The Minneapolis City Council has voted to extend the required eviction notice timeline for renters.
Council members and advocates in favor of the resolution say it’ll help residents who have been struggling to pay rent during the surge of federal agents in Minnesota. Many residents say they’ve lost income because they’re afraid to go to work; others have seen a family breadwinner detained or deported.
The new policy requires landlords to give tenants 60 days’ notice before filing for eviction, instead of 30 days. The extension expires on July 31. It passed 7-5, with council member Jamison Whiting abstaining.
Thursday’s vote came after a lengthy public hearing earlier this week, when the council heard from more than 80 people about the idea. Many speakers said they’d dipped into their own savings to cover rent for their neighbors and asked the council to pass the ordinance to help.
The council allocated $1 million to rental assistance a month ago, amid concerns from some members about spending too much money in response to the immigration surge. At this week’s meeting, council members said they’re hoping more rental assistance money comes in from the state and other sources.
Council member Robin Wonsley said the eviction notice extension will help people stay housed while they wait for that potential funding.
“What [the] council does have control over is the ability to give our residents more time,” Wonsley said.
St. Paul’s city council is considering a similar extension, as concern spreads over the potential for widespread missed rent payments. Advocates have called on Governor Tim Walz to step in and declare an eviction moratorium, which he hasn’t said he supports.
Opponents of Minneapolis’ eviction notification extension say it could end up hurting residents. In public comments to the council, several affordable housing providers said it’ll put tenants in debt.
Council member Linea Palmisano cited that reason for voting against it.
“I appreciate the policy, but I cannot support it due to the unintended, long-term consequences,” Palmisano said. “It is not compassionate to get someone deeper into debt than they can climb out of.”
Landlords and affordable housing nonprofits said in letters to the council that lost rental income will end up hurting tenants, too, if owners can’t afford to make repairs and do maintenance.
Council members supporting the ordinance said they recognize the strain it could put on landlords – but said they would rather avoid putting that strain on the lowest-income renters.
“We are in a situation where we're deciding who should feel the pinch,” council member Soren Stevenson said. “People who are going to be out on the street, people who are going to have devastating eviction records — should they be the ones feeling the pinch? Or should those who have development directors, public relations directors — should those people feel the pinch?”
The policy now goes to Mayor Jacob Frey’s desk for a signature or veto. Several council members said in today’s meeting that they’re anticipating a veto; with Thursday’s votes, the council wouldn’t be able to override it.
Frey’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
