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.