Mayor Frey considers legal action against encampment on private property
Minneapolis director of regulatory services Enrique Velázquez answers questions from the press outside an encampment near 28th Avenue and Lake Street in Minneapolis on Tuesday.
Ben Hovland | MPR News
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Audio transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING] NINA MOINI: It's our top story on Minnesota Now. Critics of the Minneapolis policies around encampments for unhoused people spoke out this morning. A property owner says allowing people to stay in tents on his private land should be allowed. Later this week, Mayor Jacob Frey is expected to brief the city council on possible legal action. MPR News reporter Cari Spencer was at a press conference with the property owner and joins me now from Minneapolis. Thanks for being here, Cari.
CARI SPENCER: Yeah, thanks for having me.
NINA MOINI: For starters, would you tell us a little bit about this encampment? Because it's on somebody's private property.
CARI SPENCER: Yeah. So this encampment is on the property owned by real estate developer Hamoudi Sabri. It's got a couple dozen tents set up between a charter school and his building. It's in the Longfellow neighborhood. He says about 50 to 60 people have been staying there, though that number fluctuates. And there hadn't been any sanitation stations or garbage cans there, though today, the city says that they reached an agreement with Sabri to help provide some on the property.
NINA MOINI: So why is this property owner allowing people to stay on his land?
CARI SPENCER: Well, he says the city's approach to homelessness isn't working, that the city moves people around in a way that forces people to lose their belongings and lose contact with resources. He says at least with everyone staying on his property, it can be more of a resource hub where people have been able to deliver food and outreach workers have been able to go. I was there yesterday and saw food delivery.
The city says that the Homeless Response Team has been at the site this summer offering people resources, and that this morning, there were three people who wanted shelter and took steps towards that, but the city didn't yet confirm if they were able to get it. And two people were able to get connected to Avivo Village.
NINA MOINI: OK. So Cari, tell us more about this news conference that you were at. What were the people saying there? They're not in favor of the city's approach.
CARI SPENCER: Mm-mm, no. So Sheila Delaney spoke. She's worked on homelessness issues with the city. She says she was once a supporter of Mayor Frey, but has grown disillusioned and frustrated with his response to homelessness. She accused him and the city of failing to follow Department of Health guidance at encampments on city property. And she said that it's hypocritical to be pursuing litigation against Sabri. She said the city should sue itself, if public health is the standard.
NINA MOINI: Hmm. And what are the city's concerns here?
CARI SPENCER: Yeah. Well, the city says it's a public health nuisance-- they've tracked needles, solid waste, and evidence of open fires. So far, they've cited Sabri with about $9,000 in fines. They also noted the school next door where many kids were out playing.
NINA MOINI: Sure. So the City of Minneapolis, the city council, is actually going to have a special meeting soon on this, I understand. What can you tell us about how they're feeling about this?
CARI SPENCER: Mm-hmm. So Frey called it for tomorrow morning. It's billed as a briefing on, quote, "potential litigation against Sabri and any other parties as necessary." It's expected to be a closed session. The notice lists properties in the 2700 block of Lake Street East, and in the 2900 block of 28th Avenue South.
NINA MOINI: OK. So housing for people who are homeless is an issue that Mayor Frey has recently addressed in his budget address. What's he proposing?
CARI SPENCER: Mm-hmm. Well, he's proposing to take just under $1.5 million in emergency housing vouchers and putting it toward a program called Stable Homes, Stable Schools, which helps families with young children. He also wants to spend $1 million for what he calls homelessness response, and millions towards affordable housing.
The council had put the emergency housing voucher program in the budget for this year, but it hasn't been implemented. The mayor's budget also cuts about $200,000 for the Homeless Response Team budget, and that would go towards things like hand-washing stations, portable toilets, and storage for people who are unsheltered.
NINA MOINI: So we'll see what happens as the city continues to tackle how best to approach homelessness in the city. Thanks for following the story for us, Cari.
CARI SPENCER: Yeah, thanks for having me.
NINA MOINI: That was MPR News reporter Cari Spencer.
CARI SPENCER: Yeah, thanks for having me.
NINA MOINI: For starters, would you tell us a little bit about this encampment? Because it's on somebody's private property.
CARI SPENCER: Yeah. So this encampment is on the property owned by real estate developer Hamoudi Sabri. It's got a couple dozen tents set up between a charter school and his building. It's in the Longfellow neighborhood. He says about 50 to 60 people have been staying there, though that number fluctuates. And there hadn't been any sanitation stations or garbage cans there, though today, the city says that they reached an agreement with Sabri to help provide some on the property.
NINA MOINI: So why is this property owner allowing people to stay on his land?
CARI SPENCER: Well, he says the city's approach to homelessness isn't working, that the city moves people around in a way that forces people to lose their belongings and lose contact with resources. He says at least with everyone staying on his property, it can be more of a resource hub where people have been able to deliver food and outreach workers have been able to go. I was there yesterday and saw food delivery.
The city says that the Homeless Response Team has been at the site this summer offering people resources, and that this morning, there were three people who wanted shelter and took steps towards that, but the city didn't yet confirm if they were able to get it. And two people were able to get connected to Avivo Village.
NINA MOINI: OK. So Cari, tell us more about this news conference that you were at. What were the people saying there? They're not in favor of the city's approach.
CARI SPENCER: Mm-mm, no. So Sheila Delaney spoke. She's worked on homelessness issues with the city. She says she was once a supporter of Mayor Frey, but has grown disillusioned and frustrated with his response to homelessness. She accused him and the city of failing to follow Department of Health guidance at encampments on city property. And she said that it's hypocritical to be pursuing litigation against Sabri. She said the city should sue itself, if public health is the standard.
NINA MOINI: Hmm. And what are the city's concerns here?
CARI SPENCER: Yeah. Well, the city says it's a public health nuisance-- they've tracked needles, solid waste, and evidence of open fires. So far, they've cited Sabri with about $9,000 in fines. They also noted the school next door where many kids were out playing.
NINA MOINI: Sure. So the City of Minneapolis, the city council, is actually going to have a special meeting soon on this, I understand. What can you tell us about how they're feeling about this?
CARI SPENCER: Mm-hmm. So Frey called it for tomorrow morning. It's billed as a briefing on, quote, "potential litigation against Sabri and any other parties as necessary." It's expected to be a closed session. The notice lists properties in the 2700 block of Lake Street East, and in the 2900 block of 28th Avenue South.
NINA MOINI: OK. So housing for people who are homeless is an issue that Mayor Frey has recently addressed in his budget address. What's he proposing?
CARI SPENCER: Mm-hmm. Well, he's proposing to take just under $1.5 million in emergency housing vouchers and putting it toward a program called Stable Homes, Stable Schools, which helps families with young children. He also wants to spend $1 million for what he calls homelessness response, and millions towards affordable housing.
The council had put the emergency housing voucher program in the budget for this year, but it hasn't been implemented. The mayor's budget also cuts about $200,000 for the Homeless Response Team budget, and that would go towards things like hand-washing stations, portable toilets, and storage for people who are unsheltered.
NINA MOINI: So we'll see what happens as the city continues to tackle how best to approach homelessness in the city. Thanks for following the story for us, Cari.
CARI SPENCER: Yeah, thanks for having me.
NINA MOINI: That was MPR News reporter Cari Spencer.
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