Wilmington replaces city-issued tents for unhoused residents after they leaked during last week’s rainstorm

What are journalists missing from the state of Delaware? What would you most like WHYY News to cover? Let us know.

The city of Wilmington has started issuing replacement tents to unhoused people at Christina Park after tents they supplied last week failed in a rainstorm. But distrust among the residents and activists remains high, with protests again delaying the city’s implementation of its plan for the encampment.

Schree Lewis said she’s pleased with the new tent she got Wednesday.

“This is a blessing and a godsend and it gives people the opportunity to get on their feet,” Lewis said.

Wilmington officials are mandating that unhoused residents use city tents — even if they already have their own. The nonprofit Friendship House, which is managing the site for the city, said it was giving new tents to any encampment residents who wanted one, and additional tents would be issued as needed.

The first tents, about 20 of which were given out last week, leaked in the rain on the first night residents used them — leaving occupants cold and wet. Residents said several of those tents collapsed.

One of those residents, Majeed Shakur, called the first tents “a disaster.” He said the back end of his gave way, and he’s been struggling to stay warm.

“Got wet and then it got cold. Not a good combination,” he said. “And then the wind was blowing through it, wind was ripping it.”

The new tents are slightly bigger and appear to be better able to withstand the elements. The company’s website said the tents block wind and rain.

But some park residents and activists remain distrustful of the city’s moves.

Activists staged a brief protest Wednesday to prevent the city from putting down more of the wooden platforms the tents are meant to sit on. The city is arranging the structures in a grid layout on one side of the park. Wilmington and Friendship House staff reused the platforms from last week for the new tents.

City officials agreed to stop placing the platforms onto the grid Wednesday after Wilmington resident Joe Connor and other activists expressed concern that nails poking out of the wood present a safety hazard. Protesters also argued the wooden platforms will rot and urged officials not to use them.

“My personal position is these get thrown away, and all the ones that are on the ground get thrown away with the bad tents, and they can come back to square one, bring proper pallets out here and proper tents, and we’ll deal with that when it happens,” Connor said.

A spokesperson for Mayor John Carney said the platforms with nails poking out will be fixed.

According to Carney’s office, it has spent about $4,000 for 105 of the old tents, about the same amount for 28 of the new tents and $70,000 for 70 platforms.

Wilmington officials are attempting to put rules in place that will govern management of the homeless encampment. The requirements have not been provided to residents in writing, and Christina Park resident Boz Malik said they seem to constantly evolve.

“Rules change every day,” he said. “They make this up. They have no idea what they’re doing.”

According to the contract between the city and Friendship House, signed in January, the plots would be 20 feet by 20 feet, and the tents would be 10 feet by 10 feet. Then Carney’s office revised the terms a day before tents started to be installed at the park. Now the plots are 15 feet by 15 feet.

Some park residents like Malik say they have been told they might have to trash some of their belongings. The rules require all residents’ personal tents and belongings, except for a chair and bike, to fit inside the city-issued tent or be stored in a city facility, or they will be thrown away.

City officials have said unhoused residents who don’t want to play by the rules can leave the park. Some activists said they were told uncooperative residents could even be arrested. A spokesperson for Carney said they do not foresee arrests as a likely outcome.