Minneapolis council extends pre‑eviction filing notice 30 days after heated debate

The Minneapolis City Council voted to temporarily extend the city’s pre‑eviction filing notice by 30 days, a measure sponsors said will give renters more time to access rental assistance and avoid displacement.

Council member Wansley, who moved the ordinance, said the change is intended "to give residents more time to find assistance before they are evicted," and clarified to landlords that "this ordinance ultimately gives renters more time to pay you. This is not forgiving anyone of their rent." Wansley said the extension would run through the summer so tenants can access forthcoming state or philanthropic aid.

Supporters leaned on research and on-the-ground accounts. Council member Stevenson said he consulted experts at the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs and reported they found that extending the eviction timeline in similar jurisdictions "reduced evictions that were filed and then ended up happening" compared with surrounding counties. Stevenson added, "This is the right policy for the time. It is limited in scope, and we have the ability to help the very few people, these affordable housing providers, with the things that they need, while we are also helping people who don't live in affordable housing."

Council member Choudhury described frontline impacts and mutual‑aid networks, saying residents and neighbors have raised millions to keep people housed and arguing the ordinance "allows us to get more time for mutual aid to be fundraised for the purposes of rental assistance." He urged colleagues to "support this ordinance today."

Opponents warned of unintended financial consequences for affordable housing providers. Council member Paul Musano cited a letter from 13 affordable‑housing providers and said pausing eviction filings could "greatly disrupt our housing ecosystem and ultimately put more people out on the street," arguing the long‑term consequence could be deeper debt that tenants cannot escape. Council member Whiting said he would abstain and withdrew an amendment he had considered, stressing concerns that a blanket pause could harm the populations the council seeks to help.

The roll call produced 7 ayes, 5 nays and 1 abstention; the council clerk announced "That item carries." Under council procedure, the ordinance will be transmitted to the mayor for signature or veto. Several members said they had heard rumors the mayor might veto the measure; council members also discussed steps — including potential override votes — if that occurs.

The ordinance text as discussed extends the pre‑eviction filing notice by 30 days through April, May, June, July and August (as presented in committee) and includes no forgiveness of rent. Advocates said the time will be used to connect tenants to rental assistance; opponents said that delay could complicate the trigger for assistance and the finances of housing providers. Council members urged pursuing both short‑term protections and longer‑term funding to stabilize affordable housing.

The measure’s immediate effect is procedural: it passed the council today and awaits action at the mayor’s desk. Council members and staff indicated additional funding requests to county, state and philanthropic partners would be needed to realize the policy’s goal of preventing evictions.