Minneapolis voters open the door for rent control
Minneapolis voters adopted a historic ballot initiative Tuesday that will allow city leaders to begin crafting a rent control policy.
The decision could bring Minneapolis in line with cities across the country that have limited how much landlords can raise rents year over year. Meanwhile, it remained unclear about an hour after polls closed whether voters in St. Paul would follow suit with a strict rent control policy that, if approved, would cap annual rent hikes at 3%.
The two measures pitted grassroots organizers against property owners who raised millions of dollars, blanketing the cities with messages urging voters to either enact a new tenant protection or avoid a potential roadblock to new development. Claire Bergren Home to Stay campaign manager, said rent control advocates met opposition fundraising with 300,000 calls and text messages.
Supporters said these initiatives — which would enact rent control in St. Paul in 2022 and allow Minneapolis leaders to enact a yet-to-be-developed policy sometime in the future — would create stability for tenants in a tight housing market where most residents are renters.
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https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-voters-open-the-door-for-rent-control/600112089/