On Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours before the city of St. Paul was scheduled to clear its largest homeless encampment in Pig’s Eye Regional Park, Ramone Scarborough was busy relocating his tents a short walk across the street to Warner Road.

Moving his belongings took him 30 trips in two days, he said. Like him, many other residents of the sizable tent community off Fish Hatchery Road have no plans to abandon their dwellings for a first-come, first-serve downtown shelter bed that may not be available the next night.

For a variety of reasons, they’ve clung tightly to communal living on the margins, and the best efforts of public officials and nonprofit providers have been unable to situate many residents elsewhere.

A self-described nomad, Scarborough was first dropped off at the encampment by police in April, who told him he could find a home there.

“You brought me here,” he said. “You said ‘you can stay here as long as you can, until you get right …’ Then they shut it down. First they get you here, then they come and put these signs up that say ‘You gotta go. And now we’re not gonna help y’all.'”

Ramone Scarborough moves his belongings from the Pigs Eye encampment to the side of Warner Road in St. Paul on Aug. 4, 2026. (Tyler Quattrin / Pioneer Press)

He said he plans to stay on the side of the road until someone offers to help him move his things.

Most Pig’s Eye residents said they planned to relocate to other encampments in the city. They worry the city will eventually close those as well, but know it will at least buy them time.

“(The Randolph Avenue camp) is going to grow by 100 people tonight, because that’s where everybody is moving,” said state Rep. Leigh Finke, after visiting the Pig’s Eye camp this week.

Less than one month to prepare

On July 8, citing a growing number of fires, fatal overdoses and reported sexual assaults, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her announced plans to close the city’s three largest homeless encampments on a rolling basis, beginning with Pig’s Eye.

That gave public sector partners like Ramsey County Social Services and nonprofits like Catholic Charities and the Union Gospel Mission less than a month before an Aug. 5 deadline to free up space in emergency shelters or find permanent supportive housing, which tend to be studio apartments connected to special services aimed at stabilizing the homeless.

Nicholas Sterry, a former resident of the Pigs Eye encampment, with his car at the encampment's entrance in St. Paul on Aug. 4, 2026, one day before the city's scheduled sweep to clear the area. He plans to use the vehicle to help move residents and their belongings to other encampments in the city. (Tyler Quattrin / Pioneer Press)

Several volunteers spent Tuesday morning helping residents pack their belongings and relocate. Among them was Nicholas Sterry, who has spent time in the Pig’s Eye encampment since November. Sterry was once unhoused himself. Now sober, he helps connect people with detox programs while also providing transportation for those who are not yet ready to seek treatment.

Sterry said there are benefits to encampments, including community and mutual support.

“With addiction, of course there are overdoses, but were it not for community, a lot of these people would possibly have died,” he said.

Many said they have accepted that Pig’s Eye will close, but hope the city reconsiders plans to clear two other encampments off Randolph Avenue and Maryland Avenue. Some worry the two sites will not have enough space to accommodate newcomers.

Some hope to stick together. Isaac Thomas lives at Pig’s Eye with his wife Samie Lund. He said he dreams of going back to school for a bachelor’s degree in music. His uncle, Michael “Pops” Ivory, a veteran, lives with them too. They hope not to be dispersed.

Signs opposing the city's planned sweep are posted on trees at the Pigs Eye encampment in St. Paul on Aug. 4, 2026. (Tyler Quattrin / Pioneer Press) Ramsey County hard-pressed to meet needs in a hurry

During their regular board meeting Tuesday morning, some Ramsey County Commissioners noted that an additional 30 days would have provided the county with time to secure additional shelter beds and case managers and better coordinate with other service providers.

The county issued a solicitation a week ago for $880,000 in new shelter beds, on top of 49 beds contracted from Catholic Charities at the downtown Higher Ground St. Paul facility with the city’s financial assistance. The additional beds have yet to be secured. The total price tag comes to some $2 million across three or four budget cycles.

County Commissioner Mai Chong Xiong met with state legislators and members of the mayor’s office on the encampments last week, she said.

