>> CATHY: THIS WEEK THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS BEGAN CLEARING CAMP NENOOKAASI, A HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT IN SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS.

THIS PAST WEDNESDAY, A U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE DECLINED TO STOP THE EVICTION AFTER TWO RESIDENTS OF THE CAMP FILED A FEDERAL LAWSUIT AGAINST MAYOR JACOB FREY.

HERE WITH US NOW IS HOUSING REPORTER KATELYN VUE FROM THE SAHAN JOURNAL.

WELCOME BACK.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> Cathy: THE LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE, THERE WAS THIS KENNEDY LINE.

THE DEADLINE WAS -- DEADLINE.

THE DEADLINE WAS A MOVING TARGET, IN A SENSE.

AND THERE WAS THIS LEGAL PUSHBACK.

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE LEGAL ARGUMENTS THAT THE RESIDENTS WERE USING?

>> SO THEIR MAIN ARGUMENT WAS THAT IT WAS A DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.

FOLKS THAT LIVE AT THE CAMP LIVED THERE FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW, SO THEY CLAIM THAT AREA AS, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEIR BELONGINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE, SO CLEARING THAT ACTUALLY WAS A VIOLATION OF THEIR FOURTH AND 14TH AMENDMENT.

SO, THAT WAS SORT OF WHAT THEY WERE PUSHING FOR WAS THAT THEY WANTED HE JUDGE TO TEMPORARILY PAUSE THIS WHILE THEY RESOLVED THOSE ISSUES.

>> Eric: WHY DID THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS GO AHEAD WITH TEARING DOWN THE ENCAMP.

>> YEAH, THAT'S BEEN SORT OF THE MESSAGE THAT THEY HAD WAS THE MAIN REASON WAS BECAUSE OF THE ONGOING PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS THERE.

>> Eric: YOU REPORTED ON THAT.

>> YEAH.

THAT WAS SORT OF THE CONSISTENT MESSAGE.

EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE PUSHING BACK THE DEADLINE, IT WAS STILL PRETTY, YOU KNOW, CONCRETE THAT THIS WAS A DECISION THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN FOR SURE.

>> Cathy: IT LOOKS LIKE THIS WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, THOUGH, IN THAT THE CITY WAS WORKING WITH THE ORGANIZERS VERSUS JUST BULLDOZING IT AS THEY'VE DONE IN THE PAST.

>> YEAH, THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING.

I WAS ACTUALLY AT THE CAMP YESTERDAY FROM 6:00 A.M. AND I SAW THAT GRADUALLY FOLKS WERE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, MOVING THINGS AROUND, MOVING THINGS TO THEIR NEXT OCATION.

AND HEN THE POLICE ARRIVED AT 11:00, THEY BASICALLY KIND OF STRUCK A NEGOTIATION THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE AS THEY NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO MOVE.

SO THERE WASN'T, YOU KNOW, PUSHBACK FROM CAMP ORGANIZERS ABOUT THAT.

>> Cathy: BUT WHAT WAS ODD, THOUGH, WAS THAT, YES, THESE FOLKS MOVED BUT ONLY THREE BLOCKS AWAY.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH SENSE THAT MAKES.

>> YEAH, THAT DID NOT MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.

I SAW IT MYSELF, FOLKS JUST MOVING THINGS THREE BLOCKS DOWN.

AND WHEN I WAS AT THE NEW SITE, WHICH IS EAST 26th AND 14th AVENUE, I COULD STILL SEE THE CAMP, LIKE, DOWN THE STREET, LIKE IT LOOKED LIKE IT JUST MOVED.

>> Eric: WHEN YOU TALKED TO OFFICIALS IN THE CITY, DO THEY DEFEND THIS AS SOME PERMANENT SOLUTION TO HOMELESSNESS OR IS THIS A STOP GAP OR THEY HAVE NO BETTER IDEAS?

WHAT'S THE POLICY GOING FORWARD FOR MINNEAPOLIS AND HOMELESS?

>> YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT THERE ISN'T ANY IDEAS.

IT'S THAT THERE'S SO MANY IDEAS ON HOW TO SOLVE THIS.

YESTERDAY AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE THAT THEY HAD AT THE CAMP BEFORE THE ACTUAL CLEANUP AND MOVING HAPPENED, THEY WANTED A CULTURAL HEALING CENTER.

AND THAT LAND THAT THE CAMP WAS AT, THAT'S ACTUALLY PLANNED FOR DEVELOPMENT ON CULTURAL WELLNESS AND ART CENTER.

SO THERE ARE IDEAS BUT I THINK THAT THE CITY IS SORT OF STRUGGLING WITH, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO SOLVE THE SOLUTION BUT THEN GETTING THAT PUSHBACK ON, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T HAVE ENCAMPMENTS STILL HAPPEN IN OUR CITY.

>> Cathy: SO WE NOW HAVE ANOTHER ENCAMPMENT, THOUGH.

SO WHAT ARE CITY OFFICIALS SAYING ABOUT THAT?

>> YEAH.

I MEAN, THE WHOLE POINT OF CLOSING THIS ENCAMPMENT WAS TO KIND OF RESOLVE THOSE ISSUES, BUT, YOU KNOW, SEEING THAT IT'S MOVED THREE BLOCKS DOWN, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUE, I THINK, STILL SEEMS THAT IT'S THERE.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY HAS A CLEAR ANSWER ON HOW THEY'RE PLANNING TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE BESIDES JUST DOING WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING.

>> Eric: AND IT'S A NEW COUNCIL, SO THEY'LL TAKE SOME TIME TO GET UP TO SPEED, I SUPPOSE.

>> EXACTLY.

I SAW A COUPLE -- I SAW, ACTUALLY, LIKE FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS THERE YESTERDAY.

AND THEY MET TODAY, I THINK, WITH THE RED LAKE NATION TRIBE AND CAMP ORGANIZERS AND SOME CITY OFFICIALS TO KIND OF BEGIN THAT PROCESS OF WORKING TOGETHER MORE.

>> Eric: APPRECIATE YOU BEING ON THE CASE FOR US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> Cathy: THANK YOU.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.