Governor Walz’s Executive Order on Suspension of Evictions and Writs of Recovery

 

Effective Date: No later than March 24, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.
Why: To support the need to stay at home during a public health crisis

On March 23, 2020, Governor Walz signed Emergency Executive Order 20-14 suspending evictions and writs of recovery for the term of the COVID-19 peacetime emergency. This Executive Order keeps people stably housed and prevents displacement during this health emergency.

Note that evictions and terminations are allowed in cases where the tenant seriously endangers the safety of other residents or for violation of 504B.171, subd. 1 (certain unlawful activities).

This order took effect on March 24, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. and applies to households in their homes as of March 1, 2020. For more information about this order, please see Summary of Executive Order 20-14 and Frequently Asked Questions about Executive Order 20-14 (includes a referral list for property owners, renters, financial institutions, and borrowers).

 

 

 

Governor Walz’s Executive Order on Suspension of Evictions and Writs of Recovery - csp501dale@gmail.com - Gmail

 

• Filing residential evictions

• Lease terminations

• Carrying out a Writ of Recovery: Enforcing an eviction through forcible removal of a household by a sheriff or other officer

The order also requests that lenders suspend foreclosures.

Tenants and homeowners continue to be responsible to pay rent and mortgage payments on time.

 

 

For Tenants:

• Rent is not reduced or waived during this suspension. Once the suspension has ended, owners can file for evictions and removals can be enforced.

• If you do not pay your rent, it could cause credit problems that will impact future housing options and those payments are critical for landlords/owners to pay their bills.

• Having trouble making rent? First, be in touch with your landlord right away. Reach out early to discuss potential payment plans or accommodations. Second, you may be eligible for assistance.

• Local units of government (including counties and housing and redevelopment authorities) and nonprofits administer emergency assistance and short-term rental assistance programs that may be available. You may be eligible for other government programs as well depending on your circumstances.

• Many programs, including emergency assistance, can be accessed through the Department of Human Services. Or you can reach out to your county through their website or by phone. 

• Short-term rental assistance through Minnesota Housing’s Family Homelessness Prevention program may also be available. Find your local program and contact them for assistance.

• For other resources and referrals, please call:United Way 211: Free and confidential health and human services information for people in Minnesota.Website: www.211unitedway.org Call: 211 or 651.291-0211Toll Free: 800.543-7709 Text: Text your ZIP code to 898211 for informationText MNCOVID to 898211 for COVID Resources*Language assistance available in Español (Spanish) and Hmong

 

 

For Homeowners

• If you are having trouble paying your mortgage, contact your lender right away.

• If you stop making payments you could be risking losing your home in the future as well as credit problems.

• You may have heard that some lenders are suspending foreclosures, but you should talk to your lender and a counselor to make sure you understand your circumstances.

• There are resources available if homeowners need financial assistance. Check the Minnesota Homeownership Center website to review options available.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What We’re Up Against: What’s Backfiring on the Issue of Gentrification

Boiled down, the public narrative on gentrification simply says people don’t have a “right” to live in any particular place, nor do they have standing in a neighborhood simply because they (in this case, African Americans) have always lived there. You only get to live in a place because your efforts (getting an education and job) afford you the right to be there. And if you get priced out, so the logic goes, it is your responsibility to move to a place more consistent with your budget and work ethic. Surely, there are plenty of places left in the United States where housing is still relatively cheap, if people are willing to do the work to look.

This logic reflects the three, very powerful narratives that dominate the public discourse on the place-based work we do and is often responsible for the backfire we get when we try to build public support. And when these narratives operate together (as they often do on the issue of gentrification), it is a trifecta that leads to a predictable refrain—“if you can’t afford where you live . . .” :

• . . . it is your own responsibility to solve that problem because decent housing is an outcome and a reward for making good choices in your life (The Narrative of Individual Responsibility);

• . . . move to a place that better reflects your budget and paycheck (The Narrative of Mobility) and;

• . . . any differences between groups in terms of access to affordable housing reflects differences in the work ethic and cultural values of those negatively affected groups rather than a structural, spatial, and system problem (The Narrative of Racial Difference)

As a result, navigating the public conversation so that it congeals around affordable housing solutions is challenging. As I’ve written before, the public perception of affordable housing often equates it to “public housing” which remains very negative and highly racialized in the public’s imagination. And the concept of “affordability” is still understood by most Americans as much more about how effective we are with our personal finances and budgeting versus issues that reflect broader public concerns.