Housing officials and members of the General Assembly gathered Dec. 6 to discuss the ongoing housing crisis and possible ways to boost affordable residency. One presentation revealed that about 59% of Delaware renters cannot afford the fair market rate of a two-bedroom rental unit while working 40 hours per week. How have these issues impacted you or your family? What steps should the state make to help?
Recommend you speak with landlords. Rumor has it that some of them are selling their rentals because of laws the Delaware General Assembly made that make it nearly impossible for them to get rent money and damage money from renters. One I spoke with has almost $200,000 owed him that he cannot collect due to Delaware law. Those who study systems management know “you can’t just do one thing.” Changing a law to “help renters” may have forced landlords to liquidate rental properties, making the rental pool smaller and less affordable. Not the effect the lawmakers intended, I am sure. — Gene Thornton
