City, MnDOT Officials Clear Out St. Paul Homeless Camp

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- City officials in St. Paul cleared out a homeless camp Thursday morning, located at the bottom of Cathedral Hill along Interstate 35E.

MnDOT and St. Paul police started to clear the camp around 10 a.m. Thursday. Some of the people who live there are moving to the Minneapolis encampment.

MnDOT's Kevin Gutknecht says in working with city and county officials, they decided the health and safety of people in the encampment is priority. He says cold temperatures are forcing them to act now to clear the camp. Fires are a big concern.

Homeless advocates are trying to help others find somewhere to go. City officials say they have worked for months to plug people there into resources, and will continue to work with those remaining to find them housing.

St. Paul officials say it's just not safe to let people keep living there.

Homeless advocate Stephanie Stuart told WCCO that, despite what officials say, housing for the homeless is limited.