St. Paul, MN - On Friday, January 28 at 9:00pm, RentHelpMN, the state’s emergency rental assistance program established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, will no longer accept applications due to a lack of federal funds.
Rep. Alice Hausman (DFL - Falcon Heights), chair of the House Housing Finance and Policy Committee, and Rep. Michael Howard (DFL - Richfield), vice chair of the committee, released the following statements calling for continued rental assistance:
“President Biden and Congressional Democrats stepped up and provided significant rental assistance for Minnesota families that has been available through RentHelpMN,” said Rep. Hausman. “This, combined with our eviction moratorium, has helped tens of thousands of Minnesotans keep their head above water and weather these economic storms. But let’s be clear - the storm is not over. With urgency, the Governor, House and Senate should work together to provide assistance to renters and do everything in our power to ensure stability for Minnesota landlords and renters.”
“We are still in a pandemic that is creating economic anxiety and uncertainty for so many, including essential workers who are putting their health on the line at the workplace,” said Rep. Howard. “We are deeply concerned that many Minnesotans who need rental assistance will be left behind by the abrupt closure of RentHelpMN. The need is still immense and will persist even if rental assistance dollars go away. If we don't take urgent action, the result could be an eviction crisis amidst a pandemic, something we have worked tirelessly to prevent for the last two years.”
Applications that have already been submitted will continue to be processed after Friday’s deadline. A renter with a pending application will continue to be protected from eviction for non-payment of rent. This protection is in place until June 1, 2022.
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