FARGO — The city of Fargo is working on finalizing maps that will show where people can legally camp temporarily on public land, but some people who live outside the city say they want to stay wherever they want.
This comes as the city is close to a final vote on a public camping ban in the interest of public safety.
Over the past few days, WDAY News spoke to about half a dozen people who call the tents along the Red River home.
While some homeless people say they're desperate to find housing, one man said Tuesday he's happy where he is. The small group of people living in a camp near the Red River paint a picture of life outdoors — one that comes with a lot of hardship and a lot of hardship.
“The shelters are often overcrowded, so if we can't get in we have no choice but to take refuge on the streets,” said the man, who asked not to be named.
The need for and search for food is a daily task, and while local resources like the Downtown Engagement Center and Gladys Ray Shelter are helping fill some people's stomachs, there's only so much they can do.
That's why some people are trying to get by somehow.
“You can find some pretty nice clothes and miscellaneous items in the trash cans,” the man said.
Another man, who gave only his first name, David, told WDAY that he makes money selling scrap metal that he gets from several local businesses, and that he also owns a system to separate the copper from the insulation.
“This is copper No. 1, so it's $3 or so a pound. Here it's probably $15 or $20,” David said.
Life there isn't easy: WDAY News found numerous hypodermic needles on the ground near the encampment under the Centre Avenue Bridge, and many residents there say drug use is a daily occurrence.
David argues that this may be a hard truth for some to swallow – this is the life he wants to live, and he doesn't want to follow the rules the city sets out for him.
“I'm 48 years old. I probably have another 20 years to live. And I want to live those 20 years the way I want to live them,” David said. “I don't want to have to function and have a job just because you guys are forcing me to have a job or a house. I don't want any of that. I want what I want.”
The map has not yet been released to the public.
The City Commission is scheduled to take a final vote on the ordinance on Monday, Sept. 2.
Mike McGran has been a reporter and anchor for WDAY-TV since 2021.
