To Mayor John Carney and the Honorable Members of the City Council of Wilmington:
Mayor Carney’s decision to authorize only a single encampment, as stated by the Task Force On Homelessness document released by his office is not a feasible solution to homelessness and has left housing-insecure residents feeling unsafe and abandoned. The city has a responsibility for all its residents, including those experiencing homelessness. However, elected officials have left the responsibility of helping the homeless to local nonprofits, faith groups, mutual aid organizations, and individual charities. Over time, the number of people experiencing homelessness in Wilmington has grown to more than 600. This level of need cannot be left to charity and volunteers; doing so only puts a bandaid on a lack of affordable housing and systemic oppression that keeps people unhoused.
During the snowstorms of January and February 2026, the city revealed its deep lack of emergency preparedness, specifically for those experiencing homelessness. While nonprofits and volunteers scrambled to care for the unhoused, it gradually and painfully became clear that the city government did less than the bare minimum to ensure their well-being. The burden fell on volunteers to coordinate and execute both high- and ground-level emergency plans. This is unacceptable.
With these failures in mind, we call upon the Carney Administration and Wilmington City Council to immediately draft and adopt a written weather emergency plan for caring for the homeless during adverse weather events, including but not limited to:
- An accessible emergency stockpile of nonperishables and water,
- At least 48 hours of advance notice of where daytime and overnight warming/cooling centers and resources will be,
- City-supported staffing and security for warming/cooling centers,
- Free and accessible transportation during adverse weather events
- Appropriate funding to emergency staff and facilities,
- Clean and accessible accommodations with low barriers to entry, including for those with children, pets, and/or disabilities,
- A list of published standard operating procedures addressing core needs for weather emergencies that both emergency staff and volunteers can follow.
Additionally, we call upon the the Carney Administration and Wilmington City Council to focus on longer-term planning, including but not limited to:
- Investing $10 million of city and state funding into the construction and operation of low-barrier emergency and transitional shelters, and supportive housing units,
- Identifying city-owned, Wilmington Land Bank-owned, or Wilmington Housing Authority-owned vacant buildings that can be transitioned into housing for people experiencing homelessness and housing insecure families.
There is not currently a pathway for those living in the park and elsewhere to access permanent housing. Anyone could end up homeless for any reason. The City needs more shelter beds and affordable housing. The money can come from city, state, and/or federal sources, but the City has a moral and ethical obligation to care for all of her citizens — this cannot continue to be completely outsourced to willing non-profits and faith communities.
When it comes to the welfare of corporations, the City of Wilmington gives generously. The city and state provided $15 million in grants to the biopharmaceutical corporation Incyte, as reported by the News Journal and WDEL. The Longwood Foundation received $10 million from the city’s reserve funds to renovate the Bank of America building among other things. However, both Wilmington City Council and the Carney Administration have pushed back on measures that would help residents (e.g. rent stabilization, water billing reforms, and otherwise helping our homeless neighbors). Volunteers and residents have collected a list of specific asks, which we are eager to share from micro to macro levels.
So far, only three Wilmington City Councilmembers have committed to supporting commensurate city funding to end homelessness: Councilmembers Owens, Darby, and Willauer. We hope Mayor Carney and the rest of Wilmington City Council will agree to invest what’s needed. To put it simply: we’re asking you to do the right thing.
Yours sincerely, The Undersigned:
Food Not Bombs Wilmington
Delaware Democratic Socialists of America, Mutual Aid Working Group
Working Families Power
The HOMES Campaign
A Woman’s Worth Project (Next Level Support House)
WFA Wilmington Bail Fund
Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew
State Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton
State Rep. Sophie Phillips
Rev. Karla Fleshman, LCSW. MDiv
Phebe P. R. du Pont
Christopher Beardsley
Conor Brophy
Adem W.
Douglass Lambert
Philip Bannowski
References
“Task Force on Homelessness.” (2025) Office of the Mayor. https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/government/office-of-the-mayor/task-force-on-homelessness
Hill, B. and Merole, J. “Wilmington hires nonprofit to manage Christina Park homeless camp.” Spotlight Delaware, 7 January 2026. https://spotlightdelaware.org/2026/01/07/wilmington-friendship-house-to-bring-restrooms-to-ho meless-camp-at-christina-park/
“Friendship House to Manage Wilmington’s Christina Park Unhoused Community.” (2026) DelawareLive. https://delawarelive.com/friendship-house-to-manage-wilmingtons-christina-park-unhoused-com munity/
“Incyte selling downtown Wilmington properties.” (2026) WDEL. https://www.wdel.com/business/incyte-selling-downtown-wilmington-properties/article_889ac0b 8-f2ad-4651-be0e-8598a10482c6.html#/questions
“Downtown Wilmington projects quietly nab $50M+ from state bond bill.” (2024) The News Journal. https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/politics/2024/07/11/downtown-wilmington-delawar e-building-projects-included-in-delaware-bond-bill/74352151007/
“Eastside residents express frustrations with Carney’s homelessness plan for Wilmington.” (2025) Spotlight Delaware. https://spotlightdelaware.org/2025/11/10/east-side-residents-express-frustrations-with-carneys-ho melessness-plan-for-wilmington/
“‘They think you’re nothing:’ Housing advocates say Wilmington homeless face limited shelter beds, police sweeps.” (2025) WHYY.