Legislation Details

File #: SR 26-145    Version: 1
Type: Staff Report Status: Archived
In control: Public Safety Committee
Final action: 7/22/2026
Title: Mayor's Encampment Release Plan
Attachments: 1. 20260722_CC Public Safety Committee_vSHARE

Title

 

Mayor's Encampment Release Plan

Date NameDistrictOpinionCommentAction
7/21/2026 4:03 PMLily Eggers Against In two weeks, my friends will watch their homes get demolished. Many have previously lost everything, from IDs to relatives’ ashes, in past evictions. Many will lose everything again. Some will die in the coming years due to lack of reliable access to supplies like naloxone. But there is another way, one where the Mayor does not turn her back on her own neighbors. It starts by pausing sweeps and investing in basics: portable restrooms; running potable water; healthcare outreach. St Paul could invest in rehabbing old housing stock, building new shelters, and using strategies like Avivo’s indoor tiny homes. This would lower costs to first responders and address the housing crisis. Action to stop these sweeps will be remembered by many at the polls for years. Inaction will be remembered just as strongly. If these sweeps occur, I pledge to never again vote for Mayor Her or any Councilmember who doesn’t oppose the sweeps. I want to live in a St. Paul that does better by its own people.
7/21/2026 2:25 AMTristan Niedzielski Against I am entirely against the Mayor's plan, which would cause immense and lasting harm by closing encampments over evidence-backed responses to encampments that include community-directed resources such as access to bathrooms, harm reduction services, and sanitary services. No matter the care or intention of any plan that forces the closure of encampments, it will always be a violent response to houselessness rooted in the bigoted hate of unhoused people. Research continuously shows forced closures of encampments lead to increased overdoses, loss of critical possessions, reduced harm reduction practices, and other health, functioning, and longterm consequences. Please do genuine research into the effect of encampment closures and the very rational reasons people refuse shelters and other offered resources, instead of listening to politicians who only repeat inflicting the m***ive harm and constant failure to end cycles of houselessness by using state violence to again close encampments.