Minneapolis Park Board Approves Guidelines To Limit Homeless Encampments In Parks
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minneapolis Park Board on Friday approved guidelines that will limit the number of homeless people allowed to live in city parks.
Last month, the board gave the green light to let the homeless temporarily stay in parks. The biggest encampment in the Twin Cities is at Powderhorn Park in south Minneapolis -- where at one point hundreds of people lived.
Earlier in the week, the park board voted to only allow 25 tents per park in just 20 different parks.
The resolution was made, according to the board, in order to support the health and safety of those experiencing homelessness and to preserve access to the recreational features for park visitors.
"We need to address growing safety issues at certain sites, including the east side encampment at Powderhorn Park. Service agencies, volunteers, and homeless individuals have left the east side encampment out of concern for their safety," Superintendent Al Bangoura said. "The risks to those unsheltered and to residents have risen to an unacceptable level."
As of yet, the 20 parks that will be allowed to host up to 25 tents have yet to be determined. The park board said they aren't pre-selecting the 20 sites but instead allowing people applying for a temporary encampment permit to request the park they would like to stay in.
"The Board believes people experiencing homelessness need to be treated in a humane manner. Providing temporary use of park refuge sites for encampments during this COVID and housing crisis allows us to do our small part. We will continue to work shoulder to shoulder with our city, county and state partners who provide services, shelters and housing for the homeless population," Jono Cowgill, Board President, said.
The park board noted that through effort, there had already been a reduction from about 560 tents at Powderhorn Park a week ago to 270 tents Thursday afternoon.
"We all know that park encampments are not a safe, proper or dignified form of housing, but there have been limited options" Bangoura said. "We must continue to work collaboratively and collectively toward solutions, so that those living in park encampments have accommodations before cold weather arrives."
