Delaware mayor blames Philadelphia program for busing homeless population to his city

Wilmington, Delaware Mayor John Carney blamed Philadelphia for the rise of homeless people in his city.

During a press conference last week, Carney announced new measures to tackle the homelessness crisis, including designating Christina Park as a place for unhoused individuals to sleep.

Carney leveled most of the blame on other cities and states that have been reportedly busing their homeless population to his city. 

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He singled out Philadelphia for its Stranded Traveler Assistance program, which provided taxpayer-funded bus tickets for homeless residents to any city in the country.

“It’s just not right for these other places, cities and towns to send their folks to Wilmington,” Carney said. “The constant influx from other cities and towns makes it harder for us to care for the population here, and most importantly, it’s unfair to the city residents who live in these neighborhoods.”

When reached for comment, Carney’s office told Fox News Digital the mayor’s comment’s are based off information they have received. 

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Carney had previously written to Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker in May about her Kensington Community Revival Program, which aimed to clear an open-air drug market in the Kensington area.

“Since the start of the Kensington Community Revival Program, we have observed a dramatic increase of individuals experiencing homelessness within our borders,” Carney wrote, according to 6ABC.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Parker’s office for comment.

According to NBC Philadelphia, the Stranded Traveler Assistance has funded 875 trips across 276 U.S. cities between 2021 to 2025. Of those trips, 14 were sent to Delaware with eight sent to Wilmington specifically.

Carney’s comments came months after President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing cities and states to remove homeless individuals off the streets for rehabilitation, treatment and other facilities.