Republicans in the Minnesota State Legislature ditched an effort to block voters in the Twin Cities from implementing rent stabilization laws.
"Minnesota Senate Republicans have backed off a previous demand that would have prohibited Minneapolis and St. Paul from enacting rent control as both cities look to put the issue before voters this November," reports J. Patrick Collican.
An earlier article by Max Nesterak details the efforts by St. Paul residents to get rent stabilization legislation on the November 2021 ballot that would cap annual rent increases at 3 percent for all rental units in the city.
Yet another article by Solomon Gustavo details the charter amendments that request permission to implement rent control in that city: "[T]he charter amendments are there to satisfy the exception in Minnesota’s rent control law, which says that charter cities in the state can engage in 'controlling rent on private residential property' only if 'the ordinance, charter amendment, or law that controls rents is approved in a general election.'"
By ditching their effort to preempt rent control in the Twin Cities, Republicans in the state legislature are making a major concession in negotiations for a "pandemic off-ramp" bill that would set the state's recovery and reopening path, according to Collican. Details of the pandemic off-ramp bill include the thorny issues of how to end the state's eviction moratorium and how to apportion housing construction bonds.
"The Senate wants the eviction lifted 105 days after the bill is signed, while the House wants 135 days," according to Collican.
FULL STORY: Senate Republicans drop rent control ban from eviction moratorium off-ramp bill
First Steps Toward Rent Control in Minneapolis
The state of Minnesota requires local rent control law to be approved by general election, so the city of Minneapolis is forced to take several preemptory steps to get a rent stabilization ordinance on the ballot.
St. Paul Apartment Construction Slows; Rent Control Under Scrutiny
Apartment permits declined by 48 percent in the past year in St. Paul. The city’s voters approved one of the nation’s most aggressive rent stabilization ordinances in November 2021.
Florida Law Bans Rent Control Statewide
The DeSantis administration has a signature housing bill. Florida has $711 million in funding for housing programs. Local governments have less power over zoning.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
