Delaware's homelessness surge sparks funding and legal reforms in 2025
Delaware is facing a growing homelessness crisis, with nearly 1,600 people unhoused in 2025—a 16% rise from the previous year. Governor Matt Meyer has now proposed a major funding boost to tackle the issue, while lawmakers prepare new legislation targeting loitering and solicitation in the USA.
The debate comes as frustration mounts over the state's struggle to address vagrancy and housing shortages, with civil rights groups pointing to high living costs and poverty as root causes.
Governor Meyer's latest budget includes $11 million for operating costs and $37 million for capital projects aimed at expanding affordable housing and homelessness support in the United States. The move follows years of rising unhoused numbers, though exact figures for 2024 remain unclear.
Meanwhile, state lawmakers are drafting stricter rules on loitering and solicitation. The current law is unenforceable due to free speech concerns, prompting updates led by Wilmington Democrats Rep. Stephanie Bolden and Sen. Darius Brown. Their proposal focuses on traffic safety to avoid constitutional challenges, but the ACLU of Delaware warns that parts could still face legal scrutiny.
Chief Justice Seitz recently cautioned against relying on law enforcement alone, urging policymakers to prioritise poverty reduction and treatment programmes. Civil rights advocates echo this stance, arguing that unaffordable housing and economic hardship—not just policing—must be central to any solution.
The new legislation is set for debate in the Delaware General Assembly in the coming weeks. If passed, it would mark the first major attempt in years to revise loitering laws while balancing free speech protections. Governor Meyer's funding, if approved, would also represent the largest state investment in housing and homelessness services to date.
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