Local officials ask Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to halt rent, mortgage payments

Local officials from the Twin Cities, Duluth and greater Minnesota signed the letter.

April 15, 2020 at 11:07AM
On April 8, 2020, Gov. Tim Walz provided an update on the state's next steps to respond to COVID-19. He was joined by Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm.
On April 8, 2020, Gov. Tim Walz provided an update on the state’s next steps to respond to COVID-19. He was joined by Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm. (Colleen Kelly — Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

To prevent "mass displacement" of struggling families and business closures, a coalition of local elected officials have asked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to suspend rent and mortgage payments and halt commercial property evictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Twenty-three elected officials — including a majority of the City Council members in Minneapolis and St. Paul — signed off on the request, which was sent to the governor earlier this month.

"Debt is piling up for renters and mortgage-holders, despite many not having a steady income for the foreseeable future," the group wrote to the governor. "Mass displacement, home foreclosures, and the shuttering of businesses are imminent unless aggressive measures are taken immediately."

They wrote that they feared the pandemic would exacerbate the housing crisis and be "felt most acutely by immigrant, Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities."

"The recent temporary moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, and the expansion of unemployment insurance, are vital first steps in heading-off this looming financial devastation," they wrote. "However, we are still far from making families whole, and preventing evictions and foreclosures down the line when families cannot repay the debt they are accruing."

Walz issued an executive order last month halting residential evictions but noted that "Nothing in this Executive Order relieves a tenant's obligation to pay rent."

Walz spokesman Teddy Tschann said earlier this month that the governor has asked the Legislature for an increase to the Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program to help people cover rent and mortgage payments. But there's no deal yet.

"Although the moratorium did not change tenants' obligation to pay rent, this is a difficult time with potential financial implications for tenants, homeowners, and landlords," Tschann said.

Both Minneapolis and St. Paul are setting aside money for rental assistance but acknowledge the demand is likely to outpace the supply.

Minneapolis City Council Member Jeremiah Ellison, who helped organize the letter-writing effort, said he supports the rental assistance efforts but fears it won't be enough.

"I think the real question is at what point are state and local governments not going to have the money," Ellison said in an interview earlier this month.

He added later: "Some folks have no money coming in. It's not really a question of should the rent get paid or should the mortgage get paid. At some point, it's not going to get paid."

Staff writer Marissa Evans contributed to this story.

Liz Navratil • 612-673-4994

Minneapolis City Council member Jeremiah Ellison. ] GLEN STUBBE • glen.stubbe@startribune.com Wednesday, August 28, 2019 Renters and their advocacy groups squared off against landlords and their associations over two controversial proposed Minneapolis ordinances that would limit how tenant screenings including criminal backgrounds, eviction history and credit scores are used to determine worthy applicants.
Minneapolis City Council Member Jeremiah Ellison, shown in 2019. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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about the writer

Liz Navratil

Reporter

Liz Navratil covers communities in the western Twin Cities metro area. She previously covered Minneapolis City Hall as leaders responded to the coronavirus pandemic and George Floyd’s murder.

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