Mayor Carney Details End of Camping in Christina Park, Long Term Plans for Unhoused Population

WILMINGTON - With overnight camping at Christina Park set to end on Monday, June 15, Mayor Carney on Thursday laid out the City's progress across each of the key recommendations made by the Task Force on Homelessness.

"This work has not been easy, but it is something I felt a responsibility to undertake because it matters to Wilmington residents. One of the main things I heard when knocking on over eleven thousand doors was that Wilmington needs to strike a balance to both help the unhoused receive the services they need, and to maintain quality of life for city taxpayers," said Mayor Carney. "Returning the park back to its intended use for the surrounding community is the other side of that balance."

The mayor continued: "Thanks to the support of Friendship House, Partners in Care, and other community partners, 49 unhoused individuals have been placed in more stable housing. This progress is tangible. While overnight camping will end, we are committed to working through each of the recommendations made by the Task Force in a manner that is both responsible and compassionate."

Allow for temporary camping in a City Park
In October 2025, Mayor Carney announced that Christina Park would be designated as a city-sanctioned unhoused community site, intended to centralize social service delivery in one location. Christina Park was selected due to the number of unhoused individuals already living there and its proximity to non-profit support.

Daily operations and case work services at the encampment were managed by Friendship House, who entered into contract with the City on January 5, 2026. This work was also supported by the Partners in Care team, made up of Wilmington Police Department officers and social workers from Christiana Care.

As a result of individualized case management services, 44 people have been placed into stable housing, with more than half of those placements finalized since the City announcedthe end of overnight camping on May 11. As of this morning, June 11, seven additional people are scheduled for placement in shelter or treatment services. As the encampment winds down, all unhoused residents living at the park will continue to be offered support services and placement opportunities on a daily basis.

The City and community partners have secured more than enough hotel and motel vouchers for all those remaining at the park when camping ends on June 15. As folks transition away from the park, personal item storage will be offered through Wilmington Housing Authority at 600 E. 4th Street for up to 90 days.

Friendship House, in their formal capacity with the City of Wilmington, will remain available to support unhoused individuals at Christina Park in contract with the City of Wilmington through June 30, allowing for a two-week transition window between the end of camping and the end of the contract.

Create a drop in center
In tandem with the Wilmington Housing Authority, the City has identified 600 East 4th Street as the location for a day center and dining hall. $1 million in Bond Bill funding for the dining hall has been secured along with half of the funding for the day center. The City has submitted another Bond Bill request to the state for the remaining half. The site, on track to be completed this year, will be used in part as a Code Purple shelter and cooling center.

Establish a personal item storage facility
Personal item storage will be available at 600 East 4th Street to those living at Christina Park in alignment with the end of overnight camping. Personal property may be stored for up to 90 days. This option will serve as a pilot while official determine long-term options for personal storage in tandem with the establishment of the day center.

Explore a tiny homes village
Mayor Carney listed two primary questions that must be answered before progress moves forward: where will the village be and how will it be funded long term.

The Mayor's Office provided City Council with three parcels for initial consideration, and invited members to explore additional options. Council may need to pass a special use provision so that the land may be used for the pallet village by July 1, when the State's capital and operating funding will expire due to ARPA regulations.

Explore Additional Affordable Housing Options
During the Fiscal Year 2027 budget address, Mayor Carney proposed a historic $20 million one-time investment in affordable housing. City Council ultimately approved the allocation of $13 million to housing initiatives including the following:

• $8.4 million to provide direct subsidize for affordable rental and homeownership units

• $500,000 to the Land Bank

• $500,000 to the Home Repair Program

• $2,000,000 for the vacant lot site readiness

• $200,000 for architectural and engineering

• $1.5 million to fund a Housing Support Community Block Grant to help non-profits provide emergency support to Wilmingtonians to include eviction prevention, counseling, and rental assistance

Partner with the State on a Sustainable Funding Source
Thanks to the support of the Wilmington delegation in the State House and State Senate, the City has been engaged in serious dialogue about the future of funding for unsheltered homelessness in Wilmington and across Delaware. Conversations are ongoing, but there is a broad commitment by State partners to support a Springboard model for the city.

Task Force recommendations were given in a final report delivered to the mayor's desk in the fall of 2025. Mayor Carney previously hosted a press conference detailing his response to those recommendations and announcing the creation of the Christina Park encampment in October 2025.