St. Paul, MN - Today, House and Senate Housing Conferees have reached agreement on an eviction moratorium off-ramp that offers strong protections for renters and clear timelines for landlords to secure rental assistance.
Under the agreement, Governor Walz’s executive order on an eviction moratorium will be replaced by a stepped-down off-ramp that will conclude 105 days after enactment. Landlords will be required to send a notice to renters with outstanding rent 15 days prior to eviction. In addition, renters with an outstanding rental assistance claim cannot be evicted and will have that protection until June 1, 2022.
“A responsible off-ramp to our eviction moratorium is not only going to keep Minnesotans in their homes, but give renters and landlords the time they need to access the available resources to make their housing sustainable,” said Rep. Alice Hausman (DFL - St. Paul), chair of the House Housing Finance and Policy Committee. “This agreement allows us to move forward on this issue and craft a budget aimed at addressing Minnesota’s housing crisis in all its forms.”
“While Governor Walz’s eviction moratorium assuredly saved lives, our agreement to off-ramp the moratorium will save the livelihood of Minnesotans,” said State Representative Michael Howard (DFL - Richfield) vice chair of the House Housing Finance and Policy Committee and co-author of the legislation. “Minnesotans who have fallen behind on their rent during the pandemic through no fault of their own will have strong protections in law as we prevent evictions while ensuring rental assistance flows to landlords – a true win-win for Minnesotans.”
The 105-day off-ramp provides time for Minnesotans who owe back rent to secure rental assistance through 211 or renthelpmn.org, which will go directly to landlords. Rep. Hausman and Rep. Howard said the agreement represents strong legislation that offers protections and peace of mind to both renters and landlords.