserves a path for landlords to seek larger increases when needed and that rent stabilization is only one tool alongside efforts to increase affordable housing supply.

Public comment was extensive: organized tenant groups, housing‑justice advocates and many renters urged passage as an urgent, immediate protection; some landlord groups and property‑management representatives warned that rent caps can discourage investment and reduce rental housing supply. Brandon Fletcher of the Wilmington Tenants Union said the ordinance “does not freeze rents. It does not stop development. It simply limits annual rent increases to 3%,” while Jeff Sheraton of the Greater Wilmington Housing Providers warned that similar policies in other cities have coincided with reduced new multifamily permitting.

Action: Committee member motioned to release substitute No. 1 to Ordinance 25‑06; the motion was seconded and carried with all members present voting in favor, moving the ordinance to the full council. The committee did not settle final implementation details; sponsors said they will continue negotiating procedures with the administration and other council members before the council floor vote.

Next steps: The ordinance will appear before the full Wilmington City Council at a future meeting; the committee chair noted the item could be calendared for the May 22 council meeting or a June session but the exact date had not been set at adjournment.","The Wilmington City Council’s Community Development and Urban Planning Committee on May 8 voted to release substitute No. 1 to Ordinance 25‑06, a rent‑stabilization measure sponsored by Councilmember Shanae Darby, sending the proposal to the full City Council for consideration.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6047037,"Councilmembers reintroduce call for forensic audit of Wilmington Housing Partnership over missing loan proceeds",134,615000,749000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3539076-faf65fa7bbddc6980637964e7340c43b&start=615&end=749","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3539076-faf65fa7bbddc6980637964e7340c43b/thumbnail_615000.jpg","/articles/6047037/Wilmington-City/New-Castle-County/Delaware/Councilmembers-reintroduce-call-for-forensic-audit-of-Wilmington-Housing-Partnership-over-missing-loan-proceeds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6047037-c170e456a400ba8a71c0245e578108d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770421677&Signature=fQeG9A6ldmGMy5z1kYYZZ9VtkDStx~sHeRqpNc-XwwNcRkf8hR7t8So2lfru34w7ajUGs6vUHVd2jAozqa3nI7-9ceeIYZ3i78tsTTx1-qflr8RDS~aSAsmZ0MrBVf7JkPPF0kYFosajuUIVN0iKI61B3T37~15cHGfu-6lxwqkZipIZt0a8QO~xi46aUYRgbCPRjgWsuqO1kj7nviocGA-zb9FHo5c2ngKvNIPE3SgDcauuFCGGxECL8aj4Qg12PO0oiznXXDH-eeUHNNIasc4sDuP0wWlkEoxLCxAOh0CL3SOt0EZxWExBRQwDFnj9yhjKrNDryKa7Bl1RwB9oCQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Councilmember Shanae Darby told the Community Development and Urban Planning Committee on May 8 she would reintroduce a resolution requesting a forensic audit of the Wilmington Housing Partnership, which she said was associated with roughly $3.4 million in loan proceeds that were not accounted for and with development projects that were not completed.

Darby said the City Council previously passed a resolution in 2019 directing the auditing department to investigate the Wilmington Housing Partnership but that the audit was never carried out. \"Where did it go and why didn't the projects get completed along with the missing money?\" she asked during committee remarks.

The item was introduced and discussed but not voted on in committee; the chair explained that as a resolution it does not require committee approval and will be placed on an upcoming full council agenda for consideration. Committee members did not take a formal vote during the meeting.

Darby framed the resolution as a transparency and accountability measure to track taxpayer dollars and determine whether current developers or nonprofit partners involved with past work should be held to account. The committee did not adopt the resolution or set a final hearing date; the chair said the matter will be calendared for a future council meeting, possibly May 22 or the first Thursday in June.

Next steps: The resolution will be scheduled before the full Wilmington City Council for consideration; if adopted the auditor’s office would be asked to produce a forensic audit report documenting loan flows and project outcomes related to the Wilmington Housing Partnership.","Councilmember Shanae Darby presented a resolution asking the city auditor to investigate roughly $3.4 million in loan proceeds tied to the Wilmington Housing Partnership, a probe first requested by the council in 2019 but never completed. The committee did not vote on the resolution; it will be scheduled for a future council meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee releases escrow ordinance to create city‑managed rent escrow account; administration raises cost and liability concerns

Wilmington committee advances rent-stabilization ordinance, setting up full‑council vote

Councilmembers reintroduce call for forensic audit of Wilmington Housing Partnership over missing loan proceeds