AFFORDABLE HOUSING

As a lifelong Delawarean, small business owner, and legislator for more than 16 years, Mike Ramone knows our community and the hardships everyday Delawareans face. Over and over, Mike has heard that Delawareans are struggling to find affordable housing — and he will make it his mission to ensure everyone has access.

 

Mike understands that every Delawarean deserves a housing market that works for them, not against them, but that too often regulatory hurdles, systemic inequity, a floundering job market, and schools that fail to prepare our students make the dream of home ownership inaccessible. By combining his business experience with his legislative acumen, Mike will work with lawmakers to implement commonsense economic solutions that will combat Delaware’s housing crisis head-on. 

 

On Day One, Mike will:

• End unnecessary regulatory hurdles and expedite the construction of affordable housing options.

• Coordinate between the state, counties, and municipalities to create equity throughout Delaware.

• Transform our education system so that students are prepared to enter the workforce and eventually buy a home.

• Revitalize Delaware’s job market so that more Delawareans have the opportunity to become homeowners.

• Streamline the development of new homes and apartments through initiatives such as smart growth and Ready in 6.

• Support and expand mental health and addiction programs to combat homelessness.

• Partner with community leaders and nonprofits.
   

Ending Regulatory Hurdles

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There are too many regulatory hurdles and excessive red tape that make owning a home unaffordable or inaccessible for everyday Delawareans. Mike will streamline the regulatory process of buying a house and end this incessant backlog to ensure every Delawarean can truly afford a home.

 

Creating Equity

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In Delaware, the state, counties, and municipalities each have different regulatory and developmental requirements. Not only does this increase the cost of building or owning a home, but it also contributes to the growing inequality across our state. A prospective homeowner should be able to find affordable housing in Wilmington just as easily as a homeowner in Laurel, for example. Mike will create a consolidated and comprehensive regulatory framework that is applied evenly throughout the state so that there is a consistent market for affordable homes, apartments, and housing options throughout Delaware.

 

Transforming Delaware’s Education

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Mike Ramone knows that we need to fight the housing crisis at its root. By transforming our educational system, Delaware’s schools will once again produce prepared and employable students who are ready to contribute to our communities when they graduate high school or college. Creating an education system that supports, uplifts, and prepares our students for the workforce and for life will make buying a home in Delaware more attainable for the next generation and motivate them to stay in our state.

 

Modernizing Delaware’s Job Market

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By modernizing Delaware’s job market, Mike Ramone believes we can expand opportunities for homeownership and make a variety of housing options more accessible to more people throughout the state. As Governor, Mike will incentivize higher education to expand into more lucrative and growing fields, like BioTech and FinTech. Creating new job markets in Delaware will give Delawareans a reason to stay in the state where they can build a better career, earn more money, and afford a home more easily.

 

Streamlining Development

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Just like Mike will end regulatory overreach for prospective buyers, he will also decrease regulation on developers to make it more efficient for them to build affordable homes and apartments throughout Delaware. In the legislature, Mike supported an initiative that sought to cut through the red tape and lessen the burden of regulatory oversight on developers of affordable housing. In the Governor’s office, he will continue to work with community leaders, lawmakers, and developers to cut down on inefficiencies and ensure that hardworking Delawareans have an abundance of housing options within a reasonable timeframe.

 

Addressing Homelessness

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Homelessness is an important issue impacting communities throughout Delaware. When addressing the challenges facing our unhoused population, Mike will put compassion first, partnering with nonprofits and community leaders to ensure unhoused Delawareans have a safe place to stay. Mike will also work with lawmakers to expand mental health resources and increase access to addiction programs that will support those in need on their way to recovery and help prevent homelessness throughout the state. These policies, in conjunction with his affordable housing agenda, will help Mike end excessive homelessness in Delaware.

 

Supporting Our Non-Profits

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Due to 32 years of inaction in Dover, our nonprofits have had to step up to fill the gap. Mike understands the vital role nonprofits play in providing necessary resources to our communities and believes these organizations should be supported accordingly. As Governor, Mike will partner with the community leaders and nonprofit organizations that tackle the housing crisis head-on and help them realize their mission of addressing the disparities facing our communities. This will leverage our public-private partnerships and provide additional resources for Delawareans struggling to find affordable housing.