News from HJC
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HOUSING JUSTICE CENTER ANNOUNCES NEW LEADERSHIP
Anne Smetak and Shana Tomenes Named Co-Executive Directors (Saint Paul, MN) – The Housing Justice Center (HJC) is proud to announce a new leadership structure for the organization, naming Anne Smetak and Shana Tomenes as Co-Executive Directors. This new leadership…
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Legislative Session Wrapped: Big Wins for Housing Justice!
The 2023 Legislative Session has wrapped, and Minnesota renters have a lot to celebrate! Housing justice advocates pushed for the successful passage of many new tenant protections and new funding for rental assistance. HJC priorities that passed include: HOME Line…
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NEW REPORT: The USDA Section 515 Program and the Challenges of Preserving Affordable Housing in Greater Minnesota
Report Graphics by Kia Lee (Graphic Designer), USDA 515 Report, Center for Urban and Regional Affairs 2023 Read report In April 2023, new research was released on the USDA Section 515 Program and the challenges of preserving affordability in Greater…
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Ordinance 22-37 through a renter justice lens
Download HJC’s Ordinance 22-37 policy breakdown. In November of 2021, St. Paulites across race, income, and ward voted YES for a strong rent stabilization policy to Keep St. Paul Home for all. Now, Council President Amy Brendmoen and Councilmember Chris…
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Eight common questions regarding St. Paul’s rent stabilization ordinance
First, housing justice organizers collected over 9,000 signatures to get rent stabilization on the ballot. Then, over 30,000 St. Paul voters came together across race, class, and zip code and voted yes to Keep St. Paul Home for everyone this…
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RentHelpMN application portal closure leaves Minnesotans in need, communities of color disproportionately harmed
Minnesota Housing has announced, as of Tuesday January 25, that the deadline for applications to RentHelpMN is January 28, 2022, at 9:00 pm. RentHelpMN is closing due to lack of ongoing funds. We are concerned that RentHelpMN is closed to…
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MHP, ACER, and HJC co-convene Minnesota ERASE campaign
Photo credit to CNN Business. The Minnesota ERASE Campaign (End Rental Arrears and Stop Evictions) is an effort to ensure that the historic aid enacted by Congress reaches the lowest-income and most marginalized renters it is intended to help. We…
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Fixing a Hole: the Fritz defense revisited
Eliminating the unconstitutional “pay-to-defend” barrier in Minnesota eviction actions By James Poradek and Luke Grundman Published in Bench & Bar of Minnesota With state and federal moratoriums on evictions for nonpayment of rent coming to an end, it will be…
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HJC offers RentHelpMN assistance at Cedar Knolls
Over the last few months, HOME Line VISTA Tenant Organizer Teresa Garcia-Delcompare has been working in conjunction with Pueblos de Lucha y Esperanza and Housing Justice Center to organize in her manufactured home park community. This past weekend, she combined…
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Downside risk of immediate repeal of S.A.F.E. Housing Ordinance
Housing Justice Center provides this memo to summarize the significant downside risk of immediately repealing St. Paul’s S.A.F.E. Housing ordinance as a response to Judge Magnuson’s adverse preliminary injunction order in the Lamplighter case. View the complete memo below.