12-16-2020 Superintendent Bangoura Encampment Remarks

President Cowgill and commissioners,

There are currently 38 tents at two park encampments. There are 15 tents and an estimated six residents at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Park and there are 23 tents and 17 residents at Minnehaha Regional Park.

Last Thursday, on December 10, we disbanded the encampment at The Mall. The disbandment followed significant documented public health and safety concerns at the encampment, including multiple fires that resulted in at least one injury, a fatal overdose, crimes and violence. Since mid-October, our outreach team has been encouraging those living at the encampment to move to available shelter spaces but offers of open spaces were repeatedly declined. Notices were issued on November 30 and December 7 to those living at The Mall to vacate the encampment within 72 hours and move to alternative shelter. The morning of the disbandment, the eight people who were living on site were offered shelter assistance by Hennepin County. One accepted the offer, while the other seven declined.

Over the past couple of months, during my routine encampment updates to the Board, I have shared our concern about the ongoing use of fires and propane at the encampments, which pose significant safety risks.

Today, the Star Tribune reported that St Paul is dismantling eight homeless encampments and that a notice of closure was given this week by Hennepin County to the people living in about 40 tents on the Midtown Greenway. Both St Paul and Hennepin County expressed concerns about propane tanks and risk of fires.

Park staff have continued almost daily outreach to people living in the park encampments. They have shared verbal and written communications about weather and fire-related hazards, not damaging park trees, and that encampments cannot continue through winter. Our outreach staff have consistently encouraged people to move into shelters.

On Monday, December 7, the new 50-bed Homeward Bound shelter opened and as of yesterday, there were still several beds available. Earlier this month, Hennepin County shared that there were 175 Board and Lodge beds available at that time and that these spaces are regularly available.

Yesterday, the Hennepin County Board approved funding to buy two Minneapolis hotels to house homeless people with COVID-19. Two additional shelters are also scheduled to open soon – the 50-bed Strong Tower shelter and the AVIVO Village of 100 separate indoor tiny homes. Another site, St. Joe’s 30-bed shelter for African American women, will open as soon as possible.

I continue to meet with and ask our city, county and state partners to ensure that the process for shelter placements includes those living in the parks.

Superintendent Al Bangoura