School, college and other closings for Monday

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

The City of Minneapolis will allocate $1 million in funds for emergency rental assistance, as families impacted by the ongoing federal immigration operation seek help paying bills.

After an hours-long discussion Thursday, the City Council voted to allocate the money from its cash reserves to Hennepin County, which has an emergency rent assistance fund that residents can apply for.

“This is one of the ways in which we can demonstrate to residents that the council hears them, cares about them, and is stepping up to do something to support them,” said Council member Robin Wonsley, one of the resolution’s authors.

Rental assistance hotlines in the state say 

 this year. Some callers say they’re not going to work because they’re afraid they’ll be detained by ICE if they leave the house. Others say a family breadwinner was detained, leaving them struggling to pay the bills. 

Council member Aisha Chughtai said lots of residents have been asking her where they can get help.

“I spoke to a mom who is disabled. Her husband is in detention. She's now suddenly become a single parent. She's behind on rent,” Chughtai said. “Every story is tragic. It is heartbreaking.”

Chughtai said she totaled up the amount of rent that residents told her they need just this week; it came to $76,000. 

Local organizers and aid groups have fundraised their own rent assistance money. But city council members said local government needs to step up and help people who still need funds.

Council members opposing the resolution said they wanted to get funding to constituents, but they were skeptical that the people who need the money would be able to get it. 

Council member LaTrisha Vetaw said she’s worried immigrant families who need the help might be hesitant to give their personal information to the county in an application for aid. 

“I just don't know that this is going to impact the people that we need it to impact, if they're going to access it, if they're going to be eligible,” Vetaw said. 

Other council members said they’re worried about overspending.

City officials at the council meeting said several departments are spending more than anticipated so far this year, as they respond to the federal immigration operation. Budget Director Jayne Discenza said the Minneapolis Police Department has spent $4.3 million in overtime associated with this response, putting the department’s spending projections over its budget. 

Council member Elizabeth Shaffer voted against allocating the money after hearing that budget rundown.

The council voted 9 to 4 to approve the funding transfer to Hennepin County. 

They took the vote after a failed attempt to allocate the $1 million from the city’s contingency fund. Eight council members voted in favor of that funding stream and five opposed; using money from the contingency fund requires a 10-vote majority. 

The council also voted down a motion to delay the decision until March, and another proposal from Council member Jamison Whiting to pull the money from an affordable housing fund instead of the city’s contingency fund. Those opposed said that money is needed for ongoing affordable housing work.

The council also passed a measure moving $500,000 in public safety funding to the city’s legal services for immigrants. And Council member Wonsley introduced a measure to increase the notice that landlords need to give residents before filing an eviction from 30 days to 60 days.

Politics and Government News

NewsPartners

Homepage

Shows

Minnesota Now with Nina Moini

Minnesota News

Minneapolis News

Estelle Timar-Wilcox

Author

Cari Spencer

The City of Minneapolis will allocate $1 million in funds for emergency rental assistance, as families impacted by the ongoing federal immigration operation seek help paying bills.


Minneapolis allocates additional $1 million for rental assistance

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox