Opinion | Duluth’s Right to Repair ballot question is good policy for renters

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Our federal government is shut down. Our state Legislature is locked in a stalemate. In this moment where progress can feel out of reach, we’re drawing hope from renter-led organizing right here in Minnesota. As Election Day approaches, momentum is building behind the campaign to vote yes on Duluth Ballot Question 1 to win Duluth Right to Repair, a common-sense tool that ensures timely repairs for renters.

Led by Duluth Tenants and endorsed by a powerhouse coalition that includes labor unions, small businesses and elected officials, this campaign is a model for all leaders, elected and otherwise, to learn from.

Two things stand out about this campaign. First, Duluth Right to Repair is a real, renter-centered solution. It gives renters a simple tool and the agency to address pressing issues impacting day-to-day life. It’s not about creating more red tape or slapping landlords on the wrist when they fail to follow through. (And who wants to go to court over a common repair?) It’s about ensuring renters have a way to actually get issues fixed and move on — before they become major safety hazards.

Here’s how Duluth Right to Repair works: Landlords have 14 days to act from the moment renters notify them. If they do not, renters can act to get the repair resolved within a cost limit of $500 or half a month’s rent. If it’s within their skill set, the renter can make the fix. If the repair requires a licensed contractor, they can hire one just like any homeowner; no court date or city inspection needed.

Right-to-repair policies, which already exist in 21 states across the U.S., ensure timely repairs for common problems — from clogged tubs to broken bathroom fans. These repairs may sound small, but they can have a major impact on people’s lives and the quality of housing in a community. Duluth has some of the oldest housing in the state — half of it was built before 1940.

Over two years of organizing and in thousands of conversations, Duluth Tenants members heard stories of broken locks, leaky faucets and drafty windows. They heard about uneven stairs that led to falls and a broken hip and small leaks that became major mold problems. They heard time and again that existing systems aren’t enough to ensure timely repairs.

Then, Duluth Tenants members took those stories seriously and organized for a policy grounded in renters’ real experience and needs — a policy that would actually deliver the repairs their neighbors were asking for.

That’s the other thing that stands out about this campaign: It’s a galvanizing example of the power of renter-led organizing. Duluth Tenants put in the work — and it shows. Together, Duluth Tenants members collected thousands of signatures from renters, homeowners, and supportive landlords and realtors across the city to put Duluth Right to Repair on the ballot. Since then, the coalition supporting a yes vote on Question 1 has earned the endorsement of Minnesota Young DFL and local labor unions, including AFSCME Council 5, Minnesota Nurses Association, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa, and United Steelworkers Local 9460. To get out the vote, Duluth Tenants members have knocked on 14,000 doors to date across every district, from Hillside to Fond du Lac.

As Housing and Homelessness Committee leaders in the Minnesota House and Senate, our goal is safe and stable housing for all. If we’re serious about addressing Minnesota’s housing crisis, we need to follow the leadership and determination of one of the groups most impacted by the problem: renters. We’re inspired by Duluth Tenants, whose determination and leadership is about to win a renter-centered policy that moves Duluth one step closer to that vision.

Duluthians, vote yes on Question 1 by Nov. 4.