As 2026 began, Minneapolis faced renewed economic uncertainty tied to ongoing federal immigration enforcement activity in our region. For many households already stretched by affordability challenges, even short-term disruptions to employment or wages can quickly threaten housing stability.
In response, Minneapolis Area Realtors® worked with Minneapolis City Council on two key recommendations focused on protecting community members without shifting unsustainable burdens onto housing providers: an Eviction Moratorium Resolution and an Emergency Rental Assistance Budget.
Let’s Define it:
- Resolution: A formal statement of policy, opinion or administrative action that is usually temporary, but does not carry the same force of law as an ordinance. A resolution typically doesn’t become action until it’s passed as an ordinance.
- Ordinance: A piece of legislation enacted by a municipal authority that is enforceable (e.g., zoning regulations and traffic laws).
Drawing on lessons from COVID-era eviction policies—when housing providers were often left without rental income or adequate assistance—we emphasized solutions that pair temporary protections with meaningful financial support. Together, these resolutions are designed to offer short-term stability for renters while ensuring property owners can continue operating safe, sustainable housing. This balance is essential to the long-term health of our housing market.
1. Eviction Moratorium Resolution
The Minneapolis City Council proposed and passed an Eviction Moratorium resolution, asking Governor Walz to call a state of emergency to stop tenants from having to pay rent due to Operation Metro Surge because people were afraid to go to work, purchase groceries or just live their daily lives.
We deeply understand the importance of stability and relief during times like these, and we shared our concerns that housing providers ultimately bear the severe financial burden this policy causes.
MAR successfully advocated for two provisions to be added to the resolution:
- Emergency rental assistance should be available for individuals and families impacted by ICE detention.
- A stated end date should be included with an eviction moratorium to ensure housing providers have the ability to operate around a deadline to the policy.
To be clear, at this time there is no eviction moratorium at this time—this is only a resolution recommended by the City of Minneapolis to the Governor’s office. Should an eviction moratorium ordinance be introduced, we would hope to see these recommendations reflected. We will keep you posted should that happen.
2. Emergency Rental Assistance Funding
The Minneapolis City Council proposed and passed Emergency Rental Assistance Funding to allocate $1 million from the council’s general fund to help assist individuals and families in paying their rent. This funding is now available for residents of Hennepin County. MAR supported this action as it alleviates the intense financial burden tenants experience when their livelihood is disrupted , and in turn decreases the financial impact on housing providers that nonpayment causes.
We also understand that homeowners as well as renters are impacted by the economic disruption of the federal immigration enforcement occupation. Though we advocated for councilmembers to consider emergency mortgage assistance in addition to rental, it was not ultimately included with the emergency funding.
Why this matters:
This goes far beyond individual circumstance. Communities, businesses, families—the livelihood of all are dependent on economic and housing stability, which we’ve seen starkly illustrated in these early months in the Twin Cities. Advocating for assistance on multiple levels helps renters get relief and maintain stability, while allowing housing providers to operate their properties without shouldering significant undue burden—both of which are critical for communities and businesses to thrive. .
If you have questions or want to learn more about MAR’s advocacy work, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at my****@*********or.com.
Myles Artis
Government Affairs Director
Minneapolis Area Realtors®
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