After camp clearings, St. Paul shifts its homelessness approach
St. Paul City Council approves plan to address homelessness
The St. Paul City Council has approved an $11 million plan to address homelessness after the city cleared out some large encampments in August. FOX 9's Maury Glover has more.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The St. Paul City Council unanimously approved an $11 million framework to address homelessness that city leaders say moves away from simply clearing camps.
How the new framework works
What we know:
The council's three-part framework also includes a 60-day outreach window before camp closures, a new temporary indoor winter shelter and a permanent indoor tiny-home-style shelter modeled after Avivo in Minneapolis.
The backstory:
In August, St. Paul cleared the homeless camp at Pig's Eye Park. Many displaced residents then moved to another camp near Shephard Road and Randolph, a shift that helped drive the council's push to change its approach to unsheltered homelessness.
READ MORE: St. Paul workers clear Pig's Eye Park encampment
What they're saying:
The proposal now goes to the mayor's office for approval. When FOX 9 asked the mayor about it at another event, she declined to comment.
"I think it's an important first step. It's not a last step. But it is an articulation of our values and of our plan," said Rebecca Noecker, St. Paul City Council president.
"The magnitude of this task does not excuse us from the responsibility of trying to solve it," said Saura Jost of Ward 3.
Homeless advocates said they appreciate the council taking action, but they say more needs to be done, especially for families who find themselves unhoused in the capital city.
"I applaud the city's attempt to tackle this, but this is another expensive band-aid. This issue did not happen overnight, and it's not going to be fixed overnight," said homeless advocate Vanessa Rojas.
The Source: This story uses information gathered by FOX 9 reporter Maury Glover at the St. Paul City Council and previous FOX 9 reporting.