A trio of Wilmington City Council members held a news conference on Monday, January 19, 2026, to announce a comprehensive plan to address affordability in the city on several levels, including for homeowners, renters and the homeless.
“Wilmington is becoming unaffordable for way too many people,” said 1st District Councilman Coby Owens. “Letting people live on the street — in parks — is not going to work for our city. It’s cruel.”
Owens also wants to revamp the Department of Licensing and Inspections and bring back prerental inspections to protect renters from substandard housing.
2nd District Councilwoman Shanè Darby plans to continue pushing for rent stabilization…