Group Of MN Leaders To Walz: Suspend Rent, Mortgage Payments

TWIN CITIES, MN — A group of elected officials, primarily from the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, are asking Gov. Tim Walz to support a rent and mortgage moratorium as the new coronavirus crisis continues to wreak havoc on the Minnesota economy.

The letter was written by Jeremiah Ellison, a member of the Minneapolis City Council, and cosigned by 22 other local leaders.

"I urge you to support the suspension of rent and mortgage payments, as well as enact a moratorium on commercial evictions, to mitigate the financial devastation families, residents, and local businesses, are facing across the state," Ellison wrote.

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"Debt is piling up for renters and mortgage-holders, despite many not having a steady income for the foreseeable future. Mass displacement, home foreclosures, and the shuttering of businesses are imminent unless aggressive measures are taken immediately. Such action is even more critical considering we have been in a housing crisis since before the outbreak of COVID-19, as housing costs continue to rise at a rate much faster than incomes."

Walz has already temporarily suspended evictions during the Minnesota's peacetime state of emergency. Jeremiah Ellison's father, Attorney General Keith Ellison, has played a key role in enforcing that measure.

"If vital measures are not taken immediately, families will lose their homes," the letter to Walz continues.

"We know that without housing, families will be fundamentally destabilized — directly affecting their health and safety, producing an even greater need for assistance, and creating a recipe that will amplify crimes of necessity. Therefore, it is crucial that we continue to be proactive through supporting the suspension of rent and mortgage payments during the COVID-19 crisis."

Jeremiah Ellison says he is partnering with elected leaders from a number of cities across the nation to call on state and federal officials to cancel rent payments and impose an immediate moratorium on mortgages.

Read the entire letter to Walz here.

Coronavirus in Minnesota

Seventy-nine people have died from COVID-19 in Minnesota, health officials announced Tuesday.

A total of 1,695 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the state. Of those, 909 no longer need isolation.

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