NEWS RELEASE
Rep. Hodan Hassan
Minnesota House of Representatives
District 62B – 651-296-0294 – rep.hodan.hassan@house.mn.gov
597 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Marlee Schlegel
651-296-9873 or marlee.schlegel@house.mn.gov
March 1, 2024
Statement from Rep. Hodan Hassan and Rep. Aisha Gomez on Fire at Camp Nenookaasi
SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Yesterday, an encampment of unhoused Minnesotans in South Minneapolis, known as Camp Nenookaasi, was destroyed when a fire began around noon and quickly spread across the camp. The camp, located on the 1100 block of East 28th Street near Abbott Northwestern Hospital, has been repeatedly cleared by the city without adequate housing plans for its inhabitants.
“While I’m incredibly thankful for the quick response by first responders and am glad nobody was seriously injured, this fire devastated dozens of lives, destroying what little belongings and resources the residents of the camp had,” said Rep. Hodan Hassan (DFL – Minneapolis), who represents South Minneapolis where the fire occurred. “Just last week, the city of Minneapolis cleared out this encampment yet again, citing concerns of safety for the camp’s residents. If the city was truly worried about their safety, they wouldn’t be kicking people out with nowhere to go. I call on the city of Minneapolis to find a solution that doesn’t involve imposing more suffering on our unhoused neighbors.”
“This underscores the dire circumstances our unhoused neighbors have been forced into through negligent policies at all levels of government. Our ability to provide resources and safety protocols that could have prevented this terrible situation has been hampered by the criminalization of homelessness and constant evictions and camp sweeps,” said Rep. Aisha Gomez (DFL – Minneapolis), who represents an adjacent House district. “I will continue to pursue policies and funding streams which house our neighbors and provide the resources they need to live safely. We must take collective action now to help our neighbors as they face a greater need than ever.”
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