“They only have the tool of enforcement. And so they are enforcing their ordinances there,” Xiong said at Tuesday’s meeting. “However, as a partner, I’m disappointed in that type of response when we have been doing the work and today, we’re moving millions (of dollars) into this as well. And I know that our state partners also care very deeply about this. So I would say I’m disappointed by that, that even just 30, 60, 90 days would actually reduce the harm too.”

The county has invested more than $1.1 million in emergency shelter and case management in preparation for the move, as well as $33,000 on outreach supplies. County officials also preliminarily estimate around $150,000 has gone toward county staff time on the effort. The city transferred the county roughly $1 million for beds.

County Manager Becker: ‘Drawn our line in the sand’ with city

County officials have organized fliers and to-go bags for encampment residents that include resource guides, the medication naloxone, electrolyte packets, granola bars and wipes.

Beginning this Thursday, the county will operate a temporary resource site from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 555 Cedar St., continuing to at least Aug. 20.

Some residents will receive temporary cell phones so they will be able to contact county staff or their case manager while they wait to get into treatment or housing. Still, there are gaps in shelter space for women and families, said County Manager Ling Becker at Tuesday’s meeting.

“While it was reactionary to spend those dollars around the mayor’s and the city’s decision, I do think it is something, for the next year, (and) having that extra capacity in our community will not do more harm, but actually hopefully do some good,” Becker said.

“I do think it was a good investment,” she added. “With that said, I’ve also been very clear in telling our team and the city that we’ve kind of drawn our line in the sand here and we’re not going to buy any more shelter beds on behalf of the city.”

Faith leaders ask for 60-day pause

On Tuesday, Justin Lewandowski, director of the food shelf and meal program Open Hands Midway, joined 93 leaders of the faith community in issuing an “interfaith call to pause and plan” — an open letter asking the mayor to pause the encampment closures for 60 days, allowing more time to coordinate beds and services.

“Ramsey County’s Coordinated Entry system already has thousands of people waiting for housing, while emergency and low-barrier shelter capacity remains severely limited,” reads the letter, which is signed by members of eight different faiths.

It goes on to say: “Pausing the closures would create the time and space needed to build a coordinated public-private plan — one that stabilizes people where they are, preserves trusted relationships, connects residents to shelter and housing, and shares responsibility across government … This is not only a policy decision. It is a moral one.”

A meeting on encampment closures involving the mayor and members of the city council, the city’s legislative representatives, county officials and others grew tense last Thursday as multiple public officials urged the mayor to pause the sweeps.

“I was asking for more time and asking her not to do it,” said Finke on Tuesday. “What’s going to happen tomorrow is wrong, and it’s bad policy, and we shouldn’t do it. I don’t like the idea that ‘it’s too late for people to change their minds.’ The city doesn’t have to do this.”

‘They’re back in survival mode’

The St. Paul City Council held its second public hearing on the encampment closures at noon on Tuesday, drawing a long line of attendees opposed to the closures.

Most city council members have expressed general concern that the three camps have grown too large and they note that nearby property owners have reported mounting incidents of theft and vandalism. Still, more than one council member also made their support for the closures conditional on having enough shelter beds and other resources available to absorb the dislocated residents.

Councilmember Molly Coleman released the following statement after the hearing Tuesday:

“…I do not believe we are prepared to responsibly close the encampments beginning tomorrow,” Coleman said. “It’s abundantly clear that we need to act with deep urgency to improve the situation of Saint Paul’s unsheltered residents, because the status quo is unacceptable. However, that urgency cannot justify policy decisions that unintentionally exacerbate, rather than mitigate, harm. When the experts in addressing homelessness tell us that more time is needed, it’s incumbent upon us to listen.”

Meanwhile, after spending nine months with Pig’s Eye residents, Sterry said he has noticed a dramatic shift since the city announced the planned sweeps.

“Now they’re back in survival mode,” he said. “I’m seeing a lot of anger… People who used to have good relationships here, that’s deteriorating.”