12-2-2020 Superintendent Bangoura Encampment Remarks

President Cowgill and Commissioners,

There are currently 19 tents at Minnehaha Regional Park, 17 tents at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Park, and 17 tents at The Mall, for a total of 53 tents at these sites. These numbers have increased slightly from the last Board meeting on November 18, when there were 37 tents at these three sites.

We are concerned about the increased number of tents in parks and for the ongoing use of fires and propane at the encampments, which pose significant safety risks. Late last month, a fire erupted at The Mall which was caused by a propane heater. One individual from the encampment was transported to the hospital with injuries and their tent and belongings were destroyed. On Monday, a fire at a Saint Paul encampment destroyed several tents and an RV camper and one man was sent to the hospital with injuries. Just last night another fire from a propane heater occurred at The Mall encampment, damaging encampment belongings but fortunately no one was injured. In addition to injuries and damages to personal property, during the late November cold snap, there was damage to trees at The Mall and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr parks when tree branches were cut for firewood.

Park staff have continued almost daily outreach to people living in the three 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 and Tuesday, there were three beds for women and two for men available but residents at all three encampments declined the offers. Today, during a multi-agency meeting, Hennepin County informed the group that there are 175 Board and Lodge beds available at this current time. Since early October, Hennepin County’s Adult Shelter Connect has often been able to hold available beds for several hours so our outreach can offer them to people living in park encampments. It is extremely concerning that most offers over the last two months have been declined by those living in the parks. Due to the cold and the current demand for spaces, we were notified this morning by Hennepin County’s Adult Shelter Connect that they could not hold any beds for us the remainder of this week.

We will continue to work with our partners to get unsheltered people living in parks inside. Two additional shelters are scheduled to open by mid-December, including the 50-bed Strong Tower shelter the 50-bed Homeward Bound shelter for Native American adults, which had hoped to open December 1. The AVIVO Village of 100 separate indoor tiny homes plans to open the end of December.

As demand for available spaces increases, I am asking our city, county and state partners to ensure that the process for shelter placements includes those living in the parks.

 

Superintendent Al Bangoura