Minneapolis homeless encampment (Isle: apartments, rent, condos)

[Cruz Azul Guy]

I’m surprised this hasn’t been brought up yet. We drove past it yesterday and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen in Minnesota. It’s strange that it happens now as the economy is allegedly strong, unemployment is low and the minimum wage was just recently increased in the city. It really makes you wonder if things are really that great. And yeah, it’s fair to say that alot of it has to do with drug addiction and mental illness...but those are two issues that our society faces that are currently being ignored....and this seems to be the result. It’s pretty fascinating to me....and just down the road from this encampment there are multi-million dollar condos in Uptown and Downtown and multi-million dollar homes around Lake of the Isles.

[Lodestar]

It does raise some questions.

Minnesota is actually one of the few states that is holding its own in the mid-range of care for mentally ill people according to national statistics. It rates a "C" with no states rating an "A."

We were also the birthplace of hospitalized treatment for chemically dependent people beginning with veterans at Wilmar State Hospital. The state does a heroic job of offering and administering treatment compared to many other states.

Our State governing body is fairly well educated about these issues.

I can think of several reasons why we are seeing this gathering of homeless. First, remember that mental illness and chemical dependency are not exclusive to the poor but do create poverty and other problems wherever they exist.

Because Minnesota has such a good reputation in assisting, many people from other states come here for help and if they are unsuccessful (or successful) they sometimes end up being permanent or temporary residents. And, of course, Minnesota residents are not immune either.

Depression and chemical dependency have reached epidemic proportions in the United States in the last few years. What you see is a reflection of the problem. I'd suggest it has more to do with a change in social attitudes and the nature of the illnesses, themselves, than economic reasons. The one leads to the other.

[Meemur]

Originally Posted by Lodestar

Because Minnesota has such a good reputation in assisting, many people from other states come here for help and if they are unsuccessful (or successful) they sometimes end up being permanent or temporary residents.

I'm wondering how many are Iowa and Illinois residents who can't get any help at home.

[bfrabel]

People are there because it's the trendy spot to be and because it's the place to be if you like free stuff. There are several organizations dropping off donations of different kinds every day and there are rumors going around that the city is working on coming up with some type of better free housing for them.

It's been written that many of them aren't even homeless. They are just there for the party and the free stuff.

Very few of them actually have no other place to go.

In my opinion it's an embarrassment that Minneapolis has not only been putting up with this, but actually appears to be encouraging it.

[ArcLyte]

Originally Posted by Cruz Azul Guy

I’m surprised this hasn’t been brought up yet. We drove past it yesterday and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen in Minnesota. It’s strange that it happens now as the economy is allegedly strong, unemployment is low and the minimum wage was just recently increased in the city. It really makes you wonder if things are really that great. And yeah, it’s fair to say that alot of it has to do with drug addiction and mental illness...but those are two issues that our society faces that are currently being ignored....and this seems to be the result. It’s pretty fascinating to me....and just down the road from this encampment there are multi-million dollar condos in Uptown and Downtown and multi-million dollar homes around Lake of the Isles.

Yeah, the first time I drove past it, there was only one line of tents. Now there are dozens and they have a wall of port-a-poties. I haven't seen or read any case studies about a city that has solved this problem (yet). Minneapolis seems to be encouraging it by offering to house these residents. It's interesting to me that the city wants to become involved in housing, as government-sponsored housing typically doesn't end well for anyone. While the intentions may be good, the implementation details are often missed, resulting in long-term impacts (e.g. subsidized housing that further increases the tax base on all residents, among other things). Let's not forget the fact that a dependency is being created. On the other hand, there are cities which are trying to address affordable housing, but the affordability really becomes a lottery. The New York Times wrote a thought-provoking piece about San Fransisco a few months back: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/14/u...g-lottery.html

To your point " It really makes you wonder if things are really that great.". I don't think that the homeless encampment is really representative of our economy. As others have pointed out, there are freebies being handed out in the camp on a daily basis. Food, toiletries, clean needles to support drug usage (the alternative would be to further spread disease by not supplying clean needles), etc. Let's not conflate the issue of homelessness with the people living in million dollar homes. I would venture to state that the folks living in those condos/apartments (and/or building new stuff) are employed and/or have skills which can be utilized to further enhance their lifestyles.

