PROTECTION
Asserting the rights of tenants and breaking down barriers to access
Housing Justice is about the rights of people to have safe, stable, affordable places to call home in communities of all types. Where barriers exist that prevent people from accessing affordable housing, HJC works with our partners to break down barriers through legal advocacy and policy advocacy.
We do this by:
- pursuing anti-displacement policies
- engaging in fair housing impact litigation
- researching the barrier to access and how to eliminate them
- challenging illegal rent increases and other violations of federal programs
RentHelpMN application portal closure leaves Minnesotans in need, communities of color disproportionately harmed
We are concerned that RentHelpMN is closed to application as many Minnesotans remain in dire need, in the dead of winter, with a continuing COVID-19 pandemic. We urge the Governor and Legislature to appropriate funds for emergency housing assistance to ensure housing stability for Minnesota families; without continued funding, the number of Minnesotans facing displacement, eviction, and even homelessness will escalate…
Mayor Carter has no authority over land use appeals, and his recent veto holds no power
On February 5, 2021, the St. Paul Planning Commission denied a site plan application by Alatus for an apartment development adjacent to the Lexington Station area. Pursuant to § 61.702(a) of the Zoning Code, Alatus appealed to the City Council. At its April 7, 2021 meeting, the Council adopted a resolution denying the appeal, and at its April 14 meeting adopted a resolution memorializing that decision. Before the April 14 Council meeting had ended, Mayor Carter purported, in a three-page document, to veto the April 14 action by the Council.
HJC supports community call for equity and affordability at Lexington and University
The conversation around the two vacant lots at the intersection of Lexington Parkway and University Avenue is two years in the making, encapsulating the tension between community needs and developer priorities. Housing Justice Center works to protect and expand affordable housing, so a proposed development close to transit with no meaningful, substantiated commitment to affordability was a natural place for HJC to intervene.
HJC files class action tenant lawsuit to stop construction harassment in New Brighton
In April 2020, Housing Justice Center represented a group of New Brighton tenants, along with HOME Line, in filing a class-action lawsuit against QT Property Management (QT), its owner Jason Quilling and the City of New Brighton. HJC argued QT engaged in “construction harassment,” a tactic increasingly used by landlords to oust low-income renters by making living conditions unbearable, remodel the building, and bring in new tenants for much higher rents.
Pushed out in the name of progress: Redevelopment in Rochester’s Destination Medical Zone displaces tenants
Rochester’s Destination Medical Zone (DMZ) has been hailed as a groundbreaking public-private partnership to redevelop downtown Rochester and solidify the Mayo Clinic’s position as a world leader in healthcare. Extensive development is now picking up its pace,...
HJC settles Crossroads Apartments lawsuit for $650,000 and changes to owner’s admission practices
On October 19, 2017, Federal District Court Judge Ann Montgomery granted preliminary approval to the class action settlement in the Crossroads Apartments lawsuit. Defendant owners of Crossroads (now called Concierge) will pay the plaintiff tenants $650,000 and will...
Our Work in this Area
Was your rental application denied due to something in your tenant screening report? There is hope
Being denied housing due to something in your tenant screening report can be discouraging. But there are steps you can take to turn that “No” into a “Yes.” At the Housing Justice Center we assist many tenants with this issue through our Renters Reclaim the Record project — call us at 1-800-429-1705 to learn more. In the meantime, here’s some basic information that can also help you succeed in securing a place to call home…
HJC files class action tenant lawsuit to stop construction harassment in New Brighton
In April 2020, Housing Justice Center represented a group of New Brighton tenants, along with HOME Line, in filing a class-action lawsuit against QT Property Management (QT), its owner Jason Quilling and the City of New Brighton. HJC argued QT engaged in “construction harassment,” a tactic increasingly used by landlords to oust low-income renters by making living conditions unbearable, remodel the building, and bring in new tenants for much higher rents.
Opening the Door: Tenant Screening and Selection
When an apartment becomes available in the Twin Cities, who gets to move in? And perhaps more importantly, who doesn’t?
To answer those questions, we partnered with Family Housing Fund to publish a new report examining the methods and systems used by landlords to screen and select tenants. We found that the current methods and systems used are often unpredictable and can result in disparate treatment, the consequences of which extend beyond prospective tenants and their families to communities and society as a whole.
Pushed out in the name of progress: Redevelopment in Rochester’s Destination Medical Zone displaces tenants
Rochester’s Destination Medical Zone (DMZ) has been hailed as a groundbreaking public-private partnership to redevelop downtown Rochester and solidify the Mayo Clinic’s position as a world leader in healthcare. Extensive development is now picking up its pace,...
HJC’s work on tenant screening practices informs local ordinances
How landlords decide who gets to move into their buildings is a subject that has received surprisingly little scrutiny. Until recently. Two years ago, HJC and partner organizations launched an extensive research project after learning how much the standards for making...
HJC Discovers Illegally High Rents
Working with HOME Line, HJC discovered that a prominent Twin Cities developer is charging tenants too much rent in an affordable tax credit building. Under the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program (LIHTC), developers build...
Reducing barriers to housing access
In the course of negotiating a settlement with a large property owner HJC was struck with the arbitrariness of the screening criteria being used. As we investigated further the range of screening standards used by many different landlords, several things became clear : as to the standards within those criteria (which criminal violations disqualify, what credit score is sufficient, what income level is adequate, etc) there is no recognized set of best practices, and those standards vary widely among landlords.
HJC contributes to Third Circuit Decision Upholding Tenant Protections
Across the country, many privately owned HUD-financed affordable apartment complexes include partial or 100% project-based Section 8 contracts which provide rent subsidies for the lowest income tenants. When those Section 8 contracts come up for renewal, owners have the opportunity to “opt out” or not renew the Section 8 contracts. In order to protect the low-income tenants from the loss of the project based subsidy, HUD will normally provide vouchers as a substitute, known as Tenant Protection Vouchers (TPVs) and Enhanced Vouchers.
HJC works to expand choices for Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher holders
There are few things more heartbreaking than when a family waits for years to get a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) but then has to give it up when they can’t find a landlord willing to accept a voucher. This is also a shame because Section 8 programs have been working hard in recent years to make the program as landlord friendly as possible.
HJC settles Crossroads Apartments lawsuit for $650,000 and changes to owner’s admission practices
On October 19, 2017, Federal District Court Judge Ann Montgomery granted preliminary approval to the class action settlement in the Crossroads Apartments lawsuit. Defendant owners of Crossroads (now called Concierge) will pay the plaintiff tenants $650,000 and will...