St. Paul Council Approves New Encampment Plan
The plan requires a 60-day outreach period before most encampment closures and calls for a winter shelter and a permanent facility.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Soccer
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The St. Paul City Council approved a new approach to managing homeless encampments, including a 60-day outreach period before closure, except where closures pose an immediate public safety threat. About a dozen activists marched from Hamline Park to Allianz Field on Saturday in opposition to Mayor Kaohly Her's encampment closures.
Why it matters
The plan follows Mayor Kaohly Her's announced shutdown of three major encampments, beginning with Pig's Eye Park. City officials argue encampments are illegal, dangerous, and strain emergency resources, while opponents demand the encampments be left alone.
The plan's 60-day outreach window and six-month winter shelter are the city's stated timelines, while the Shepard Road and Randolph Avenue site holds more than 400 people with soil lead levels more than triple the safety threshold. The permanent shelter's construction timeline has not been set.
The players
Kaohly Her
Kaohly Her is the Mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, who announced plans to close several major homeless encampments and has said Ramsey County and state government must do more on long-term solutions.
Stop the Sweeps Coalition
The Stop the Sweeps Coalition is a community advocacy group that organized the march from Hamline Park to Allianz Field to oppose encampment closures.
The details
Mayor Her's shutdown plan began with the Pig's Eye Park encampment, whose residents moved to a site off Shepard Road and Randolph Avenue. The council's approach exempts closures posing an immediate public safety threat from the 60-day outreach requirement.
Timeline
Summer 2026: Mayor Her announced plans to shut down three major encampments, starting with Pig's Eye Park.
Early August 2026: The Pig's Eye Park encampment was shut down.
Late October 2026: The council passed its resolution, and Her's office issued a statement.
Winter 2026-27: A temporary indoor shelter is planned for six months.
Saturday, November 7, 2026: Activists marched from Hamline Park to Allianz Field.
Season Trajectory
The St. Paul plan adopts Minneapolis's Avivo Village model for a permanent shelter, extending a regional approach to encampments. Whether the city can carry out its winter and permanent shelter timelines will shape how encampment policy develops across the Twin Cities.
Residents of encampments slated for closure will receive a 60-day outreach window unless an immediate safety threat exists. Residents near the Shepard Road and Randolph Avenue site should expect continued changes as the city implements its winter shelter plan.
The takeaway
The council's approach pairs enforcement timelines with shelter development, so outreach periods and winter capacity will determine whether closures proceed smoothly. Readers tracking the issue should watch whether the permanent shelter moves from proposal to construction.
What happens next
The 60-day outreach period and the six-month winter indoor shelter are scheduled to take effect this winter, with the permanent shelter still to be developed.
Further reading
For more on local coverage, see Saint Paul Soccer news.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CBS News.
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Should St. Paul clear homeless encampments or invest in long-term housing instead?
