DOVER, Del.- Housing justice advocates and members of Delaware's ACLU made a final push today, urging lawmakers to pass a renters' rights bill.
Senate Bill 1 would provide legal protections for low income tenants in evictions proceedings.
According to Mike Brickner, Executive Director of the ACLU of Delaware, the current situation during eviction cases is inequitable.
"86% of landlords currently have some sort of representation in eviction proceedings, while only 2% of tenants have representation," he said.
A similar bill was considered last year but ultimately fell short on votes in the House of Representatives on the last day of the legislative session.
"We were not deterred, and we presented it again to the Senate this year," said John Whitelaw, advocacy director with Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. or CLASI.
On Tuesday, the HOR voted to pass the bill with a tally of 25-12, with 3 absent and 1 not voting. Rep. Lyndon Yearick (R-Magnolia), Rep. Bryan Shupe (R-Milford) and Rep. Jeff Hilovsky (R-Long Neck) were among those who opposed it.
However, the Senate voted in favor the bill on March 28 with bipartisan support. It passed 19-0 with 2 not voting.
Whitelaw believes it can't wait until next year.
"Low-income vulnerable Delawareans are facing evictions in large numbers," he said. "There are thousands and thousands of Delawareans each year who face eviction, and they cannot be doing this alone."
SB1 is under final consideration in the Senate following technical amendments made on Tuesday. Then, it will likely make its way to Governor John Carney's desk.
Last month, the legislative Joint Finance Committee included $1.3 million in funding to build out this program in the fiscal 2024 operating budget, which will be voted on later in June.
