Almost a year after it formed, a major homeless encampment in St. Paul has remained relatively clean and calm, with dumpsters to keep trash in check, portable toilets for residents and frequent visits from outreach workers who try to connect camp residents to services.

Just below Fish Hatchery Road, set in the woods not far from the Mississippi River, more than 80 people have been living in the encampment for nearly a year.

The camp is isolated, separated by a highway from the nearest homes. Wide lanes between tents are largely clear of debris. During recent visits, few residents were outside of their tents. The area smells of wood smoke, not the chemical smell of burning plastic. The camp is typically quiet, though a nearby office of the state Department of Natural Resources saw a spate of thefts earlier this year.

Though the encampment has been growing over the last year, St. Paul’s focus has not been on clearing it. “We’re able to do encampment management without conflict,” said David Hoban, deputy director of the St. Paul’s Department of Safety and Inspections.

Minneapolis had considered taking a page from St. Paul‘s approach to managing encampments, with the City Council voting this month to provide toilets and dumpsters, but Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed the measure on the grounds that some provisions encouraged encampments to form.