When Minneapolis clears a homeless encampment, the surrounding area experiences a sharp uptick in drug overdoses for several days afterward, according to new research findings shared with Axios.
Why it matters: The University of Minnesota-backed study is one of the first to put hard numbers behind a common critique of encampment sweeps — that they might create public health risks rather than diminish them.
Friction points: Minneapolis and St. Paul officials contend drug use is only one risk they must weigh: People living in encampments are vulnerable to fires, human trafficking and sanitation issues, they say — plus the tension encampments cause with neighbors…