Our Impact

1999: Founding Housing Preservation Project (HPP) is established, launching a long-term commitment to protecting affordable housing and defending tenant rights across Minnesota and beyond.

Early 2000s: Brooklyn Park’s Zane Avenue Corridor, once a hub for affordable housing, has long been a lifeline for low-income families and immigrants seeking suburban opportunities. For over a decade, the city pushed to demolish 900 units, citing crime, overcrowding, and poor conditions. However, Housing Preservation Project and its allies fought back, defeating a public referendum and negotiating a groundbreaking agreement to limit demolitions to 200 units, with all replaced by new affordable housing. This precedent-setting policy marked a hard-won victory.

Early 2000s: Prince Hall – The Housing Preservation Project (HPP) represented tenants in a lawsuit involving a Dallas property where owners illegally prepaid a federal mortgage, failed to maintain the building, and denied tenants proper Section 8 assistance. HPP’s litigation resulted in a settlement ensuring all eligible tenants received housing assistance and protected residents from displacement.

2000–2008 – Noah Preservation: As Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) properties faced increasing pressure from upscaling and redevelopment, HJC developed an innovative preservation strategy using Section 4d tax incentives. By helping cities extend tax benefits to NOAH owners in exchange for long-term affordability commitments, HJC helped preserve critical affordable housing and establish a lasting model for housing stability.

2008–2010: The Housing Preservation Project (HPP) successfully sued the USDA and owners of five Rural Development projects in Western Minnesota, known as the Cardinals Apartments, after tenants were illegally charged excessive rents. The case preserved 156 affordable apartments, secured compensation for tenants, and ensured the properties remained affordable through nonprofit ownership.

2009–2015: Working alongside the Texas Tenants Union, HPP challenged outdated utility allowances in Section 8 housing that caused renters to pay illegally high housing costs. The advocacy recovered nearly $200,000 for tenants and prompted HUD to require regular utility allowance updates nationwide, benefiting more than 200,000 households.

2013: HJC successfully led two lawsuits against HUD on behalf of Minnesota housing authorities, recovering more than $4 million in denied funding for affordable housing programs. The victories strengthened critical housing resources and reinforced accountability for federal housing obligations.

2014–2017: HJC led a landmark class action lawsuit against Crossroads at Penn after a developer displaced hundreds of tenants from a 700-unit affordable housing complex. The case resulted in a $650,000 settlement, reforms to discriminatory screening policies, and a major legal challenge to exclusionary housing practices in the Twin Cities.

2015: Housing Preservation Project (HPP) changes name to Housing Justice Center (HJC).

2017–2024: HJC played a major role defending Minneapolis’ Source of Income protections, which prohibit landlords from discriminating against renters using Section 8 vouchers. Through years of legal advocacy and amicus briefs, HJC helped secure a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling allowing the ordinance to stand and be enforced.

2018: In Hayes v. Harvey, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals upheld important tenant protections for low-income renters living in Section 8 housing. HJC co-authored a key amicus brief supporting the decision, helping preserve safeguards against displacement for tenants nationwide.

2019: HJC and the Housing Justice League helped pass sweeping Minneapolis tenant screening reforms, including limits on security deposits and restrictions on how landlords use eviction, credit, and criminal histories. The reforms expanded access to housing for thousands of renters.

2020: As the COVID-19 pandemic threatened housing stability, HJC supported eviction moratoriums, helped more than 400 households secure over $1 million in emergency rental assistance, and expanded outreach efforts across Greater Minnesota.

2020: HJC successfully advocated for a statewide ban on mid-lease rent increases in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties. Working alongside HOME Line and impacted tenants, HJC helped secure stronger protections for affordable housing residents across Minnesota.

2020–2021: Tenants at Pike Lake Apartments organized with HOME Line and HJC after facing unsafe renovations, asbestos exposure, and attempted evictions. Their legal victory resulted in a $250,000 class settlement, new construction safety protocols, and major housing policy changes in New Brighton.

2021: HJC helped lead the Keep St. Paul Home campaign, gathering more than 9,100 signatures and mobilizing citywide support for one of the strongest rent stabilization ordinances in the country, approved by more than 31,000 voters.

2021: Through the Renters Reclaim the Record program, HJC worked with renters denied housing due to eviction records, debt, and tenant screening barriers. The initiative secured eviction expungements, credit dispute victories, and broader policy advocacy challenging discriminatory screening systems.

2023: HJC became the anchor organization for the Stable Housing is the Priority (SHIP) Collaborative, a coalition focused on ending homelessness and advancing housing justice through community leadership and lived experience.

2023: HJC launched the Radical Belonging Project to center disabled renters and advocates in housing justice organizing across the Twin Cities metro. The initiative builds connections between disability justice and housing justice movements while promoting tenant protections and accessibility.

2023: HJC filed the first lawsuit enforcing St. Paul’s rent stabilization ordinance, securing repayment for a tenant and restoring lawful rent levels. HJC also successfully challenged a 26.48% rent increase at the Haven at Battle Creek.

2023: New research from HJC, CURA, and Minnesota Housing Partnership highlighted the urgent need to preserve USDA Section 515 affordable housing in Greater Minnesota. The report elevated awareness of rural housing preservation challenges and proposed practical long-term solutions.

2024: BIPOC renters at Victoria Townhomes successfully challenged discriminatory practices and unsafe living conditions in a major class action lawsuit. The case resulted in over $1 million in financial benefits, expungements of court records, and significant property repairs.

2024: HJC partnered with Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid to support residents in a corporate-owned manufactured home park facing illegal lease changes, retaliation, and threats of eviction. Through litigation and advocacy, HJC helped residents protect their housing rights and prevent displacement.

2024: Working with the Equity in Place coalition, HJC helped develop Minnesota’s Right to Organize legislation, protecting tenants’ ability to form tenant unions without fear of retaliation. The law established new protections and penalties for landlords who interfere with tenant organizing.

Ongoing: For decades, HJC has pushed suburban cities across the Twin Cities region to meet their fair share of affordable housing obligations under the Metropolitan Land Use Planning Act. This long-term advocacy has strengthened regional housing equity and expanded affordable housing opportunities for low-income residents.