Ahead of bitter cold, advocates reach out to homeless
As the temperatures reach dangerously cold levels, advocates are reaching out to those experiencing homelessness.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minnesotans are preparing for bitter cold temperatures over the next few days, but for some having a place to stay inside is a luxury. In Hennepin County tonight, we expect that we will have around 1,400 people in homeless shelters, said David Hewitt, the director of the Hennepin County Office to End Homelessness.
Bitter cold in Minnesota creates dangerous situation for people facing homelessness
With extreme cold expected over the coming days, concerns are high for those staying in tent encampments in the Twin Cities and beyond.
Federal aid divides homeless in the Twin Cities
The Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis have faced an alarming rise in homelessness during the pandemic, but there’s nothing similar in how they’ve confronted the crisis.
By Howard Center for Investigative Journalism
ST. PAUL, Minnesota In two rooms in separate cities, people say their names. Around a circle of chairs and tables, they gather weekly to strategize leaving the streets behind. All have been homeless before or are living on the brink.
The conversation is more urgent, as a pandemic winter sets in. And frustration is building with public leaders who they feel have not done enough to help.
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St. Paul leaders said Tuesday they will dismantle eight homeless encampments and relocate residents to shelters starting next week, citing the risk of fires and exposure to the cold.
The St. Paul Fire Department this year has responded to 30 out-of-control fires at camps where propane cylinders and other flammable heat sources have caught fire and even exploded, igniting nylon tents, nearby trees and debris. Emergency crews have also been dispatched to 75 emergency medical calls at camps, including a homeless person staying under a bridge who died of exposure. It s a dangerous, dangerous situation, said St. Paul Fire Chief Butch Inks, explaining how one man suffered serious legs burns after his campsite caught fire.
In a Tumultuous Year, COVID Puts Homeless Crisis Front and Center
From summer to fall 2020, a homeless encampment was based near the Lake Harriet bandshell. We went inside the homeless encampment, where a cityâs growing housing crisis took on faces and names.
The Lake Harriet homeless encampment
The Lake Harriet homeless encampment, photographed in late September, is across the street from the Lake Harriet Bandshell and overlooks the lake.
Editorâs Note: Some of the homeless persons in this article agreed to speak with only limited attribution. Others are highly vulnerable individuals. As a result, the editors decided to identify all only by their first names.