The Brief
- Senate Democrats in Minnesota have introduced a bill to establish a $40 million emergency rental assistance fund to aid residents at risk of eviction.
- The bill aims to address the high number of eviction filings in Minnesota, which have reached about 4,000 through February.
- Concerns have been raised about the bill’s financial implications and potential beneficiaries, including undocumented immigrants.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Senate Democrats introduced a bill to create a $40 million emergency rental assistance fund to help Minnesotans at risk of eviction.
Emergency rental assistance fund proposed
The backstory:
Lawmakers say the state has seen about 4,000 eviction filings through February, indicating a record pace for 2026. And Democrats say it may get worse as a result of people staying home during the ICE surge.
“We are on the edge of an eviction crisis in Minnesota,” said Sen. Lindsey Port. “This bill is intended to address that all across the state to keep people stably housed.”
The bill’s financial implications
The other side:
Sen. Steve Drazkowski expressed concerns about the bill, stating, “This bill will provide, in Hennepin County, over $7,000 to households, some of which are very likely illegal aliens because I don’t think ICE was able to scoop up all the illegal aliens in our state.”
Big picture view:
The $4 million price tag is pretty sizable for a year when the legislature is not creating a budget.
The bill would allocate funds from a reserve initially created to reimburse homeowners whose properties were foreclosed and sold for more than they owed in property taxes.
https://www.fox9.com/news/dfl-lawmakers-propose-40m-rental-assistance-package
