Tent city

The St. Paul City Council is set to pass a resolution overhauling how the city handles homeless encampments, after the clearing of the Pig's Eye Regional Park site saw most of its roughly 140 residents relocate to a nearby area off Randolph Avenue and Shepard Road rather than find housing. The $11 million plan, backed by six of seven council members, calls for a 60-day notice and outreach period with an on-site navigation tent, followed by a temporary low-barrier shelter in a large indoor facility through winter, and eventually a permanent indoor "village" modeled on Minneapolis's Avivo Village. Mayor Kaohly Her has not said when remaining encampments, including Randolph Avenue, will be cleared, though officials expect action before winter. Funding sources remain unidentified.

Boyle Heights and Arts District residents are uniting to push Los Angeles officials to designate an anti-camping zone around Sixth Street PARC, the park under construction beneath the 6th Street Bridge that is slated to open next year. The Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council voted 13-1 to back a petition started by Arts District residents, joining the Arts District Little Tokyo Neighborhood Council and the downtown LA Residents Association in urging Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, Mayor Karen Bass, and city staff to establish the zone and a security plan.

Anti-camping zones, created under Los Angeles Municipal Code 41.18, prohibit sitting, lying, or sleeping in designated public areas and require council approval. Supporters note the city already approved a 41.18 zone for the bridge itself in 2024 and want it extended to the park below. Jurado said her office is reviewing the boundaries and called for broader dialogue on homelessness and safety. The push contrasts with recent moves elsewhere in LA, including Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez's repeal of 12 anti-camping zones in his district over concerns the ordinance hampers housing efforts.

Police in Milford, Connecticut, are investigating a series of alleged attacks targeting homeless people living at an encampment near a Lowe's on Old Gate Lane. Residents have reported rocks and fireworks being thrown at them, along with antisemitic graffiti, including swastikas, found at the site. The Beth-El Center, which serves the city's homeless population, said people at the encampment have been reporting the incidents since late September.

Milford Mayor Richard Smith said investigators have interviewed people from the encampment and identified two suspects. Police are treating the graffiti as a potential hate crime. The Beth-El Center condemned the attacks as intolerable and called for housing solutions for encampment residents as the long-term fix. The case has drawn attention to the vulnerability of unhoused communities to targeted violence and hate-motivated acts.