rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/petition/carter-stop-the-evictions?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-petition-area-carter-stop-the-evictions' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Mary Ryan https://actionnetwork.org/users/mara-novillo-2/profile https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/petitions/photos/000/232/067/normal/Screen_Shot_2020-12-28_at_8.14.43_PM.png If you have visited an encampment in St. Paul, you know about the incredible community, infrastructure, and stability our unhoused neighbors have created for themselves. Many encampment residents have recently found housing, and accredit the stability they experienced at encampments for their success—“I would not have found an apartment bouncing around from shelter to shelter.” According to the federal U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness: “The forced dispersal of people from encampment settings is not an appropriate solution or strategy, accomplishes nothing toward the goal of linking people to permanent housing opportunities, and can make it more difficult to provide such lasting solutions to people who have been sleeping and living in the encampment.” If we do not provide long-term, permanent indoor housing options at this time, we must at least allow unhoused people to maintain their stable residence outdoors. During a time when most Americans are one missed paycheck away from homelessness, the City of St. Paul is evicting people from encampments during inclement weather. Our city is forcing people into a dead-end shelter pipeline that they don’t want to go down, under the guise of some moral high ground. Tell the City to stop kicking our neighbors out of their homes. The city must interrogate their colonial idea that encampments are not “dignified housing”. For many, it’s the most dignified living arrangement they’ve had. If you live in Ward 4 or 6, you can thank your Councilmember for supporting the encampments, and urge them to get their Council colleagues on board. Reach out to city officials as a constituent with these demands: Convene an emergency St. Paul City Council meeting to address these issues Place a moratorium on enforcement of any illegal camping ordinance, to last the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic Halt the clearing and disposal of tents and other sheltering materials to ensure that unhoused people do not lose what may be their only present means to self-quarantine and practice social distancing Adhere to the existing statewide eviction moratorium Follow best practices outlined by the National Homelessness Law Center https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/carter-stop-the-evictions