As Operation Metro Surge took over the Twin Cities, hundreds were forced to stay home out of concern for their safety. Individuals living from paycheck to paycheck now find their crucial income far more limited. This sparked conversations across the metro area on how to best support the community, specifically regarding housing and rent payments.
On March 11, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed an eviction notice extension that would require landlords to give tenants 60 days’ notice before filing for eviction, instead proposing allocating $1 million to city-funded rental assistance. The St. Paul city council is expected to review a similar pre-eviction notice ordinance soon.
The ordinance would extend notice requirements to 60 days from May 14 through Dec. 31, furthering the already planned increase from the statewide 14-day requirement to a 30-day requirement set for May. In February, the state increased funding in the Emergency Rental Assistance to $3.8 million, and possibly more to come from the state. Concerns have been raised over the long-term effectiveness of this ordinance and the harm it could cause local landlords. Ward 4 Councilmember Molly Coleman believes it can still be effective and intends to vote yes on this eviction extension ordinance.
“If renters’ financial situation won’t change in 60 days, then making this temporary change in Saint Paul doesn’t help much. Fortunately, we have strong reasons to believe that for many, their financial situation is likely to change given just a bit more time,” Coleman posted on March 15.
St. Paul Mayor Kaholy Her has not yet expressed her decision on the ordinance, should it pass through the city council.
“For me, it is weighing out both positions and also seeing how the council falls on this when the vote happens. That determines the outcome on how I will move forward,” Her said in a press conference on March 13.
Minneapolis and St. Paul come together as the Twin Cities; however, there have been differences in the specific impacts of Operation Metro Surge and housing issues.
“[The rent gap and lost income of foreign-born workers and small businesses in St. Paul are] larger than the equivalent estimates in Minneapolis, despite Minneapolis’s larger population — a reflection of the higher percentage of foreign-born residents in Saint Paul,” Coleman posted on March 15.
Supporters of this ordinance recognize this extension is not a long-term solution. Organizing Director of Hamline Midway Coalition (HMC) Justin Lewandowski views it as a short-term intervention for a long term issue that provides more time to create sustainable changes.
“We need large, deep investments to meet the scope of the crisis, so while the eviction extension gives us more time for boots on the ground right now, it also helps us amplify what resources are currently available and what are the larger systemic changes that need to happen for that long haul,” Lewandowski said.
During Operation Metro Surge, the Hamline-Midway community and the greater Twin Cities metro community have jumped into action with mutual aid and other fundraising efforts to support those most affected. However, it is difficult for this support to extend to rental assistance.
“Although there is a lot of mutual aid and lots of kickstarters and GoFundMes, I just don’t think there is a lot of mutual aid focused on renters’ assistance. It is easy to say we are going to gather money to buy diapers, that is not hard to do…but the idea of managing and collecting and then dispersing money is super hard, hard for us to figure it out,” English and Communications Professor and former HMC Board Member Mike Reynolds said.
The issue extends beyond simply being able to afford housing; many renters do not know their resources.
“The county has a lot of good resources for renters, but they don’t necessarily interface with the city or with legal assistance. And for renters, how do I find them? Because you have to go to seven different places to find different answers to the different resources that are available,” Reynolds said.
Lewandowski emphasized the importance of housing to one’s livelihood. An eviction on one’s record makes it difficult to get housing again. HMC is advocating to support those who need the extra time and assistance now.
“It is much, much, much harder for someone who loses their housing to find housing again. If we can prevent that in any single way we can, it means we are stabilizing an already horrifying moment for many households,” Lewandowski said.
