Hmong-Americans and Homelessness: A Visit to Pig’s Eye Park, St. Paul

The Fish Hatchery encampment, located near Pig’s Eye Park east of downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, has emerged as a significant site for the city’s unhoused population, with a notable portion of its residents being Hmong-Americans.

The encampment’s size and demographics have become points of contention between city officials and outside reports. While some reports, including those from KSTP-TV, indicated that volunteers at the site estimated as many as 350 people regularly resided there, city officials have disputed those figures.

Angie Wiese, the Director of Saint Paul’s Department of Safety and Inspections, stated that the higher estimates were inaccurate, noting that the city does not have that many people living outside in the entirety of Saint Paul.

That number is wildly inflated. We don’t even have that many folks living outside in Saint Paul in all of Saint Paul. So at the Fish Hatchery encampment, which is what we call this space, we have about 80 residents there.

Angie Wiese, Director of Saint Paul’s Department of Safety and Inspections

Winter Conditions and Support Services

Residents of the Fish Hatchery encampment have faced severe weather conditions, including the first subzero temperatures of the winter season in December 2025. The location of the camp is described as being far removed from many established homeless support services and organizations.

To address these gaps, volunteers from the city’s Homelessness Assistance Response Team (HART) and members of the Familiar Faces program have regularly visited the site to provide essential supplies and support to the residents.

City Enforcement and Shelter Capacity

The growth of the Fish Hatchery site has occurred alongside reported capacity issues at several Saint Paul shelters, leaving more individuals to seek refuge in outdoor encampments.

The city has maintained a policy of clearing specific sites. On January 16, 2025, city workers, HART, and the Familiar Faces program cleared a homeless encampment near the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, transporting abandoned belongings and propane tanks used for warmth.

Further enforcement actions have targeted other sites in the city. Reports indicate that Saint Paul’s second-largest homeless encampment was given a nine-day deadline to move, and other encampments have faced expulsion notices.