Activists demand City of St. Paul leave homeless encampments alone, invest in more long-term housing

David Pehl said that for him and around 50 others who live at a St. Paul, Minnesota, homeless encampment, the worry over the next few months isn't the colder weather; it's whether city government will make good on a promise to shut the encampment down.

"They're trying to take everything away from us that is us," Pehl said.

Born and raised in Minnesota's capital, Pehl said that he's been on the street for about five years. At the encampment behind where the Kmart used to be, off L'Orient Street, he said he's found community and a place where he feels safe. 

But Mayor Kaohly Her and other city officials have now for months argued that not only are the sites illegal, but they are dangerous and place a drain on emergency resources. Over the summer, Her announced plans to shut down three major homeless encampments, starting with one at Pig's Eye Park. 

The move drew criticism and protest as the vast majority of residents there moved upriver to a different encampment off Shepard Road and Randolph Avenue. The population there ballooned to more than 400 people at a site where soil samples show lead levels are more than triple the safety threshold. Residents at a nearby apartment building tell WCCO that the situation is becoming untenable.

With winter approaching, the St. Paul City Council has approved a new approach to managing homeless encampments.

The plan includes a 60-day outreach period before an encampment can be closed, unless there is an immediate threat to public safety. It also calls for a temporary indoor shelter for six months this winter, and development of a permanent shelter modeled after Avivo Village in Minneapolis.

That plan represents a good start for members of the Stop the Sweeps Coalition in St. Paul. About a dozen people aligned with the movement marched from Hamline Park to Allianz Field on Saturday evening, demanding Her leave the encampments alone and invest in more long-term housing. 

"The sweeps are a violent and indiscriminate practice of destruction targeted against our unhoused neighbors," Alexander Jurney said. 

A spokesperson for Her said on Saturday that they had no comment and that the city's plans haven't changed, indicating closures at Shepard Road and the area near the now-closed Kmart are imminent. The city has not announced a date for those actions; Her expressed regret at doing so for the Pig's Eye location, critical of protesters who came to the site the day of the shutdown in early August.

The mayor has stated that Ramsey County and Minnesota State government need to do more when it comes to long-term solutions. 

Her's spokesperson released the following statement to WCCO in late October after the council passed its resolution:

"We share the goal of moving people from encampments into safe and stable housing. Our administration is looking into the viability and affordability of these proposals. Every spending choice we make comes at the expense of other priorities and essential services our residents depend on. We continue to plan for the coordinated transition of the encampments at Randolph and l'Orient, with outreach teams connecting each individual at the encampment to shelter, housing, and services. I remain committed to bringing all levels of government and partners to the table to address this systemic problem."