Housing Advocacy

Legislation, Publications and Resources

Legisative & Policy

Our Policy Priorities

Land use laws and practices in Delaware make it time-consuming, difficult and costly to develop the affordable housing that our communities desperately need. Local and state governments should reform their land use practices and zoning laws to encourage more affordable housing development. Examples include inclusionary zoning, increasing density, allowing by-right affordable housing, and encouraging affordable housing with financial or regulatory incentives.

DE Affordable Housing Coalition Recommendations

Pew Charitable Trust PPT: DE's Housing Shortage

Delaware is currently short 20,000+ housing units that are affordable for people and families in our communities. We believe the state should dedicate at least 1% of its budget to help fix this issue.

Send your state representatives an email letting them know you want Delaware to invest in housing!

1% for Housing

Webinar: Funding for Affordable Housing in Delaware

Support for Affordable Housing Production Fund
The 41 organizations below have signed on in support of a sustainable source of state funding to produce affordable housing in Delaware.

Healthy Communities Delaware, United Way of Delaware, Central Delaware NAACP Branch, Wilmington Community Advisory Council, YWCA Delaware, Sussex County Habitat for Humanity, Milford Housing Development Corporation, Friendship House, Inc., Community Legal Aid Society, Inc., DE Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Diamond State Community Land Trust, HDC MidAtlantic, Cornerstone West, Better Homes of Seaford, DE Federation of Housing Counselors, Family Promise of Southern Delaware, REACH Riverside Development Corporation, Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew Wilmington, DE Continuum of Care, AARP Delaware, Cinnaire, Family Promise of Northern New Castle County, DE Racial Justice Collaborative, Brandywine Counseling Community Services, Center for Community Research & Service, The Way Home, NeighborGood Partners, Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County, Peoples' Place, Central DE Habitat for Humanity, West End Neighborhood House, Child, Inc., DE-NAHRO, H.O.M.E.S. Campaign Delaware, Springboard Collaborative, PFLAG Wilmington Delaware, DE Poor Peoples' Campaign, Catholic Charities Diocese of Wilmington, Newark Branch of the NAACP.

Homelessness has continued to increase in Delaware since 2019. The number of people sleeping outdoors has increased significantly. Solutions to this crisis, like housing first, harm reduction, street outreach, and supportive housing should be deployed to respond to this crisis. We oppose any efforts that criminalize homelessness, penalize people for being unhoused, or move unhoused people from one place to another without providing meaningful housing and services solutions.

Housing NOT Handcuffs

Criminalization Worsens the Crisis

Criminalization Harms Health

USICH: Strategies to Address Encampments Effectively and Humanely

Housing Focused Street Outreach Framework

Webinar: Humanely & Effectively Getting People Off the Streets

Tenants deserve to have their rights protected, and to be able to seek and receive relief when their safety and/or rights are violated by property owners. There are many neighboring cities and states that have stronger renter protections that Delaware should implement, including “pay to stay” laws and just cause eviction protections.

Case Study on Just Cause Eviction Laws: NLIHC

National Tenants Bill of Rights

Supportive housing is an evidence-based solution to homelessness for people with high service needs, including seniors, people with behavioral, mental, developmental, and physical disabilities. Supportive housing combines financial help paying rent with supportive services. When implemented using the evidence-based housing first model, supportive housing solves homelessness for the most vulnerable, providing them with safe and dignified housing as well as individually tailored support services. Delaware’s stock of supportive housing is not sufficient to meet the needs of Delaware’s residents.

Housing First

About Supportive Housing

Quality Supportive Housing Standards