March saw a back and forth between local and state government officials on how to handle what several groups say is a rapid rise in eviction filings that is now bleeding into April.
In early March, the Minneapolis City Council passed the “Pause Evictions, Save Lives” (PESL) ordinance, a measure that would extend the pre-eviction notice period from 30 to 60 days. It was then vetoed by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. On March 26, an attempt by the Council to override the veto failed. According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, Frey’s administration wanted to fund rental assistance with Local Affordable Housing Aid to avoid impacts on taxpayers.
On March 11, the Minnesota State Senate narrowly passed Senate File (SF) 3596, which would add $40 million in emergency rental assistance aid. The funds would be distributed to local governments throughout the state. In order to be turned into law, the bill still needs to pass the House, which is evenly divided politically and has passed few bills, and be signed by Democratic Governor Tim Walz.
The efforts come amid data that indicates a rise in eviction filings.
HOME Line, a nonprofit tenant advocacy organization, reported that March 2026 eviction filings spiked 60.3% relative to previous months. State politicians have proposed a variety of approaches to ease evictions, including a rental-assistance packages, a pre-eviction notice extension and housing funds. (Luis de Leon)
What the data shows
HOME Line, a longtime nonprofit tenant advocacy organization, has been updating its data analysis on eviction filings.
The most recent update, published April 7, the organization reports Minneapolis saw a 1.7% increase in Q1 filings compared to 2025, with a 60.3% spike in March filings after lower numbers earlier in the quarter.
“While this large spike can, in part, be attributed to the 30-day pre-eviction notice ordinance going into effect in Minneapolis in 2025 (demonstrating that pre-eviction notice periods work as intended), it does not constitute the entire spike,” the report reads in part. “Overall, filings are still 3.4% above the recent average, indicating sustained pressure despite some variability.”
The group also notes that across geographical datasets for the state, they report what they call a consistent pattern: “…temporary supports helped suppress filings early in the year, but as those supports recede, eviction filings rebound, often sharply.”
Minneapolis City Council President Elliott Payne promoted previous HOME Line data in an email, writing, “It’s also important to note that eviction filings are a lagging indicator, meaning this will likely only get worse.”
Meanwhile, the University of Minnesota’s Center for Urban & Regional Affairs published an analysis that assessed the impacts of Operation Metro Surge on rent debt across Minnesota. The analysis concluded that many were forced to miss work due to safety concerns related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations taking place.
“Compared with similar non-immigrant households, immigrant households have lower incomes yet higher rents; 71% of immigrant households making less than $75,000 are rent burdened, spending greater than 30% of income on rent,” the report reads in part. “This has created an escalating and emergent crisis situation for immigrant families across the state who are now facing the threat of eviction following missed rent payments in January and February 2026.”
The analysis also showed that in a typical month, low-income households have rent debts of $22.3 million across Minnesota, around ten times higher than the monthly budget for statewide emergency rental assistance of roughly $2.3 million.
“It stands to reason that there would consequently be a spike in evictions,” the Center’s director, Professor Edward Goetz, told the Northeaster. “The finding that evictions are much higher corresponds with what we know is happening in the rental market and on the income side for so many families.”
The Center estimates that statewide rent debt in February 2026 was anywhere between $27.4 million and $51.3 million higher than a typical two-month average.
Efforts to curb eviction filings
Despite the back and forth amongst lawmakers, State Senator Doron Clark (DFL-60), whose district includes Northeast, said he believes a cash infusion is the main way to help.
“We are starting to see the effects of (President) Trump’s disastrous incursion into Minneapolis,” Clark said.
As the bill to inject $40 million in rental assistance is considered by the state House, Clark said he co-authored a bill that would prohibit landlords from listing the name of a minor child of a tenant in an eviction complaint. This bill aims to protect the privacy of minor children in eviction proceedings.
While he acknowledges the bill’s impact may be small in the grand scheme of things, he believes it adds to the safeguards that he thinks need to be in place for Minnesotans struggling to pay rent.
“I’m also hearing this from the eviction filings of people being — truly going from keeping up with the rent because they had a little money saved up, they used it up, and now they’re behind,” Clark shared.
At present, the 2026 Minnesota legislative session will adjourn on May 18 of this year, leaving lawmakers a little more than a month to decide on how to slow the rise in eviction filings.