Justice North on Housing Code Violations and Displacement in Greater MN
Two recent stories by MPR News report that low-income renters in Greater Minnesota communities such as Bemidji are increasingly living in unsafe buildings and facing potential housing displacement. The issues are related to inspection processes that have been more “lenient” outside of the Twin Cities, even when substandard living conditions exist. MPR also found that sometimes there are no rental inspections at all, and that renters living in substandard housing have little recourse beyond a lawsuit. Add in a housing shortage, and no state law that requires a city to have a rental license ordinance, and it the problems must be addressed city by city.
In Bemidji, a patchwork inspection approach by several agencies often spells miscommunication and vital information not reaching the levels needed to address residents’ living conditions. According to legal aid attorneys across Minnesota, buildings with low-income tenants have serious problems that go unrepaired for long periods of time. And because of housing shortages, inspectors must frequently choose between enforcing code violations and displacing renters with nowhere to go.
Justice North attorney Peter LaCourse spoke with MPR News about the harsh circumstances faced by low-income renters and the difficult choices being made by local inspectors. “I’ve definitely seen housing inspectors give longer leashes than maybe they should, or they normally would, because they are really concerned about where these people are going to go,” LaCourse said.
He discussed the nature of the problem, calling it a “double-edged sword” and acknowledged the reality of needing rental unities to be in line with code for resident safety while balancing the possible repercussions of inspector decisions.
Read more in Inspection shortfalls, political pressures leave low-income renters vulnerable in greater Minnesota and listen to an interview including Peter LaCourse in How a patchwork inspection system is leaving low income renters vulnerable.