‘You fix it, you get paid’: Wilmington starts rent escrow program to prod landlords into providing water, heat, electricity

Wilmington launched a rent escrow program allowing tenants whose landlords fail to fix violations like water, heat, or electricity to place two-thirds of their monthly rent into a secure city account. This mechanism was established after Councilwoman Yolanda McCoy's bill and aims both to protect renters and ensure that responsive landlords receive payment once repairs are completed. The program is operated by the First State Community Action Agency in partnership with local government departments.