With concerns about an eviction crisis growing in the wake of Operation Metro Surge, the St. Paul City Council is considering a temporary requirement that landlords give renters 60 days notice before filing an eviction action with the courts.
If approved, the requirement would double the 30-day notice requirement that had been poised to take effect May 14. The 60-day requirement would roll out at the same time as the city’s new tenant protections package, which was approved by the council a year ago, and run through Dec. 31.
Council Member HwaJeong noted that eviction filings have hit new records since the pandemic, and the immigration crackdown — which shuttered businesses and left many immigrant workers in hiding — has only made matters worse for those already in a vulnerable housing situation.
“We are responding to a crisis layered on a pre-existing one,” said Kim, introducing the 60-day ordinance amendment on Wednesday. “This is not an eviction moratorium. It does not cancel rent. … This is a targeted, time-limited response.”
The state of Minnesota has mandated a 14-day notice for new eviction filings since early 2024. Two weeks “is not nearly enough time to find … a mutual aid fund,” Kim said.
Speaking in favor of the proposal, Council Member Nelsie Yang said immigrant families will be shouldering the economic impacts of Operation Metro Surge for months.
“There are families I’m in touch with right now who are still waiting for their loved one to come back, and they don’t know when they’ll be back,” Yang said.
The council will host a public hearing on the proposed ordinance amendment March 11, with a possible vote March 18.
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