Minnesota’s Eviction Moratorium Off Ramp May Be Stuck in Neutral

(KNSI) – The creation of an eviction moratorium off ramp at the Capitol seems to be stuck in neutral for now.

Representative Michael Howard is the vice chair of Housing Finance and Policy. He says a plan needs to be in place to help make a smooth path for those needing to resolve issues with unpaid rent and the landlords that are owed.

“If we have a wave of evictions, those landlords will not be able to access those resources. The law passed in Congress specifically says that renters need to stay housed for landlords to be able to access those resources.”

In a press conference, Howard added that “COVID-19 was an unprescedented health crisis, but unless we take action, we are going to have an unprescedented housing crisis” and stressed the urgency of creating the off-ramp.

He contends that the state has the money to create the roadmap to transition off the current residential eviction moratorium, which would ensure renters have enough time to access federal funding for rental assistance when the COVID-19 related peacetime emergency ends and provide clarity to the process. He says the off-ramp will also help people stay in their homes so the fallout from the pandemic doesn’t haunt them as they may need to rent somewhere else later.

Both Democrats and Republicans agree on many elements of the off-ramp, but kinks still need to be worked out. A legislative solution to the eviction moratorium would allow Governor Tim Walz’s executive order to be lifted and replaced with an orderly conclusion to the eviction moratorium over several months.

For those who have experienced hardship due to the pandemic and need assistance to pay rent or utility bills, they may be eligible for COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance. More information can be found by clicking here.

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