MINNEAPOLIS — After Minneapolis city workers cleared out a large homeless encampment in Near North, a group of activists set up camp on the steps of city hall, saying they'll stay there for "as long as it takes" to get results.
Advocates said they plan to hold a rally and supply drive on Monday at noon on behalf of those uprooted from the camp.
On Thursday morning, city crews forced those living in the encampment to gather their things and disburse.
In a statement to KARE 11 last week, a spokesperson for the city said the encampment, located at 205 Girard Avenue North has "long posed public safety and health challenges and been used as a storage area for stolen goods."
While that spokesperson said city crews gave camp residents time to collect their belongings before workers cleared the site, advocates say not having a place to stay can put those who were living there in a precarious position.
“Near North Encampment created stability and access to necessary social services for the residents. It is much easier to connect community members with long-term assistance, identity documents and medical care if they are able to stay in the same place and keep each other safe,” a spokesperson from the encampment tweeted in a press release on Thursday.
At a press conference Monday afternoon, the activists said the issue does not involve the number of overnight shelter beds because many of the encampment residents do not want to stay at a shelter. They are advocating for more permanent solutions.
A Minneapolis spokesperson said the city and county have reshaped the homelessness response system since the start of the pandemic by investing $200 million dollars.
That money went in part to funding street outreach teams and a new city homeless response coordinator team.
WATCH: Advocates for Minneapolis' homeless population speak outside city hall
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