Homeless camp on Teal Street set to be removed Friday as first significant snow expected that day
- Mark Sabbatini
- Nov 11, 2025
- 3 min read
Help sought for people who’ve lived in tents for months, many of whom say they don’t know where they’ll go next
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
This story has been updated with additional information.
The arrival of winter weather also means the departure of a tent encampment on Teal Street as of Friday, according to a notice posted by the Juneau Police Department.
"Starting November 14th, 2025, all on street camping will be prohibited due to winter maintenance safety concerns," a notice posted at the front entrance of the Teal Street Center this week states. "Please have campites removed by 8 a.m. on 11/14/25."
A cleanup of any remaining campsites is planned that day, according to JPD.
Willie Gillen, a Juneau resident since 2011 who’s been living in one of the tents along the street since this summer, said he’s aware of the order to move, but doesn’t know of a place where he can relocate.
"I don't plan on moving, really," he said. "They’re just going to have to jail."
Gillen has been offered space at the Glory Hall shelter on Teal Street multiple times in recent months, Kaia Quinto, executive director of the facility, stated in a text message Tuesday. She stated that option will remain available to him if a room opens in the days ahead.
Clusters of tents have been along both sides of the street since the city’s cold-weather emergency shelter closed in mid-April. Police and other city officials removed some encampments during the first couple of months due to complaints from surrounding businesses and residents, but ultimately allowed the tents to remain for most of the summer and fall as long as they were on public land without blocking sidewalks.
However, the warming shelter reopened for its third season on Oct. 15 and City Manager Katie Koester stated at the time the encampment on Teal Street would be removed when winter weather arrived.
The long-term forecast for Juneau calls for snow and rain beginning Friday and lasting at least until Monday, according to the National Weather Service.
One hardship for people living in tents is the warming shelter is open from 9 p.m. to 6:45 a.m. most days, so people have no place to go — let alone anywhere for their belongings — during the daytime, said Eli Harris, who was able to move into a room at the Glory Hall a few months ago. But the Glory Hall’s bed space is limited and some campers said Tuesday they’re not allowed to enter the facility.
Some people are also not allowed into the cold weather shelter, said Dee Merculief, another person camping on Teal Street who said she doesn’t know where she’ll be staying Friday night.
"It’s not available to everybody," she said.
The facility enforces a code of conduct that can result in removal of residents. But St. Vincent de Paul Juneau officials who operate the shelter under contract for the city have said they seek to avoid long-term bans so people are forced to be outside in life-threatening conditions.
An online plea for help on behalf of the people camping on Teal Street was issued Monday afternoon by the Haa Tóoch Lichéesh Coalition, which stated on its Facebook page "our unhoused neighbors will need support via storage space, transportation of selves and items, and human-to-human care."
"If you are able to supply storage space or funds for storage space as some Juneauites move into warming shelters please stop by Teal Street and offer support," the post states. "Transportation would also be appreciated to assist relocation."
Muriel Reid, a storyteller for the community support coalition, said Tuesday his organization is contacting people and groups who are hopefully able to offer help, but is not coordinating an organized effort for the encampment.
"I personally am going there tomorrow evening to help out and give out some food, and hopefully help transport some things if people know where they want to go," he said. "But we aren't doing it as an organization. We're just putting this ask out there for people to do personally as they see fit."
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
