Housing and homelessness

Hearing on housing, homeless leads to promise of attention

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

A joint legislative hearing held by Delaware Senate and Housing committees Wednesday started picking threads out of the tangled wad of factors affecting affordable housing and homelessness in Delaware. The convening of the joint session was clearly a shot across the bow of the state political ship and a forerunner to more state, local and community action on the topics. …

SB would ramp up the state's efforts to eliminate lead paint exposure and lead poisoning for children. (Jarek Rutz/Delaware LIVE News)

State looks to rectify effects of lead paint with new bill

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Health

A state senator introduced a bill Monday that would crack down on lead paint in homes, including rental apartments, to prevent lead poisoning in children. Senate Bill 9, sponsored by Sarah McBride, D-Wilmington, would create a process for health officials to identify and remediate homes that contain exposed lead paint, which includes screening every residential rental property in Delaware.  The …

Boxes used for eviction tenant

Tenant right to lawyers bill held for changes by committee

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

The Senate Housing & Land Use committee on Wednesday heard from dozens of people supporting a bill to provide tenants who lose their leases the right to a lawyer to help.  Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, D-Newark, would set up a system for tenants below 200% of the federal poverty line a right to an …

Affordable Housing

2022 Rewind: Affordable housing crisis affects middle class, too

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

This story was originally published in April 2022. Evidence continues to pile up that Delaware is struggling to provide affordable housing: Data released in April by Housing Alliance Delaware says the state faces a shortage of more than 18,000 affordable and available rental homes for extremely low-income renters.  Also this April, Delaware State Housing Authority announced that eligible Delaware renters …

Rent

Rental assistance program to stop accepting applications

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

After dispersing $122 million in rental and utility assistance, the Delaware State Housing Authority will stop accepting applications in the new year to manage application volume, the agency announced Tuesday. “There is no guarantee when the program will resume accepting new applications,” the Housing Authority said in a news release. The program closure is necessary due to overwhelming demand, the …

A bill that would allow tenants to stop paying rent when a landlord doesn't make critical repairs didn't make it out of committee Tuesday.

State resumes rent, utility assistance with new rules

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Just over a month after the Delaware State Housing Authority temporarily stopped accepting new applications for rental assistance, the program is back up and running, officials announced Wednesday. The Delaware Housing Assistance Program, or DEHAP, offers financial assistance to qualifying tenants who are at high risk of eviction.  The Housing Authority temporarily stopped accepting applications on Sept. 9 to modify …

Rental

If you’re looking for a rental home, you already know this

Charlie MegginsonBusiness, Headlines

Delaware’s rental vacancy rate has fallen to the third lowest in the country, according to recently released U.S. Census Bureau data.  The vacancy rate indicates the percentage of year-round rental units that are unoccupied at the end of each quarter.  According to the Census Bureau, only 2.6% of Delaware’s year-round rental units were vacant at the end of June.  Only …

Affordable Housing

Delaware’s affordable housing crisis affects middle class, too

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Evidence continues to pile up that Delaware is struggling to provide affordable housing: Data released Thursday by Housing Alliance Delaware says the state faces a shortage of more than 18,000 affordable and available rental homes for extremely low-income renters.  Also Thursday, Delaware State Housing Authority announced that eligible Delaware renters can now receive up to 18 months of rental and …

Townsend e1643922740436

Renter, landlord advocates disagree over solutions to eviction crisis

Charlie MegginsonBusiness, Government, Headlines

Lawmakers and advocates say a new Delaware Supreme Court rule that allows tenants to be represented by non-lawyer advocates in eviction proceedings will create parity with landlords and mitigate some of the most harmful effects of housing insecurity. Opponents, including the Delaware Apartment Association, the non-profit group that represents the interests of multi-family rental unit landlords, say efforts and money …

Housing Authority: No federal money had to be returned by Oct. 4

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

  As of August, the state Housing Authority had only allocated10.3% of cash it was given to help Delaware renters. Photy by Photomix/Pexels   It’s unclear how much the Delaware State Housing Authority has spent of the nearly $300 million it has received for rental assistance. While some officials had feared that updated guidance from the U.S. Treasury would require …