Rebuilding Saint Paul’s Homelessness Response in a Post-COVID Reality

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally altered the scale and visibility of homelessness in Saint Paul. Economic disruption, housing instability, and strained service systems pushed more residents into crisis, while encampments expanded rapidly in locations that had not previously experienced unsheltered homelessness. What began as a small number of tents grew, within months, into large sites housing dozens of people, often in unsafe conditions and amid rising community tension.