Minneapolis developer Hamoudi Sabri has set up a private homeless encampment in his vacant building’s parking lot, defying city regulations. About 20 people are living there, and Sabri claims he did so to address the city’s ineffective dispersal tactics. He believes that by providing basic amenities like portable toilets and garbage pickup, he can help those struggling with mental illness and addiction.
However, city officials disagree, saying that no tent can be used as a dwelling anywhere in Minneapolis. When police tried to clear the encampment, most occupants fled into the surrounding neighborhood. Sabri intervened, recording an encounter with the officers and asking them to leave the campers alone. The police eventually departed without forcing everyone to pack up.
Source: https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-landlord-opens-homeless-camps-on-his-parking-lots-in-defiance-of-city/601419545