Minneapolis may sue landlord with homeless encampment on his property

The Minneapolis City Council will consider taking legal action against landlord Hamoudi Sabri, who has allowed a homeless encampment on his property in south Minneapolis despite demands from the city to clear it.

Mayor Jacob Frey called a special meeting of the council at 1 p.m. Wednesday for a closed-door briefing on potential litigation against Sabri.

The move comes after the city has issued Sabri citations with $5,000 in fines, declaring his property at 2716 E. Lake St. a public health nuisance.

If Sabri does not comply, the city plans to clean the encampment Tuesday at the property owner’s expense, said Scott Wasserman, spokesman with the city’s Office of Community Safety.

Dozens of homeless people this summer have turned the parking lot of Sabri’s vacant commercial building into a tent city, flouting Minneapolis’ anti-camping ordinance.

Meanwhile, Sabri has remained defiant, criticizing the city’s dismantling of encampments.

“It’s about getting the homeless in one place, helping them in one location,” he said, arguing against the dispersal tactics. “I want to change things around for them. Nobody is thinking of these people.”

He said the issue is that of private property rights. “They cannot take my land from me, so all they can do is bark,” he said.

On July 21, city Health Commissioner Damōn Chaplin cited Sabri, saying he was in violation of public health laws. The notice listed the presence of drug paraphernalia, improperly stored garbage, lack of water and sanitation facilities and unsafe structures, including tents.

Officials called on Sabri to address the issues by July 23. City crews arrived to begin clearing the site, but the landlord demanded they leave. After picking up trash, the workers left.

Several neighboring property owners have voiced concerns about the encampment, including safety risks and the lack of running water and trash pickup.

The city’s Homeless Response Team has visited the site every weekday since July 2 to assist residents with calling shelters and to offer other resources, Wasserman said.

If the city cleans the encampment on Tuesday, Wasserman said, crews would provide some medical care, transportation and housing services at that time.

Sabri said Sunday that he would maintain the encampment until the city approves a different solution to help the homeless population.

“I’m going to stand up for these guys as much as I can,” Sabri said of the residents staying on his property. “At the end of the day, it’s in God’s hands.”