This is a complex issue that won't get resolved anytime soon. There are two extreme opposite points which can be argued (and many polarities fall somewhere in between): (1) pay for everything for the homeless (e.g. provide free housing, food, money, etc.) or (2) pay for nothing. The only sensible way to accomplish option 1 is to increase the tax base (property, sales, county/state), while also incorporating smart investments that have long-term future yields. These options would fully support (1), but at a great cost to working-class citizens. Option 2, doesn't initially impact the larger base (tax paying citizens/homeowners/landlords), but it may result in increased crime and other demonstrations which will snarl the larger community. The impacts of option 2 likely won't be felt until the far-future planning horizon. It's an interesting conundrum.

[Citykid3785]

Originally Posted by bfrabel

People are there because it's the trendy spot to be and because it's the place to be if you like free stuff. There are several organizations dropping off donations of different kinds every day and there are rumors going around that the city is working on coming up with some type of better free housing for them.

It's been written that many of them aren't even homeless. They are just there for the party and the free stuff.

Very few of them actually have no other place to go.

In my opinion it's an embarrassment that Minneapolis has not only been putting up with this, but actually appears to be encouraging it.

Thank you for saying this, I couldn't agree more.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Originally Posted by Citykid3785

Thank you for saying this, I couldn't agree more.

Seems odd that somebody would be thrilled about living outside in a tent, especially now that the temperature is dropping below 20 degrees. I’m sure for most of the folks out there if they had the financial means to own a home or pay rent for an apartment they would gladly do it.

For me it isn’t difficult to imagine the desire to live in a homeless encampment vs. by myself under a bridge. Both options seem pretty terrible overall.

[treemoni]

Originally Posted by Cruz Azul Guy

I’m surprised this hasn’t been brought up yet. We drove past it yesterday and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen in Minnesota. It’s strange that it happens now as the economy is allegedly strong, unemployment is low and the minimum wage was just recently increased in the city. It really makes you wonder if things are really that great.

No, things are not great. I saw someone post that on social media and I was when they said it was Minneapolis! I was thinking, "How the heck did I miss this?!" It's very sad. Normally that stuff doesn't catch my attention because there is homelessness everywhere, but I didn't expect to see anything like that in the Twin Cities.

[treemoni]

Originally Posted by bfrabel

People are there because it's the trendy spot to be and because it's the place to be if you like free stuff. There are several organizations dropping off donations of different kinds every day and there are rumors going around that the city is working on coming up with some type of better free housing for them.

It's been written that many of them aren't even homeless. They are just there for the party and the free stuff.

Very few of them actually have no other place to go.

In my opinion it's an embarrassment that Minneapolis has not only been putting up with this, but actually appears to be encouraging it.

Who in their right mind would give up living in a warm apartment or house just to get free "stuff" from strangers? At the very least, such a person has mental issues. I think you all may be in denial about how great your city is...

Originally Posted by Cruz Azul Guy

For me it isn’t difficult to imagine the desire to live in a homeless encampment vs. by myself under a bridge. Both options seem pretty terrible overall.

Exactly. There were times I was terrified at night when I lived in the Twin Cities. There was no sense of community, and I felt completely alone as a single woman. Like nobody would even notice if I came up missing. And I had lived alone before. I am glad they created their own community. I hope they stay safe this winter.

[MnMomma]

I don't believe that anyone that has stable housing is there for the free stuff. It did start with a few people and grew as the community responded by bringing tents, food, toilets, etc.--but those newer arrivals were likely other people experiencing homelessness that relocated to the encampment to benefit from the influx of resources. So instead of invisible individuals or small groups, it has become a large group that makes everyone take notice.

There is no easy answer--mental health and chemical dependency are complex issues that need to be solved on an individual basis. There are a few nonprofits working with people at the encampment. I wish people would stop doing clothing/food/blanket/tent drives and donate to those nonprofits instead--let the pros figure out how to meet the needs.