Advocates for the homeless call out Minneapolis councilmembers during chaotic meeting

A committee of the Minneapolis City Council got an earful Tuesday from the homeless community and advocates who insist the city’s policy of clearing encampments is inhumane, and that local government is not doing enough to provide basic, low-barrier housing for all.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A committee of the Minneapolis City Council got an earful Tuesday from the homeless community and advocates who insist the city’s policy of clearing encampments is inhumane, and that local government is not doing enough to provide basic, low-barrier housing for all.

"They took away our privacy. They took away our freedom. And they continuously shut down our camps," Damond Hobs, who said he had been unhoused for six years, told the chambers during the public comment period.

City leaders have maintained the encampments were cleared because of health and public safety concerns, insisting street response teams have provided shelter and service options to residents that are in fact, available.

Minneapolis Director of Housing Policy and Development Elfric Porte said he was at one of the recent encampment evictions and thought the conditions were unsafe and unsanitary.

"Every effort must be made to connect people to housing, shelter and services. Encampments represent a serious health and safety risk, particularly for those staying within the encampment and do not represent a dignified form of shelter," he said.

An activist took issue with Porte’s characterization.

Advocates speak out during Minneapolis City Council meeting. (FOX 9)

"How can you judge ‘undignified’ when you give nothing and destroy everyone's belongings," she said at a later point in the meeting.

The council passed a measure on homeless budget funding and ongoing cooperation with Hennepin County. The meeting ended chaotically as councilmembers Michael Rainville and Lisa Goodman left while encampment supporters and unhoused people were still talking, though councilmembers Jeremiah Ellison, Jason Chavez and Aisha Chughtai stayed behind to listen.

Porte told FOX 9 said that three of the unhoused people at the meeting took an offer for housing from a city-funded shelter, Avivo. In recent days, several encampment residents brought tents and personal belongings to the steps of City Hall in what is both the city’s latest encampment and occupation-style protest.

Homeless encampment set up at Minneapolis City Hall after clearings

After two large homeless encampments were cleared out by city workers in the past week-plus, advocates for the homeless set up a new encampment outside of Minneapolis City Hall.

Angelique Beaumaster was there to support her daughter Maria, who is unhoused, Beaumaster, who lives in Hopkins, said her daughter had been staying at the Near North encampment before it was cleared by the city last week.

"This is how it truly affected her and her children. Depression is real, you know what I mean? And it's hard to come out of," she said.

Following the hearing, there was further disruption outside the Minneapolis City Hall, as police cleared out an encampment set up on the city steps. In response to the sweep, those at the camp began throwing items onto the tracks for the nearby light-rail train. Metro Transit police ultimately moved through and cleared the tracks.