
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:
Community members have expressed concerns about:
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.
Learn more about our approach and operational guidelines
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:
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:
We are focused on ensuring the health and safety of unsheltered individuals and community at large. The decision to close an encampment is based upon an objective review of encampment conditions. There are four factors that we consider before moving forward with a closure:
View a detailed overview of the Encampment closure process .
The City provides a comprehensive list of resources for people experiencing homelessness or financial hardship.
The Homeless Response Team supports private property owners in their management of the encampment on their property. We do this by assessing the site and offering resources and connecting unsheltered individuals to services.
If you believe an encampment is forming on your property, you can contact either
To curb trespassing, you can:
To report continued trespassing or criminal activity:
You are responsible for cleaning up trash on your property. If there are syringes, use appropriate protective gear and dispose of them safely.
To secure your property, you are strongly encouraged to hire private security to monitor the site.
Once the property is cleared, we encourage you to fence and secure it so that unsheltered individuals do not return.
Below is a list of fence contractors that operate in Minneapolis. You are welcome to contact them or any other fence contractor you may find.
Hansen Bros Fence
https://www.hansenbrosfence.com/
Security Fence & Construction
https://www.securityfenceminneapolis.com/
Fence Company Minneapolis
Fence Company Minneapolis on Facebook
St. Paul Fence Company
https://thesaintpaulfencecompany.com/
National Construction Rentals
https://www.rentnational.com/
If you need help with this information, please email 311, or call 311 or 612-673-3000.
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