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Tenant education, hotline funding and program changes draw support from tenant advocates
Summary
Tenant advocates urged the conference committee to adopt House provisions that expand tenant education and hotline funding, clarify recertification rules for state rental assistance, and strengthen tenant resources.
Tenant advocates and service providers told the housing conference committee the House bill’s tenant‑focused provisions — including funding for a statewide tenant education hotline and clarifications to rental assistance recertification rules — would expand access to legal help and tenant education across Minnesota.
Michael Dahl, public policy director at HomeLine (the statewide tenant advocacy and hotline organization), told the committee HomeLine has fielded more than 20,000 contacts over recent years and asked for the House’s $500,000 one‑time funding for a statewide tenant education and hotline service. Dahl said the work is in high demand and that, without additional resources, response times and coverage, especially in Greater Minnesota, will suffer.
Melissa Taphorn, legislative chair for Minnesota NARO and executive director of the Washington County Community Development Agency, asked the committee to include a technical amendment in the House bill that clarifies program administrators will annually recertify participant incomes to determine rental assistance amounts (changing what had been described as annual eligibility recertification to annual income recertification). Taphorn said this change aligns state practice with federal rental assistance recertification procedures and would simplify administration for program administrators.
Other tenant‑oriented items in the side‑by‑side included: requirements for Minnesota Housing to publish landlord/tenant rights information and provide a link to the attorney general’s publication; Senate provisions limiting the commissioner’s use of appropriated funds for administrative costs; and House language creating a $150,000 one‑time task force on accessible housing.
No votes were recorded on these items during the hearing; advocates asked conferees to preserve tenant‑services funding and the clarifying recertification language in the final bill.
Speakers for this article are listed in the speakers section below.
