Sioux Falls council approves lease and fenced barrier at lot adjacent to Bishop Dudley House after weeks of debate

The Sioux Falls City Council voted 8-0 on March 4 to approve an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter a lease with Saint Joseph Catholic Housing Inc. for the parking lot north of the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House and to allow installation of a fenced barrier on that lot.

City planning and shelter staff framed the measure as a public-safety action tied to long-running problems at the site. "This part of the lease is really about public safety," said Jeff Beckhoff, Planning and Development Services, who summarized the city’s position and the housing investments the council has backed in recent years. Chief John Ting of the Sioux Falls Police Department said the fence would let officers "respond quicker rather than having to wait for an owner designee of the diocese" and that a physical barrier can deter the ease of congregating that has driven repeated emergency calls.

Why it matters: The lot has been the focus of repeated police, fire and EMS calls and public concern about assaults and disorder, while the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House and other service providers operate nearby. Supporters said the barrier is a narrowly targeted tool to reduce immediate safety problems at that location and to make it easier for outreach teams and law enforcement to intervene.

What city staff presented: Beckhoff and Michelle Treasure, the city’s Homelessness Services Coordinator, described ongoing outreach and shelter services coordinated with partner agencies. Treasure said the city maintains a street-outreach contract that provides 40 hours per week of outreach in the downtown corridor, and that outreach teams work in coordination with Southeastern Behavioral Health, the VA, Union Gospel Mission and other providers.

Chief Ting told the council that the lot is a longtime congregation point and "as the years and attempts have kind of gone through, even some enforcement efforts, the calls for service continue to rise. Last year, 2,700 calls for service ... were within the immediate vicinity of that," many involving "assaultive or destructive behavior." He said the fence is not a complete solution but an element of a broader approach that must include services and enforcement.

Public comment: More than two dozen residents, service providers and business owners addressed the council during an extended public-comment period. Speakers against the fence argued it would simply displace people to nearby neighborhoods, harm people already connected to services at Bishop Dudley, and divert money from long-term housing and supportive services. Physician Bob Santella urged expanded supportive housing, saying "the unhoused will just move congregate elsewhere across the street into the Whittier neighborhood" and urged investments in "long term housing with supportive services."

Bishop Dudley staff: "The fence is not going around the Bishop Dudley House," said Madeline Shields, Executive Director of Bishop Dudley Hospitality House. Shields described the shelter’s operations—"We have 100 beds for individuals ... our tracker was at 114"—and said the shelter takes people in during the day and has case managers, but that some people choose to remain outside. She described frequent trash and donations left on the lot, fights and illegal drug use she said occur on the site, and the operational burdens on shelter staff.

Costs and concerns: Multiple speakers referenced the proposed cost of the barrier as about $70,000 and opposed using city funds for the work; others suggested that the diocese or private donors should pay. Opponents repeatedly called for greater investment in Housing First and in longer-term supportive housing, citing models from other cities and research showing long-term cost savings from permanent housing plus services.

Council debate and rationale: Council members described the decision as difficult but said it was one element of a larger strategy. Supporters emphasized both short-term safety gains and the city’s parallel investments in housing and outreach. Councilor Sale, who moved approval, summarized recent local housing investments and said the fence addresses an immediate crime problem while continuing other housing initiatives. Several councilors said they expected the city to monitor outcomes and reassess if the measure does not reduce neighborhood calls for service.

Formal action: Motion by Councilor Sale, second by Councilor Spellerberg, to approve the ordinance authorizing a lease and fenced barrier for the lot adjacent to Bishop Dudley Hospitality House. Vote: 8-0 (Councilors Sigourney, Sale, Spellerberg, Thomason, Barranco, Bassey, Cole and McCouris voted yes). The item had been deferred from the Feb. 18 meeting.

What remains unresolved: Commenters and some council members said the fence will not solve chronic homelessness and urged more funding and policy changes for long-term supportive housing, day-use facilities, public restrooms, shade and other services. City staff said outreach and collaborative efforts with county and nonprofit partners will continue and that the city will monitor calls for service in the neighborhood.

Ending: The council’s approval allows the city and the diocese to proceed under the lease terms presented to the council; staff said they will continue coordinated outreach and enforcement efforts and report back on results. The debate underscored competing views among residents and service providers about whether to prioritize immediate public-safety measures or larger investments aimed at reducing homelessness over time.