St. Paul encampment clearings add $1M for shelter, outreach groups brace for fallout
St. Paul will begin clearing homeless encampments in August, and the city and county have approved more than $1 million to add shelter beds ahead of the operations.[1]
Pig's Eye Park is scheduled to be the first encampment cleared on Aug. 5, with other camps closed on a rolling basis across the city.[1] Volunteers estimate more than 100 people live at the Pig's Eye Park camp at any given time.[2] Ramsey County data show about 300 people used night-by-night shelters in the last month, while the city estimates roughly 200 people live in the camps slated for clearing.[1] St. Paul Police and Fire report more than 800 calls for service to encampments since July of last year, a statistic city officials cite to defend the closures.[1]
In January 2025, St. Paul cleared a large encampment near the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary; many residents later relocated to the site near Pig's Eye Park. By December 2025 the Pig's Eye encampment swelled amid overcapacity shelters, and the city scheduled additional clearings while an internal task force began work in early 2026.
Long-time volunteers say Pig's Eye has semi-established living conditions - gardens, chickens, many pets - and that addiction and mental health problems mean simply displacing residents will create bigger challenges.[2] Assistant Mayor Cedrick Baker and Mayor Kaohly Her have said the closures are necessary to protect both encampment residents and the broader community and pointed to an internal task force working since early 2026.[2] Rising Waters Mutual Aid and other outreach groups say they will switch to pop-up stations and driving patrols because scattered residents will be harder to find.[1] The mayor's office says city and county outreach teams will continue following up with individuals after the clearings to keep them tied to housing and behavioral-health resources.[1]
The mainstream summary does not mention the significant increase in unsheltered individuals in Ramsey County, which rose from 300 in 2022 to 410 in 2024. This growing number highlights the urgency of the situation beyond the immediate encampment clearings, suggesting that the city's actions may not adequately address the underlying issue of homelessness in the area. Additionally, while the summary presents the encampment clearings as a necessary measure for public safety, it fails to acknowledge the critical perspectives from local residents and advocates who argue that these actions may exacerbate the challenges faced by vulnerable populations. Critics on social media have expressed concerns about the lack of coordination with on-the-ground organizations, emphasizing that simply displacing residents without comprehensive support could lead to greater instability and hardship for those affected.
Furthermore, the mainstream account does not touch on the broader implications of recent legal rulings, such as the June 2024 Supreme Court decision that facilitates municipal encampment clearances. This ruling may have influenced St. Paul's decision-making process, as cities across the U.S. are increasingly adopting similar policies under the guise of public health and safety, raising questions about the long-term effectiveness of such strategies in addressing homelessness. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for grasping the full context of the situation in St. Paul and its implications for other cities facing similar challenges.
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📊 Relevant Data
Ramsey County recorded 410 unsheltered individuals and 1,234 sheltered individuals experiencing homelessness on a single night in its 2024 Point-in-Time count, for a county total of 1,644.
Annual Point-in-Time Count — Ramsey County
Ramsey County's unsheltered count rose from 300 in 2022 to 368 in 2023 and 410 in 2024.
Annual Point-in-Time Count — Ramsey County
📌 Key Facts
- Volunteers estimate more than 100 people are currently staying at the Pig’s Eye Park encampment at any given time.
- Ramsey County data show about 300 people used night-by-night shelters in the last month, while the city estimates about 200 people currently live in the camps slated for clearing, highlighting the scale of demand on shelter capacity (Ramsey County data).
- The city and county are allocating more than $1 million to add new shelter beds in Ramsey County ahead of the encampment clearings.
- Pig’s Eye Park is scheduled to be the first encampment cleared on Aug. 5, with other camps closed on a rolling basis across St. Paul.
- St. Paul Police and Fire report more than 800 calls for service to encampments since July of last year, which city officials cite when defending the need for closures.
- Long-time volunteers say the encampment has semi‑established living conditions — gardens, chickens, many pets and a sense of community — even as they stress addiction and mental-health issues are the primary problems and that simply displacing residents will create bigger challenges.
- Rising Waters Mutual Aid and other outreach groups say they will shift to pop-up stations and driving patrols because scattered encampment residents will be harder to find and treat, while the mayor’s office says city and county outreach teams will continue follow-up to keep individuals connected to housing and behavioral-health resources.
- Assistant Mayor Cedrick Baker and Mayor Kaohly Her reiterated that the closures are necessary to protect both encampment residents and the broader community and pointed to an internal task force working on the issue since early 2026.
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- St. Paul Police and Fire report more than 800 calls for service to encampments since July of last year.
- City officials say Pig's Eye Park will be the first encampment cleared on Aug. 5, with other camps closed on a rolling basis across St. Paul.
- The city and county are allocating more than $1 million to add new shelter beds in Ramsey County ahead of the clearings.
- Ramsey County data show 300 people used night-by-night shelters in the last month, while the city estimates about 200 people currently live in the camps slated for clearing.
- Rising Waters Mutual Aid and other outreach groups say they will shift to pop-up stations and driving patrols because scattered encampment residents will be harder to find and treat.
- Mayor’s office says city and county outreach teams will continue following up with individuals after the clearings to keep them tied to housing and behavioral-health resources.
- Volunteers estimate more than 100 people are currently staying at the Pig’s Eye Park encampment at any given time.
- Multiple long‑time volunteers (Marie Fitch, Kelly Rashaw, Fred Rashaw) describe the primary issues in the encampment as addiction and mental health and argue that simply pushing people out without addressing those needs will create bigger problems.
- Volunteers describe semi‑established living conditions at Pig’s Eye, including gardens, chickens, many pets and a sense of community, underscoring the disruption the August closure will cause.
- Assistant Mayor Cedrick Baker and Mayor Kaohly Her reiterate in new, longer quotes that they see the closures as necessary to protect both encampment residents and the broader community and emphasize the internal task force’s work since early 2026.