Minneapolis City Council votes to spend $1 million to help people pay rent amid immigration surge

The Minneapolis City Council voted Thursday, Feb. 5, to allocate $1 million to help residents pay rent as part of an effort to help immigrants who have lost income amid the federal immigration crackdown.

The “one-time rental assistance for residents in need” will be available to low-income people facing eviction, but there’s little doubt that supporters had immigrants in mind.

As the Trump administration enters the third month Operation Metro Surge, some Minneapolis residents no longer feel safe leaving their homes because they could be stopped by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and detained. Some workplaces and day cares have closed or reduced hours.

The administration said Feb. 4 that it will begin reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota, but some 2,000 will remain, by the government’s count.

Last month, the Minneapolis and St. Paul city councils called on Gov. Tim Walz to enact a statewide eviction moratorium — an action that would require him to exercise emergency powers like those used during the pandemic.

Evictions could be on the verge of spiking, although it’s difficult to tell how much is related to the immigration crackdown. In Hennepin County, eviction filings were up 65% in December and 90% in January, compared with the previous year, according to a Minnesota Star Tribune analysis of court filings.

The $1 million will come from the city’s cash balance and be administered through a county rental assistance program called Rent Help Hennepin. The program has about $10 million annually in one-time rental assistance for people facing eviction who earn minimum wage or less. Last year, it helped about 3,000 households, according to Council Member Robin Wonsley.

Just since the proposal was discussed earlier this week, Council Member Aisha Chughtai said, she’s heard from numerous people who need help paying their rent — to the tune of a combined $76,000

Council members spent a couple of hours debating where to find the $1 million, rejecting proposals to take the money from the city’s contingency fund or its Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Instead, they decided to use the city’s cash balance.

Most council members said they supported helping people with rent; they just disagreed over where to get the money.

Minneapolis Deputy Chief Financial Officer Jayne Discenza said city departments are racking up “major costs” — at least $5 million just in the first two weeks of the year. She said the city has a small cushion before it hits the minimum general fund balance and starts dipping into the contingency fund.

The finance department “would urge caution,” Discenza said.

Council Member Linea Palmisano said she’s “very concerned” about the city’s finances and the strain the immigration crackdown is putting on on Minneapolis.

Council President Elliott Payne said there’s nothing more urgent than what’s happening in Minneapolis now.

“This is going to impact our city for years to come,” he said. “This is about the future of democracy. Our bond rating will be irrelevant if we are in outright civil war.“

Council members voted 9-4 to pass the rent assistance plan.

Voting in favor with Payne, Wonsley and Chughtai were Council Vice President Jamal Osman and Council Members Aurin Chowdhury, Soren Stevenson, Michael Rainville, LaTrisha Vetaw and Jason Chavez.