Council committee advances discussion of pilot security-deposit and first-month rent assistance program

Councilman Hackett presented Ordinance 26-035 to the Community Development and Urban Planning Committee, outlining a pilot program to help eligible Wilmington residents with move-in costs. "Eligible tenants and residents of the city of Wilmington can get up to $2,000 assistance, a max of $1,000 for security deposit and a max towards first month rent once in a 24-month period," Hackett said, describing the proposal as a "leg up" for families facing high move-in barriers.

The ordinance would amend Chapter 8 of the city code and direct the Department of Real Estate and Housing to administer the program; Hackett said the committee intends to use a third-party administrator (examples cited included local nonprofits such as the West End Latin Community Center) rather than rely solely on the department. He said council and administration had removed language establishing a revolving fund and instead plan to use neighborhood stabilization resources; the fiscal impact statement will be updated before third reading.

Council members pressed for specifics on budget and scope. Hackett said the mayor's support block grant provided the source funding and that a floor amendment raised the allocation to $1.5 million; exact allocations will be determined after round-table meetings with potential third-party administrators. As a hypothetical example cited by Hackett, $1 million at $2,000 per renter would assist roughly 500 households; $200,000 would assist about 100.

Members asked how the pilot would interact with existing rental-assistance and eviction-prevention programs and whether recipients would still be eligible for other forms of help. Hackett said coexistence and operational details would be determined by the third-party administrator after the round-table discussions, and that eligibility criteria include residency in Wilmington and verification of employment where applicable. Councilwoman McCoy emphasized program design should ensure recipients can both access and sustain housing and suggested pairing any assistance with financial education to reduce the risk of later housing loss.

During public comment, Cheyenne Miller of the Homes Campaign and Working Families Power praised the proposal but urged broader eligibility language to avoid excluding residents who lack formal rental paperwork (for example, people staying with friends or roommates). Miller also cautioned that financial-literacy requirements alone do not address the root issue that local wages have not kept up with rent increases.

No committee vote on the ordinance was recorded in the meeting minutes; Councilman Hackett said the committee will continue working with administration and third-party groups and expects the ordinance to be refined and returned for final consideration in a later meeting cycle.