Minneapolis Lawmakers Pass Controversial Housing Ordinance

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — The Minneapolis City Council passed an ordinance Friday prohibiting landlords from denying renters because they have a Section 8 housing voucher.

Section 8 is a government program aimed to increase affordable housing choices for very low-income households by allowing families to choose privately owned rental housing.

The measure passed Friday is intended to put voucher holders on equal footing with other people seeking housing options in Minneapolis.

The Minneapolis Civil Rights Ordinance has prohibited discrimination based on receipt of public assistance for decades. City officials say including a specific provision prohibiting discrimination against Housing Choice Voucher participants continues that tradition.

Minneapolis joins nearly 60 jurisdictions across the country that have similar measures providing Housing Choice Voucher (or Section 8) protections.

The ordinance has drawn some opposition from apartment owners and landlords, who believe it will hurt their business. KSTP reported that Bernadette Hornig told the council committees that Section 8 polices need reform: "It is irresponsible to pass this ordinance and say we'll deal with the technical implications later," Hornig said.

"The devil's in the details with these government programs, and there are a lot of critical technical details that have serious technical consequences if this passes now."

The ordinance, sponsored by Council Vice President Elizabeth Glidden and Council Members Abdi Warsame and Lisa Goodman, will take effect May 1, 2018. The Minneapolis Civil Rights Department will oversee enforcement of the ordinance.

Under the ordinance, landlords will only be obligated to consider renting to voucher holders.

That means a landlord can’t refuse to rent, impose unique standards, or otherwise treat HCV holders differently from tenants without vouchers.

Landlords retain their ability to screen the voucher holders like other tenants using legal criteria.

The ordinance also includes an undue hardship clause for landlords based on financial considerations, among other factors.

About 6 percent of the city’s rental units will be impacted by the ordinance, according to a news release.

There are approximately 5,000 Housing Choice Voucher holders in Minneapolis and more than 1,700 families on the program’s waiting list.

About 94 percent of Minneapolis voucher holders are people of color, 77 percent are women, 39 percent are people with disabilities and 53 percent are children, according to city officials.

The average household income is $15,203.

Families who use the vouchers face an especially challenging task of finding affordable housing in Minneapolis with a tight rental market and about 75 percent of units currently priced above the program’s payment standard.

The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) is also moving forward with enhancements to its inspections program and other improvements to make the program work better for families and landlords.

In addition to the anti-discrimination ordinance, the City Council directed City staff to work with the MPHA to develop a landlord incentive fund designed to eliminate barriers to acceptance of Housing Choice Voucher holders.

The Minneapolis City Council also directed staff to recommend changes to city housing policy to ensure city-assisted rental housing developments are in compliance with the ordinance.

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