St. Paul prepares to clear encampments, offers outreach ahead of closures
St. Paul officials announced a change in strategy this week, saying the city will close outdoor encampments before winter because of mounting concerns about public health and safety. City and county outreach teams will spend the next four weeks notifying people living in encampments and trying to link them to services and housing options.
City leaders said they acted after documenting a range of serious problems at encampment sites, including fires, sexual assaults, thefts and two overdose deaths. The move marks a shift from prior approaches and seeks to reduce immediate risks to people staying in the camps and to the surrounding community.
"Not all of us are out here just to do drugs and cause havoc and mayhem. We're just trying to live, trying to survive," a resident identified as Wolf, who lives in the Pig's Eye Park encampment, told WCCO.
The city said the timing — acting before winter sets in — is intended to improve people's chances of moving into shelter or other services rather than remaining outdoors during colder months. Outreach will be a joint effort by St. Paul, Ramsey County and partner organizations over a roughly four-week period to inform residents of planned closures and to offer connections to resources.
- Documented concerns: fires, sexual assaults, thefts, two overdose deaths
- Timeline: outreach over the next four weeks; closures to follow
- Agencies involved: St. Paul, Ramsey County and service providers
This decision has implications beyond city boundaries. Ramsey County must coordinate shelter capacity, case management and behavioral health resources to accept people who move from encampments. State-level services and funding also factor into whether residents can be placed in stable housing quickly.
| Action | Details |
|---|---|
| Outreach period | Approximately four weeks; notification and service connection |
| Reasons cited | Fires, sexual assaults, thefts, two overdose deaths |
| Parties leading effort | St. Paul and Ramsey County outreach teams with partners |
Advocates and people living in encampments say closures are not a simple fix. Individuals interviewed described varied pathways into homelessness, including job and housing loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, and noted mental-health challenges among residents. Those concerns underscore the operational and ethical challenges for local government: clearing camps reduces immediate hazards but requires swift, sufficient alternatives to avoid pushing people into other unsafe situations.
As the city implements the plan, residents and service providers will be watching whether outreach leads to durable housing placements and whether county and state systems can absorb needs for shelter, treatment and long-term support.
