MPRB Statement in Response to Lawsuit Regarding Encampments

In response to the lawsuit filed in federal district court on Monday, October 19, against Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) related to encampments, the MPRB issued the following statement:

The Board of Commissioners, the Superintendent, and the staff of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) have been supporting unsheltered people in parks since spring 2020 as required by Governor Tim Walz’s executive orders related to COVID and people experiencing homelessness. Since mid-July, after the elected Park Board enacted Resolution 2020-267 the MPRB staff have been implementing those Board directives consistent with Governor Walz’s executive orders. The MPRB has been humane, lawful, and measured in its responses to temporary encampments in the parks. All actions and efforts have been shared publicly and have been available online at www.minneapolisparks.org/encampments.  Before any attempt to remove persons from an encampment, individuals experiencing homelessness in a park or those persons facilitating an encampment were given notice and offers of assistance to find proper and suitable shelter.  No person’s civil or human rights were violated.

The lawsuit filed today by the Minnesota ACLU, Legal Aid and Zacah makes numerous allegations, many of which are simply not true. This summer several park encampments were removed due to size; documented crime, health, and safety incidents; or location in a school safety zone. In all cases, notice to vacate was provided to those living in the encampments, significant social service outreach took place, and transportation was offered to shelter locations.  Since mid-July, park staff have communicated with and established permit and outreach processes for unsheltered people living in park encampments. Park outreach staff have been providing assistance in connecting unsheltered people with shelter spaces, which are currently available and have been routinely available since mid-July.

The MPRB has consistently acknowledged that parks do not provide dignified shelter. The MPRB has worked the last five months with state, county, city, and social service organizations to find safe shelter and for people experiencing homelessness in park encampments before cold weather settles in and to reduce the number of temporary encampments from over 40 to 10 today. Winter has now come to Minnesota and fires and propane are not allowed in Minneapolis parks.  Camping in parks now is simply not humane or safe. Three people have already died at homeless encampments in Minneapolis this year. The action by the plaintiffs in today’s lawsuit does absolutely nothing to ensure the safety of homeless people in the coming days when the first days of winter are upon us all.