Wilmington issues eviction notices at homeless encampment as Mayor Carney states area was always ‘temporary’

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People living in a city-sanctioned homeless tent village at a local Wilmington park woke up on Monday morning to eviction notices from Mayor John Carney’s office.

Residents said several police officers and representatives of the Friendship House, the site manager, moved through the park handing out the notices without explaining what they meant, leaving people upset and confused.

“What was your purpose?” Latifah Evans asked. “Why give us an area then take it from us? Why give us something and then take it away?”

The eviction notices state that camping in Christina Park is banned after June 15. Residents must remove all their belongings and leave the tents the city gave them at the park when they leave, although individuals may be able to get permission to keep them.

A spokesperson from Carney’s office disputed the residents’ claims that the notices were not explained to them.

Shyanne Miller, a local housing advocate, said she was at the park Monday morning when police officers arrived with the mayor’s deputy chief of staff, Daniel Walker, and Friendship House staff.

“This is what the cops were doing — they would tape the notice on the tent and knock on the tent and be like, ‘Hey,’” Miller said. “If someone was standing outside, they would hand them the notice in their hand. But it wasn’t like, let’s gather everybody around and have a little conversation about what’s to come. It was just like, here’s this notice.”

Friendship House, a nonprofit organization, has a contract with the city to manage the encampment site from January through June 30.

CEO Kim Eppehimer said the mayor’s office did not explain why they were closing down the only sanctioned homeless encampment in Wilmington. Officials have barred sleeping outside in all other areas of the city.

“The mayor wanted to give the park back to the community, and this was their plan, essentially all along,” Eppehimer said. “That’s the messaging that we’ve been given.”

Eppehimer said more than 50 people were at Christina Park Monday morning.

Carney’s office released a statement, stating the encampment was always intended to be temporary and that people living near the park wanted the encampment removed, so that they could use it fully as a recreational area.

Unhoused park residents, however, said they were surprised and confused about the city’s decision, because last month, city officials and Friendship House started giving out tents to those who wanted one.

The original city-issued tents were not windproof or waterproof, drenching inhabitants and their belongings the first night they used them. But the city then issued more expensive tents that were better able to withstand the elements. The Friendship House contract included a plan for 100 tents, with 39 tents issued to park residents.

The eviction notice stated that people wishing to camp in the park until June 15 must use a city-issued tent in the park’s gridded area. However, Miller said not all of those who have asked for a tent have been given one.

“One woman was asking for a tent for weeks from them,” Miller said. “She didn’t get it, and she’s like, ‘Now I’m being told that I have to leave.’”

Eppehimer said Friendship House has been able to move more than 20 people from the encampment into a more stable situation, which makes the city’s decision “disappointing.”

“I think it is an unfortunate displacement of folks who are essentially already displaced,” Eppehimer said.

Park residents said they were told to come to the park to live by city officials after they were pushed out of other areas of the city. In addition, they said they’re concerned that police will forcefully remove people, through sweeps, if they don’t leave by the June 15 deadline, as well as face arrest.

“But now you [are] talking about by June 15, y’all need to have somewhere to go, or we [are] locking you all up,” a resident who only gave his name as Mike said. “Don’t make no sense.”

Carney’s office stated its intention is to balance compassion for unhoused people with the expectations of the broader community. But local advocate Miller said what the city is doing is cruel.

“This is going to be the hugest sweep, and that’s the thing to remember,” she said. “This will be one of the biggest sweeps that the city will have ever conducted, and it’s manufactured because they forced everyone to go to this section of the city.”

The statement from Carney’s office said community organizations will try to help as many people experiencing homelessness as possible. Carney’s office is also exploring possible low-barrier shelter site options in Wilmington.

A city task force issued suggestions in September to combat the issue of homelessness. But Miller and other housing advocates have criticized the recommendations, saying the task force was more focused on making homelessness less visible than solving it.