An ordinance to cap annual rent increases in Wilmington fails in a city council vote.
Bill sponsor Shané Darby explains how it would have worked if passed.
"Landlords would be allowed to increase their rent by 5% or CPI inflation, or if inflation is higher than 5% - for example, 6% - then the landlord will be able to increase rent by 6%. This provides more flexibility for landlords to increase rent especially if inflation is higher from one year to another," said Darby.
The original ordinance was at 3%, but Wilmington City Council passed an amendment prior to not passing the actual legislation.
The vote was 6 yes, 5 no, 1 present – Councilwoman Yolanda McCoy - and 1 absent, so it was close.
Darby says reasons put forth by other members of council to vote against rent stabilization are not valid.
"But some of their reasons to not wanting to see this past, they're going to say, L&I doesn't have the capacity. We need to have other things happening like inclusionary zoning and housing trust, and all these other things. Those things are happening. L&I reform is happening, inclusionary zones. You can walk and chew gum at the same time,” said Darby. “There's other conversations happening outside of rent stabilization."
The meeting featured over two hours of public comment with most speakers in support of rent stabilization.
Less than ten minutes after the vote, the meeting had to go into a five-minute recess because of loud banging noises from protestors outside council chambers.
