Minneapolis boosts rental assistance by $1 million

The city of Minneapolis will allocate $1 million for emergency rental assistance as families affected by the ongoing federal immigration process seek help paying bills.

After an hours-long discussion Thursday, the City Council voted to allocate money from its cash reserves to Hennepin County, which has an emergency rental assistance fund that residents can apply for.

Councilor Robin Wonsley, one of the drafters of the resolution, said: “This is one way we can show residents that the council is listening to them, cares about them and is stepping up to do something to support them.”

The state’s rental assistance hotlines say Calls for help have increased dramatically this year. Some callers say they won’t go to work because they fear they will be detained by ICE if they leave home. Others say the family’s breadwinner was arrested, leaving them struggling to pay bills.

Councilwoman Aisha Chughtai said many residents ask her where they can get help.

“I spoke to a disabled mother. Her husband is in detention. Now she’s suddenly a single mother. She’s behind on rent,” Chughtai said. “Every story is tragic. It’s heartbreaking.”

Chughtai said she collected the total amount of rent residents told her they needed just this week; It reached $76,000.

Local organizers and relief groups raised their own rental assistance funds. But city council members said the local government needs to step up its efforts and help people who still need money.

Council members opposed to the resolution said they wanted voter funding, but were skeptical that people who needed the money would be able to get it.

Councilwoman Latricia Vitaw said she is concerned that migrant families in need of assistance may hesitate to provide their personal information to the county in seeking assistance.

“I don’t know that this is going to impact the people we need to impact, if they’ll get it, if they’ll qualify for it,” Vito said.

Other council members said they were concerned about overspending.

City officials said at the council meeting that several departments are spending more than expected so far this year in their response to the federal immigration process. The Minneapolis Police Department spent $4.3 million in overtime related to this response, putting the department’s spending projections above its budget, Budget Director Gene Discenza said.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Shaffer voted against allocating the funds after hearing the budget summary.

“It gives me pause,” Shaffer said.

The council voted 9-4 to approve transferring funding to Hennepin County.

They took the vote after a failed attempt to allocate $1 million from the city’s emergency fund. Eight council members voted for this funding route and five voted against; Using money from the emergency fund requires a 10-vote majority.

The council also voted against a motion to delay the decision until March, and another motion from Councilman Jamison Whiting to draw money from the affordable housing fund instead of the city’s emergency fund. Opponents said the money was needed for continued work on affordable housing.

The council also passed a measure moving $500,000 from public safety funding to the city’s immigrant legal services. Councilman Wonsley introduced a measure to increase the notice landlords must give residents before filing for an eviction from 30 days to 60 days.