Eight of the 13 Minneapolis City Council members have appealed to the mayor, requesting a delay in the eviction of the city's largest homeless encampment until February. This stance has been labeled as "bizarre" by a report from the Center of the American Experiment.
The report, titled "Minneapolis encampments breeding despair – a better solution is within reach," highlights the growing issue of homeless encampments in Minneapolis. The sizes of these encampments vary, ranging from 15 to 20 people to between 150 and 200 individuals. These makeshift settlements have been established on both local or state lands adjacent to roads and private properties such as vacant lots in residential areas. The report points out that these encampments are associated with increased garbage, drug use, human waste, prostitution, noise, water and electricity theft, and violence. Regulatory Services, which oversees these encampments, has implemented a comprehensive plan to identify, assess and clear these illegal settlements over time. However, transitioning occupants out of these camps may take several months.
According to David Zimmer, policy fellow at the Center of the American Experiment and author of the report, Camp Nenookaasi emerged in September and rapidly expanded to occupy an area equivalent to a city block. The camp now houses over 180 individuals, with Native Americans making up the majority. Complaints have been lodged not only by residents but also by about 30 Native American organizations including the Indian Health Board demanding closure of this camp.
The same report indicates that city council members who penned a letter to the mayor asked for a delay in eviction until February 16th. They urged for efforts to address public health needs at Camp Nenookaasi and its surrounding community while collaborating on short-term, medium-term and long-term solutions for homelessness.
However, Zimmer's report suggests that these requests fail to acknowledge that postponement of closure has already been overly extended. It also notes that the city and county have offered assistance to the occupants, linking them with resources for addiction support and housing. The report concludes, "Calls for more delays simply kick the can further down the road, subjecting neighbors, and encampment residents to more dysfunction and misery. It’s time for Minneapolis and Hennepin County leadership to exhibit tough love in addressing the problem of unsheltered homelessness."
