Resource

How Can We Prevent Evictions?

Video

Watch the video with Spanish subtitles and graphics.

Strong, vibrant communities start with stable housing.

Yet with rising rent and stagnant wages, many people live one misstep away from losing their home—a broken car, a sick child, or job loss can send someone down the road to eviction.

In Minnesota, over 16,000 evictions are filed each year, with devastating consequences.

So how can we prevent evictions? Here are three ideas:

One, we can improve access to emergency funds. Missed rent is a factor in nearly all evictions, often just a payment or two. A bit of cash can buy families time to get back on their feet, preventing eviction and possible homelessness.

Another strategy is mediation.

Mediated landlord-tenant agreements succeed 75% of the time, and are less likely to result in eviction.

Mediation helps tenants and landlords, and taxpayers, saving everyone time and money.

Third: Stand up for renters.

Neighbors can embrace renters and advocate for their legal protection.

With a roof over their heads, children perform better in school, workers can focus on their jobs, neighborhoods become safer, and everyone benefits!

These ideas are just a few places to start. We ultimately need comprehensive solutions to make sure people of all income levels have a place to call home.

RECENT reports AND ARTICLES:

- “The Illusion of Choice: Evictions and Profit in North Minneapolis,” The Center For Urban And Regional Affairs (CURA), May 2019.
- “U of M study offers deep-dive on evictions in north Minneapolis,” MinnPost, May 31, 2019.
- “Evictions are rising in Rochester; this team is trying to stop them,” MPR News, March 3, 2019.
- “Preventing evictions becomes a focus in fight against homelessness in Minnesota,” Star Tribune, February 9, 2019
- “Mediators Tackle Fast-Paced Evictions,” Southwest Journal, April 3, 2018.

Additional Resources:

- Feel free to share this video widely or use as a resource in your community. You can share the link or download the video by following the link and clicking the download button under the video.
- Visit the Eviction Lab to see eviction rates in your community, view rankings for places across the country, and learn about the American housing crisis by interacting with customizable maps.
- The 2019 Read Brave Saint Paul theme is housing, a critical topic in Saint Paul where thousands of people struggle to afford housing. Read Brave is a citywide, intergenerational reading program set around a common theme relevant to the city.
- See a variety of recent housing reports and learn more about other work McKnight supports through its Region & Communities program.

If you would like to HELP Prevent evictions:

- Volunteer to be a mediator.
- Volunteer with CommonBond Communities or HOME Line.
- Donate to a nonprofit group that supports renters and affordable housing.
- Express your support of renters in public forums.
- Join a coalition like Homes for All or Prosperity’s Front Door.