City council approves legal case over homeless encampment on private property.
The Minneapolis City Council has moved forward with legal action against a property owner who allowed a homeless encampment to remain on his land. The dispute centers on a parking lot near East Lake Street and 28th Street South, where tents and makeshift shelters have been set up for months. In a closed-door meeting, the council voted six to four to authorize a lawsuit after the property’s owner, Hamoudi Sabri, refused to clear the lot. Two council members were not present during the vote.
The city had already ordered Sabri to clean the property by late August. When he did not comply, crews were sent to remove debris, and the costs were billed to him. He has also been fined $9,000. Because current laws prevent the city from removing encampments on private property without the owner’s cooperation, officials say they have no choice but to seek a court order requiring him to act. The city attorney’s office is now preparing to file the case in state court and pursue a temporary restraining order.
Sabri has spoken out sharply against the council’s decision. He argues that allowing the encampment is an act of compassion for people who have nowhere else to go. He described the city’s move as “political theater at the expense of real solutions” and directed strong criticism at Mayor Jacob Frey. In a written statement, Sabri accused the mayor of staging the lawsuit for publicity during a difficult reelection campaign. He went on to call the approach “brutality and re-traumatization again and again.”
The property owner, who identifies as Palestinian, compared his personal experiences to the struggles of people living in the encampment. He said the vote only highlights the need for long-term solutions that treat unhoused residents with dignity instead of shuffling them from one block to another. “Minneapolis deserves better than political scapegoating,” he added, pledging to fight the lawsuit. Sabri also criticized city leadership more broadly, stating that “a new mayor is well overdue” and mocking Frey’s performance.
City officials counter that the encampment poses serious public health risks. Inspections this summer revealed a number of hazards, including drug paraphernalia, used needles, piles of garbage, lack of sanitation, makeshift structures, and open fires. Inspectors also reported the absence of clean water and sewage disposal. These conditions, according to the city, threaten both those living at the encampment and the surrounding neighborhood. The site is located close to homes and a school, raising concerns from nearby residents.
Mayor Frey issued his own statement praising the council’s action. He argued that leaving the encampment in place is not an act of compassion but neglect. “True compassion means safe shelter, basic sanitation, and healthy living conditions — none of which are present at this encampment,” Frey said. He emphasized that the decision provides the city with an additional tool to protect both unhoused residents and the broader community.
The debate reflects a larger issue that cities across the country face when dealing with encampments. Advocates argue that removing people without stable housing only deepens trauma, while officials point to unsafe and unsanitary conditions that affect entire neighborhoods. In Minneapolis, the clash has now turned into a legal fight between the city government and a property owner who refuses to comply.
The city attorney is expected to complete the necessary steps before the lawsuit is filed. If successful, the legal action could force Sabri to clear the encampment. For now, tensions remain high between a council focused on public safety concerns and a property owner calling for what he sees as a more humane approach. The outcome may not only decide the future of one encampment but also set the tone for how the city handles similar conflicts going forward.
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Minneapolis City Council approves lawsuit against property owner over homeless encampment
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