WILMINGTON - Last night, Wilmington City Council passed a resolution calling for a more detailed plan on homelessness in Wilmington and for the postponement of the end of overnight camping at Christina Park. The plan for Christina Park was shared with Council long before last night’s vote. Additionally, the broader plan to address homelessness in Wilmington, which was prepared by the City of Wilmington Task Force on Homelessness, was made available to the public and delivered to Council during the fall of last year.

Since then, the City of Wilmington has taken a focused and proactive approach to supporting our street unhoused population. For the first time in Wilmington’s history, and by working with our community partners, we have conducted over 50 comprehensive needs assessments for unhoused individuals at Christina Park. Those assessments have led to 32 people being placed into stable emergency housing, reconnected with supportive family members, and some have entered rehabilitation programs. The Christina Park location was always intended to be temporary and was purposed to reduce the number of people sleeping on the street. On June 15, we intend to stop overnight camping at the park and return it to public use for the surrounding residents who have been patient, gracious, and understanding.

However, ending overnight camping does not mean our commitment to the unhoused living on the street lessens. In fact, the city is moving forward with this because of the resources our partners have made available.

The Plan for Christina Park:

On June 15, overnight camping at the park will end, but that does not mean those at the park are without indoor options. Through collaboration with our community partners:

• WHA has agreed to assist with the temporary storage of personal items during the transition to emergency housing.

• We have identified 20 beds at two housing programs that offer case management and wrap-around services.

• WHA has agreed to cover the cost of additional emergency hotel and motel stays for anyone at Christina Park unable to access one of the 20 program beds. Additionally, the WHA Housing Support team will provide case management while they are at the hotels and motels.

• These opportunities are real and available now. The only requirement is that the individuals agree to follow any program or hotel/motel rules.

 

Updates on the Task Force on Homelessness Recommendations

When Mayor Carney presented the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, he announced the formation of the City of Wilmington Task Force on Homelessness and signed Executive Order 2025-01. The task force was comprised of representative service organizations, mental health providers, Wilmington residents, and elected officials. Here is a comprehensive update on the recommendations and the steps Wilmington has taken to make them all a reality.

Temporary Use of a City Park for the Unhoused Community

The City of Wilmington dedicated Christina Park as the temporary site. This dedication had two goals: to provide a centralized location for comprehensive support and to decrease the number of individuals sleeping on Wilmington’s streets. So far, over 50 individuals have received a comprehensive needs assessment, and 32 individuals have been placed into stable emergency housing, reconnected with supportive family members, and some have entered rehabilitation programs.

Explore a tiny home village similar to Georgetown

We have been working on the pallet village for months, and Council is aware of this. In a meeting with City Council leadership last month, Council representatives made a decision not to sign on to a joint commitment letter to bring the pallet village to Wilmington and requested that it come from Mayor’s Office alone. But we are excited to see Council finally agree on this path forward. As of today, we have sent communication to City Council outlining the steps they must take to make the pallet village a reality. They must select one of the parcels we have surveyed and pass a special use provision so that the land can be used for the pallet village by July 1. If not, the State’s capital and operating money will not be available due to the State’s ARPA rules.

Create a drop-in Center

Our administration, through working with community partners and Council Member Harlee, has identified 600 E. 4th Street as a location for a day center. This was announced earlier this year, and we have been working to secure funding. We have submitted a bond bill request to the State for half the renovation cost, and thanks to Council Member Cabrera’s sponsorship, City Council approved the second half of funding through the Community Development Block Grant amendment last night. This goal is effectively moving forward, and City Council has been involved. This is on track to be ready within the year.

Explore Additional Affordable Housing Options

In the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, Mayor John Carney proposed a $20 million plan to incentivize the development of affordable housing for individuals at or below 80% of the area median income. This level was vital to ensuring that everyday working individuals who are living paycheck to paycheck were not inadvertently disqualified from participating. However, Council decided to decrease the budget for affordable housing to $13 million.We will go back to Council next year to request the rest of the funding.

Sustainable Funding Source

Thanks to the support of the Wilmington State Delegation and leadership in both the House and Senate, we have been engaged in serious dialogue about the future of funding for unsheltered homelessness in Wilmington and across Delaware. While conversations are still in the works, there is a broad commitment to supporting a Springboard model in Wilmington, but it now requires City Council to make a decision.

The progress outlined above is real and tangible. The City of Wilmington has progressed on five of the six key recommendations made by the task force, many of which are in sight. Unfortunately, the two City Council members who are advocating to freeze government have not been actively at the table to bring collaborative solutions forward or to hear about what is currently happening at the park. When they are ready to roll up their sleeves, we will be here doing the work.

###