St. Paul proposes homelessness plan for winter after encampment closures
St. Paul City Council approves new homeless response plan
A new plan to address homelessness was approved by the St. Paul City Council. This comes after the Pig's Eye encampment was forced to close earlier this year, leading to a much larger encampment forming near an apartment complex. FOX 9's Maury Glover has the details on the latest actions taken by the council.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - St. Paul leaders are moving toward a new homelessness strategy after city officials say encampment clearings did not lead to lasting housing.
St. Paul homeless plan
St. Paul leaders weigh new approach to encampments
St. Paul leaders are expected to adopt a new plan to address homelessness following backlash over the city's clearing of a homeless encampment at Pig's Eye Park that created a new, more problematic encampment.
What we know:
The St. Paul City Council is expected to adopt a resolution which calls on Mayor Kaohly Her to adopt a new approach to address homelessness in St. Paul.
The three-part plan would begin with a 60-day period of outreach and housing assistance before homeless encampments are cleared. It also calls for a temporary indoor shelter to operate for six months during the winter.
The final step would put a permanent low barrier shelter in place based on an indoor village model, turning warehouses into housing.
St. Paul begins clearing Pig's Eye Park encampment
St. Paul crews began clearing a homeless encampment at Pig's Eye Park as city outreach teams tried to speak with people living there.
Dig deeper:
The new proposal follows the city's effort to clear the encampment at Pigs Eye Park, where officials said the outcome fell short.
Officials say the city tried to help as many as 200 residents find more stable housing, but ultimately as few as seven of them accepted services.
The city council previously authorized a $1.08 million transfer to Ramsey County to expand emergency shelter capacity ahead of the closure of the Pig’s Eye Park encampment.
What they're saying:
"The city council has worked really hard to come up with this position to show our commitment to doing better. We can't do it alone. We need our partners at the table with us, but we also are not going to look away," said St. Paul City Council President Rebecca Noecker prior to the vote. "We're not going to abandon our responsibility to our neighbors, and this is not the final step."
What's next:
Although well-intentioned, St. Paul also currently faces a $26 million budget deficit that leaders will need to grapple with looking ahead.
The Source: St. Paul City Council resolution and agenda materials as well as previous FOX 9 reporting.