Minneapolis officials allow homeless to camp in parks

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board passed a resolution Wednesday that will allow people experiencing homelessness to reside in the city's parks after Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz declared a peacetime emergency.

Residents have shared photos of a growing homeless encampment in Minneapolis' Powderhorn Park on social media after the owner of an abandoned Sheraton Hotel evicted 200-300 people who were living there in a makeshift shelter, raising concerns about public health and safety amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"Last week, the Midtown Sheraton Hotel evicted 200 to 300 people who had been experiencing homelessness and had been staying at the hotel," MPRB Superintendant Alfred Bangoura said in a Wednesday statement. "Thursday night, I learned that people who were experiencing homelessness were setting up tents in Powderhorn Park."

Since Friday, June 12, the encampment has grown from 25 tents to 180, he said.

The MPRB pointed to the virus as one of the reasons the city is facing a recent increase in homelessness, according to the resolution, and said opening public areas while continuing to work with city officials, nonprofits and organizations that offer shelter will help address the issue.

Officials are also calling for more funding to help provide necessities for those living in the city's parks.

Bangoura initially sent notices to those at the camp saying he hoped to find a shelter solution within 72 hours so that the camp could be dismantled, but he later realized that was "not enough time."

The MPRB has since opened parks to those experiencing homelessness and installed about 20 portable restrooms at Powderhorn, another standalone bathroom, a mobile shower trailer and 30 trash cans.

But park staff are not equipped to provide the "level of physical care required of encampments and associated facilities is beyond the capacity of park staff," Bangoura said in his statement. "Special circumstances related to COVID-19 suggest that extraordinary maintenance may be required for some facilities."

Some residents are using social media to share volunteer opportunities; many are donating food and water, as well as medical supplies and services.

The new resolution prevents officials from removing homeless encampments in public parks under specific guidelines, including efforts to monitor health conditions at encampments and make changes as needed to ensure the safety of the public.

"I believe everyone experiencing unsheltered homelessness is vulnerable and deserving of being treated with dignity and respect," Bangoura said.

Minneapolis has been rocked by weeks of peaceful and violent protests -- some of which took place in Powderhorn Park -- after George Floyd, a black city resident, died on May 25 after a white officer kneeled on his neck for eight minutes.