St. Paul backs away from tolerance of homeless encampments
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
St. Paul officials plan to close the large encampment in Pig's Eye Park, often referred to as the Fish Hatchery Encampment. Photo: Kyle Stokes/Axios
St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her has announced a plan to close three homeless encampments in the city, starting with the largest, in Pig's Eye Park, on Aug. 5.
Why it matters: The mayor's ambitious and controversial plan signals a big shift in St. Paul officials' approach to a growing problem with unsheltered homelessness.
- Previously, despite laws against unsanctioned camping, city officials have tolerated encampments up to a point.
What they're saying: "We do not want to have any more established encampments moving forward," assistant mayor Cedrick Baker recently told the City Council.
The latest: Outreach efforts are underway at the three encampments: at Pig's Eye Park, along Shepard Road, and at the former Kmart on L'Orient Street.
- St. Paul will transfer about $1 million to Ramsey County to free up 49 emergency shelter beds to accept displaced residents, Her and two City Council members announced last week.
By the numbers: Rising concerns about fires, drug use and other crime have convinced city officials the encampments are too dangerous to leave open.
- Across all three camps, there's been an average of one emergency or fire call every three or four days, according to city data.
- "Enforcement is the last resort," Baker told the council. "We're not looking to criminalize; we're looking to support individuals."
Reality check: The new emergency shelter capacity won't be enough to house all the encampments' residents: about 200 people total, according to city data — though some outreach workers insist that's an undercount.
The other side: Encampment residents and aid workers fear the sweeps will disrupt outreach efforts, separate residents from valuable possessions they can't transport, drive vulnerable people into even worse conditions — or simply be futile.
- After Israel Dupree's encampment on L'Orient closes, "we're gonna go to the next empty lot and then rebuild our community that we built," he told Axios.
Friction point: More than 1,400 single adults in Ramsey County are currently on the waitlist for housing placements — including many residents of these encampments.
- "Any normal person would like their own apartment or whatever, but [the city is] not doing anything to help people get there," said one Pig's Eye Park resident, Ian.
- When he spoke to Axios in April, Ian had already been on a housing waiting list for four months. The average wait time for a single adult is 483 days, per county data.
What we're watching: Officials have not yet announced a date for closing the L'Orient and Shepard Road encampments.