With temperatures turning colder and dozens of homeless unable to find a bed, Ramsey County officials said Friday that they don’t want to use downtown St. Paul’s Union Depot as a temporary shelter again.
Many likely will camp out in the lobby of the sheriff’s department instead.
“Following the experience of last week, we have determined that we cannot create the expectation that Union Depot – with its unique combination of public and private uses – can serve as a suitable solution for overnight emergency sheltering,” county spokesman John Siqveland said in a statement.
As a quick fix, Sheriff Bob Fletcher said a couple local shelters agreed to take some extras in. And as for the rest, they’ll be transported to the lobby of the sheriff’s department for an overnight stay.
The National Weather Service said the temperature would drop to 15 below zero Friday night in St. Paul. Saturday and Sunday night are expected to be warmer, with lows just above zero.
For three nights last week, the county-owned Union Depot sheltered roughly 100 homeless people as temperatures sank into the double digits below zero, and the city’s primary shelters — Catholic Charities’ Higher Ground and the Union Gospel Mission — remained at capacity, as they have been for months.
Sheriff’s deputies bought breakfast from McDonald’s for the temporary residents.
“Please pass along the thanks from this board and how proud we are that we stepped up,” Ramsey County Board Chairman Jim McDonough said at this week’s board meeting.
But during the same meeting, commissioners joined the county manager in lamenting that the depot was hardly a permanent solution — and one speculated that it may actually be a hindrance.
“There are challenges to using Union Depot in that way. … It’s not a homeless shelter,” said county manager Ryan O’Connor. “It’s a Band-Aid.”
Commissioner Trista MatasCastillo, who visited the depot one night, said it was her understanding that many of the people there were those who rode Metro Transit light rail trains most nights, and “the only difference for them from every other night … was they were able to get off the train earlier and have access to restrooms.”
MatasCastillo went on to wonder if opening up the depot “could cause more harm. Because we threw them out of their routine, out of their comfort.”
Fletcher said being on the train was hardly a comfort — and noted the “routines” included standing out in the cold for 20 minutes at the end of the train lines.
“The biggest problem is they cannot sleep on the train because they’re fearful of being robbed. So they have to stay awake, and go through major sleep deprivation. Many of them thanked us for having somewhere to sleep,” Fletcher said.
As a last-minute fix, Fletcher said Catholic Charities agreed to put up an additional 35 people in the community room of their Higher Ground facility, and the county’s downtown “safe space” will take another 10 via a temporary variance.
But, Fletcher added, based on last week’s demand he’s expecting about 120 homeless people requiring shelter; thus the need to open his department’s lobby.
He said deputies will meet homeless people outside the depot after 10 p.m., and transport them.
Commissioners, like others in past months, spoke Tuesday of the need for multi-agency collaboration and more affordable housing as Twin Cities rents continue to rise.
In addition to the depot, the county has been running a 64-bed “safe space” at capacity downtown, and allocated additional funds to place dozens of homeless families in some pre-selected area hotels.
