Cross departmental and multi-agency effort

Through a collaborative cross-departmental and multi-agency effort, the City’s Homeless Response Team (HRT) addresses encampments by building relationships and sharing information that connects unsheltered individuals to resources, services, and shelter.

The City of Minneapolis and HRT are not direct service providers; our work continues to revolve around connecting unsheltered individuals to the services and resources provided by Hennepin County and community partners. 

Encampments can create health and safety risks for the people living there, as well as the surrounding community. The City must balance the needs of unsheltered individuals, community members, and business owners in its response. 

Health and safety concerns at encampments include: 

• Open drug use 
• Trash and odors 
• Infestation  
• Violent crime 
• Defecation in public spaces 

Community members have expressed concerns about: 

• Used needles left on the street and sidewalk 
• Water and electricity being siphoned from nearby properties 
• Property damage 
• People experiencing burglary, threats, assault, and theft 

Partners 

We work with our partners through our outreach and engagement efforts and referral of unsheltered individuals to services. We collaborate to address the needs of the individuals we engage with to be able to connect them to the right resources.

• American Indian Community Development Corporation (AICDC) 
• Avivo 
• Downtown Improvement District (DID) 
• Hennepin County Healthcare for the Homeless 
• Hennepin County Streets to Housing 
• The Link 
• Metro Transit Homeless Action Team (HAT) 
• Minneapolis Parks and Recreation

Learn more about our approach and operational guidelines  

Team Experience  

The Homelessness Response Team was formed in 2021 and brings decades of experience in social work, rapid re-housing, and working with unsheltered populations facing mental health and substance abuse issues. Daily engagement at encampment sites is a central part of their approach. Homeless Response Coordinators are in the field 5 days a week and regularly respond to calls and emails from community members. Homeless response coordinators bring real life experience and provide help that is: 

• Culturally considerate 
• Trauma informed 
• Equity focused 

Meeting People Where They’re At  

Homeless Response Coordinators work to understand the needs of the people living in encampments. The team recognizes that there is not a one-size-fits-all solution and to be effective they need to meet people where they’re at. We: 

• Coordinate with Hennepin County for housing assessments and/or case management  
• Connect individuals to service providers or their existing case worker
• Provide the opportunity for storage through the Downtown Improvement District 
• Connect to shelter services
• Provide medical attention with Healthcare for the Homeless
• Facilitate transportation to resources